5 Ways to Take Care of Yourself in the New Year
2022. A new year, full of new possibilities and resolutions. Starting in January is usually when I begin to make a list of goals that I want to accomplish by the end of the year. The problem with this is that the goals I have at the beginning still go unmet by December. In fact, they are usually forgotten by mid-year. I’m also not the only one who goes through this cycle, as studies have shown that approximately 80% of people who make New Year’s resolutions have dropped them by the second week of February.
Now, this doesn’t mean to forgo creating goals or resolutions for the new year. Having goals helps us start fresh, provides a sense of purpose and gives us something to look forward to. That being said, it might be a good idea to rethink the way we go about making them.
1. Set realistic goals
One way to do it is focus on implementing realistic and specific goals. For me, every year I have the same pretty generalized goal of losing weight, usually with an unreasonable timeline. Having this goal is fine, but I soon realized that if I want to make it attainable I needed to make it more specific and something that I could actually achieve. You also don’t need to have a list of ten separate goals to meet by the end of the year. You may want to start with 3-4 goals to meet first and then you can always add more as times goes along.
2. Start a new hobby
Something else to start in the new year could be a hobby that you may have always wanted to try, such as cooking, painting, learning a new language, etc. It doesn’t have to be something elaborate or expensive, either! For example, YouTube is a great resource for learning new hobbies and has videos showing how to cook different recipes or a step-by-step painting lesson.
3. Make anti-resolutions
Other than starting something new, you can make this the year where you stop doing something, also known as making an anti-resolution. The purpose of anti-resolutions is to commit to stop doing something, specifically something that may be holding you back or has a negative impact on your life. This could be a vow to stop procrastinating or to stop saying yes (or no) to everything.
4. Practice self-care
If you don’t already practice self-care, this is a good time to start. Self-care is incredibly important and adaptable, with the ability to change depending on person or interests. If you already practice self-care techniques, for the new year you could try new forms of self-care, such as acupuncture, meditation, journaling, hiking, etc.
5. Find your “why”
Before you make any resolutions or goals, think about why you are making them and more specifically, what you want to accomplish by creating them. Finding a strong reasoning behind the goals will mostly likely give you more motivation to reach them.
Whether your goals for the new year are to implement new self-care techniques, find a new hobby or make a “anti-resolution”, work to make this year your best year yet!
References:
https://www.prevention.com/life/g38392117/happy-new-year-2022/
https://www.womansday.com/life/g2797/new-years-resolution-ideas/
Staff Blogger: Mollie Clupper
Mollie Clupper is working for MHA as a Communications and Support Specialist. Using her own experiences, she wants to help bring awareness and end the stigma surrounding mental health. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, drinking coffee, and spending time with her fur-niece.