New Year’s Resolutions You Can Keep All of 2019
Self Care Resolutions for the New Year
By Hanna Kim - December 28, 2018
 Right now is a time to reflect back on what’s brought us joy and what we’ve accomplished in 2018, as well as acknowledge the things that may have gone wrong and can be improved on. It may seem cliché, but the start of a new year is truly the perfect time to set up the goals that help us get towards the future we want to create for ourselves.
New Year's statistics show that only 9.2 percent of us successfully carry out our resolutions each year. While it’s great to have ambition, it can be tempting to set too big a goal, or feel held down by too many goals. Unreasonable resolutions can lead to more stress that makes us feel bad about ourselves.
A study in the European Journal of Social Psychology on how habits are formed found that the average person takes 66 days to break out of an old habit, and it takes even more time to master a new, better pattern. Start with small self-care goals to help you in the long run. Making a small change in your daily routine can help you create new patterns of action. Consider trying one of these subtle positive changes for a healthier you, year-round.
Express Your Gratitude
Start by expressing gratitude for the people and things you have that make life great. Try making a list each day of three things that made your day better, no matter how big or small.
Something like being unable to find parking in downtown Denver on Friday night or waiting for a delayed package may trigger agitation. We can slowly rewire our brains to not get as immediately irritated, or even focus on the good: we’re happy to have friends to meet for drinks or lucky to soon be opening that present from mom.
Say No to Social Media
Turn your fear of missing out; commonly known as FOMO, into JOMO, the “joy of missing out.†Instead of scrolling through your Facebook page to see how your peers are having a blast without you on a ski trip in Aspen or at brunch in RiNo, make room for joy in your own life.
Pick a time of day to plan a ban social media use. Make a promise to yourself to eat dinner each night without scrolling through Instagram or not check the news after 9:00PM. Newer research consistently shows how social media overuse can lead to sensory boredom, as well as make it harder to get sleep due to screens’ emitting blue light and stressful content.
Plan Regular Dates with Your SO or Yourself
After the initial exciting “honeymoon†phase of a relationship, things may seem repetitive or mundane. Think of things you two enjoy doing together and put it on the calendar every other week, or even weekly if your schedules allow. If you don’t know where to start, the Westword keeps an updated calendar of everything going on in Denver.
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Single at the moment? Think of activities you’re passionate about or simply help you be happy. If you can’t find the time for a weekly pottery class, look for a one day workshop. Plan a monthly massage to help you unwind. It’s important to do the things that bring us joy in order to nourish ourselves with the energy we need to be successful day to day.
Realize it’s entirely okay to miss a day of our resolutions and that we can get back on track the next day. We’re all human and doing our very best each days, and with time, effort and patience we can accomplish our biggest goals. Cheers to a happy and rewarding new year!
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New Year's statistics show that only 9.2 percent of us successfully carry out our resolutions each year. While it’s great to have ambition, it can be tempting to set too big a goal, or feel held down by too many goals. Unreasonable resolutions can lead to more stress that makes us feel bad about ourselves.
A study in the European Journal of Social Psychology on how habits are formed found that the average person takes 66 days to break out of an old habit, and it takes even more time to master a new, better pattern. Start with small self-care goals to help you in the long run. Making a small change in your daily routine can help you create new patterns of action. Consider trying one of these subtle positive changes for a healthier you, year-round.
Express Your Gratitude
Start by expressing gratitude for the people and things you have that make life great. Try making a list each day of three things that made your day better, no matter how big or small.
Something like being unable to find parking in downtown Denver on Friday night or waiting for a delayed package may trigger agitation. We can slowly rewire our brains to not get as immediately irritated, or even focus on the good: we’re happy to have friends to meet for drinks or lucky to soon be opening that present from mom.
Say No to Social Media
Turn your fear of missing out; commonly known as FOMO, into JOMO, the “joy of missing out.†Instead of scrolling through your Facebook page to see how your peers are having a blast without you on a ski trip in Aspen or at brunch in RiNo, make room for joy in your own life.
Pick a time of day to plan a ban social media use. Make a promise to yourself to eat dinner each night without scrolling through Instagram or not check the news after 9:00PM. Newer research consistently shows how social media overuse can lead to sensory boredom, as well as make it harder to get sleep due to screens’ emitting blue light and stressful content.
Plan Regular Dates with Your SO or Yourself
After the initial exciting “honeymoon†phase of a relationship, things may seem repetitive or mundane. Think of things you two enjoy doing together and put it on the calendar every other week, or even weekly if your schedules allow. If you don’t know where to start, the Westword keeps an updated calendar of everything going on in Denver.
Â
Single at the moment? Think of activities you’re passionate about or simply help you be happy. If you can’t find the time for a weekly pottery class, look for a one day workshop. Plan a monthly massage to help you unwind. It’s important to do the things that bring us joy in order to nourish ourselves with the energy we need to be successful day to day.
Realize it’s entirely okay to miss a day of our resolutions and that we can get back on track the next day. We’re all human and doing our very best each days, and with time, effort and patience we can accomplish our biggest goals. Cheers to a happy and rewarding new year!
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