As the new year approaches, many of us are already starting to create our own lists for New Year’s resolutions. There is something about the start of a period of time that can help us feel refreshed and ready to tackle new things. But often, people become frustrated later in the year when their New Year’s resolutions fall by the wayside. It’s hard to know what the year has in store on the outset, and goals may be adjusted or even let go when the novelty wears off.
You’ve likely experienced this before, and it can be discouraging. But what does that mean for your mental health? Are New Year’s resolutions a good way to focus on your life worth living? Or are they unrealistic expectations that can set you up for depression and stress when they don’t work out? As is often the case, the answer is a little more complicated than a simple “good or bad.”
How New Year’s Resolutions Are Good For Your Mental Health
Let’s start with the good. In theory, setting resolutions to change your life is a good thing to do, provided those resolutions are healthy. This can be a great opportunity for you to think about what your life worth living looks like and work towards that. Here are some of the ways New Year’s resolutions can work out for you:
Help To Motivate You
Motivation can be difficult when you struggle with mental health conditions. Especially in the midst of winter when your seasonal depression might be at its peak, it’s important to find ways to stay energized. New Year’s resolutions can give you the fresh start and motivation you need. It’s important to remember, however, that this motivation might be short-lived unless you take other steps to keep it going.
Let Go of the Past Year’s Disappointments
If you’re still hanging on to things you didn’t get around to over the past year, or things you wish you had done differently, the new year offers you a chance to let them go. Your New Year’s resolutions are all about looking ahead. What do you want to do in the coming year? Focus on that instead of what you could have done this year. It doesn’t mean that you have to completely forget anything that didn’t go according to plan in the past year, but you can take this as an opportunity to forgive yourself.
Makes Room For Healthy Goals
Finally, New Year’s resolutions are healthy for you when they lead you to actually set healthy goals and make healthy choices. Those goals could be things like taking better care of your physical health with exercise or a nutritious diet. They could be spending more time connecting with loved ones, or reaching out for mental health support. These are all good things, and pursuing them is in fact good for you.
How New Year’s Resolutions Are Bad For Your Mental Health
Unfortunately, there are often downsides to the New Year’s resolution trend. It can be easy to put a lot of pressure on the new year to be The Year when everything changes for you. This, unfortunately, can lead to stress and disappointment. Some issues to watch out for when making new year’s resolutions include:
Increase in Stress
Looking forward to the future isn’t a bad thing, but it shouldn’t come at the cost of being present in the current moment. Sometimes, when you’re too fixated on the future, it can lead to unhealthy stress levels. You may worry about not being able to reach your goals, or you may overwhelm yourself with the things you want to accomplish in the new year. Make sure you’re staying mindful in the new year and not focusing on your goals to the exclusion of all else.
Overreaching Goals
When setting new year’s resolutions, try not to overreach. If you set too many goals, you likely won’t be able to reach them all. The same goes for resolutions that are out of your control or impossible to reach. This can lead to a disappointing year. When you struggle with your mental health, the crash as you realize that you won’t be meeting your goals can be disheartening and lead to engagement with target behaviors.
Try to set goals that you can feasibly achieve and that focus on your actions, not desired results. This will help you stay motivated as the year goes on. Remember, too, that you don’t know what this year has in store. Very few people expected 2020 to go the way it did. Leave room for trouble and room to be gentle with yourself.
Chasing Fads
Sometimes there will be certain fads or trends that come up around time for New Year’s resolutions. For instance, you might hear a lot of people talk about losing weight or trying one particular diet. However, fad diets often do more harm than good and you should always do your research before committing to a diet plan. Take time to consider what’s right for you.
Similarly, making a resolution to “quit X cold turkey” can be difficult to achieve and lead to feelings of guilt if you slip up. Instead of cutting out caffeine, for instance, try cutting back. When you’ve become accustomed to a certain level of cutting back, scale back further. Eventually you’ll be able to work your way into quitting.
Adopting a Healthy Mindset For New Year’s Resolutions
So how can you set New Year’s resolutions in a healthy way?
- Try to succeed, but don’t get hung up on failure. Sometimes you set goals that you don’t reach, or that you don’t reach within the time you set for yourself. That’s okay. You likely still learned something about yourself and your goals. You can still try again.
- Set achievable, fitting goals. Ask yourself, do you actually need to lose weight or cut back on sugar? Do you have the time and the mental energy to write 3 books in a year? If not, adjust your goals to something more achievable and healthier for you.
- Make a plan. Don’t just set your resolutions and then forget about them a few weeks after January 1. Instead, make a plan. Break your resolutions into smaller goals to meet throughout the year. This will keep you going.
- Talk to others about your resolutions. Work with your therapist, your friends, or your family on your resolutions. These people can hold you accountable and just generally take an interest in your journey towards your goals.
Making a plan to achieve your life worth living is good at any time of year, not just during the new year. Our skilled and compassionate clinicians at Rivia Mind can help you set goals and a plan to reach them in a healthy way. Contact us today to learn more or to schedule a free 15-minute consultation.
