NEW YEAR. NEW ME

The start of the new year often comes with the usual mantra of "New Year, New Me". You may notice that on 1st January you were full of high hopes and aspirations however, as the third week of January rolls in- those expectations and resolutions are becoming more difficult to stick to.

So why is this?

When we are excited and hopeful about changes we often focus solely on these things, forgetting about the other aspects in our lives. Often with the festive period, things can feel quieter and more hopeful and therefore it feels easier to focus on these exciting changes. However, once the festive break finishes- reality kicks in. Work becomes busier, the evenings are still dark, pay day seems so far away and everyone seems tired and grumpy around you. This can then make you feel more hopeless about achieving those goals you initially set our to do.

It is important to recognise that sometimes those goals we set for ourselves may be too high and unrealistic. Particularly when fitting them in to our usual busy routine. Have you been guilty of saying the following :

" I'm going vegan"

" I'm going to exercise every day"

" Dry January"

" I'll read a book a week"

" I'll lose 1 stone by the end of the month"

"I'm not spending any money"

etc...

Now, these sound like great goals in theory. However if this is something you have never done before and you are trying to fit these goals into the cracks of your usual life and routine it can feel very difficult!

A more productive way of meeting some of these resolution is making sure these goals are realistic and achievable. Rather than feeling that you need to go in 100%- try to break it down.

For example " I am going to exercise everyday"

1. Ask yourself what type of exercise ? This could start of small like going for a walk, playing badminton with a friend or even taking up a new hobby like rock climbing.

2.How often? Is every day realistic? Maybe start off with one or 2 days a week and gradually build up this time week by week.

3. How long? Plan in exactly how long you plan to spend. 10 minutes, 30 or over an hour?

4.Plan in when and what time: e.g- Thursday evening at 6pm.

5.Who with? Your friend, partner, alone, dog?

Being able to break down these resolution and goals in manageable and bitesize chunks can help you focus exactly on what you want to achieve in a more meaningful and realistic way.

So, asking yourself some of these questions could change the " I want to exercise every day" to " I will play tennis twice a week, on a Monday and Thursday at 6pm for 1hr with my sister".

Why not try breaking down some of your goals with these questions and see how it helps.

If you need further support with achieving your goals get in touch with someone from the team!