Posted by Dr Catherine Carney
on 08 Jan 2024
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The turn of the New Year is about renewal and hope. Millions of people across the UK marked this date by setting New Year’s resolutions, reflecting on these hopes, aspirations, and energy.
Whether that be resolutions to help you get the perfect body, relationship, business, or work/life balance, it is expected that more Brits will have set a resolution for this year, compared to 2023, according to research from Forbes Advisor. This equates to roughly a third (30%) of British adults, and more than half (51%) of those aged 18-34.
Most people have made them and a large section have failed to achieve some or most of them. We can all relate to that failure. But most won’t be posting this failure on social media, or speaking to friends and family about it. This experience can become demoralising, and it can have a profound negative impact on our health.
This Friday (January 12) is ‘Quitters Day’, recognised for being when many people abandon their 2024 goals. Just one in five (21%) adults who set a resolution are likely to stick to it for the entire month and just 6% will keep them until the end of the year, according to Forbes Advisor.
Setting goals is healthy and important, and we should continue to make New Year’s resolutions. But certain considerations need to be made to ensure it has a positive impact on your health.
There is no such thing as perfection, so start small
Progress and self-compassion is realistic, perfectionism is not. And sweeping changes can be overwhelming or too difficult to maintain. The best way forward will be to make compromises with yourself when setting these goals. Humans are creatures of habit, and habits take a while to break. Avoid judgement by social media. Baby steps are easier than revolutionising a life!
Stick to a few and make them meaningful
Be reasonable. Do not go from being a couch potato to exercising for two hours a day. Or from a high fat, sugar ladened diet to a 800 calorie diet with no ‘cheat days’ included. Changes take time and new habits take a while to form, so start with one and focus your energy on this. If you have had consistent failure at one goal, don’t give up. Adapt the goal or move on to try another. If it’s meaningful, it deserves more of your intention and focus. So pick one or two and try to stick with them.
Make the changes enjoyable
This often gets missed when setting goals. The key to any goal is positive feedback, and you are more likely to get this when you do something you enjoy.
Resolutions do not all have to be ‘self improvement’ related: find something that gives you positive feedback. So don’t aim to run a marathon, if you prefer doing yoga. And don’t plan to be a manager if your strengths lie elsewhere. Don’t go vegan if you can’t bear the thought of never eating Cheddar cheese.
Do not make this your source of happiness
A resolution should not be something that you rely on to make you happy with yourself. You are enough just as yourself. Try not to accomplish things to make you feel worthy. Find resolutions that genuinely bring you joy in the long- or short-term. Not one that makes you conform to social ‘norms’. There is no such thing as normal.
So challenge yourself but be kind to yourself. Be hopeful, but realistic, and flexible.
Don’t berate yourself
Sometimes the goal we set ourselves is not achieved but the journey brings unexpected joys and positivity. So there’s no need to berate yourself too much if you fail. Make time to reflect, and advise yourself as you would your best friend or family member.
If you have a setback or veer off your chosen resolution for a while, don’t give up. Stop, reflect, regroup and get back on track. A setback is not a failure. Setbacks are about developing resilience in life, and learning from them. Not giving up is a reflection of strength and being able to adapt and make adjustments to a goal is an achievement in itself. The most successful people in life have had setbacks and difficult times, but carried on, in an altered form.
Reflect on any setbacks and don’t give up
If you have a setback or veer off your chosen resolution for a while, don’t give up. Stop, reflect, regroup and get back on track. A setback is not a failure. Setbacks are about developing resilience in life, and learning from them. Not giving up is a reflection of strength and being able to adapt and make adjustments to a goal is an achievement in itself. The most successful people in life have had setbacks and difficult times, but carried on, in an altered form.
For more information on how Delamere can help then please get in touch with us. We are a private rehab facility focusing on holistic therapies in a tranquil, rural environment, helping guests with a variety of addictions.
As a psychiatrist with a specialist interest in addiction treatment, Catherine is a real asset to Delamere. Coupled with her experience in working with addictions for over a decade, Catherine’s grounded and down to earth approach is something our guests and clinical team value greatly.
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