Nicole Stelter, Ph.D., LMFT and Director of Behavioral Health
Like money, snowmen, and secrets, New Year’s resolutions are easier to make than to keep. The challenge of keeping resolutions often stems from committing to change without a clear reason why.
Nicole Stelter, Ph.D., LMFT and Director of Behavioral Health for Blue Shield of California, offers three tips for making thoughtful New Year’s resolutions that won’t fade before 2024.
Make it specific and time bound. Instead of committing to exercise more, set a goal like exercising at least 30 minutes, four times a week for the next six months. Setting a concrete goal will help you put it on your calendar and give you a way to measure your progress.
Make it realistic, given the time and resources you can commit. Running a marathon may not be practical considering your health, medical condition, or due to family and professional obligations. Instead, your goal can focus on making healthy choices or cooking healthy meals three times a week. Making it realistic for you and your life means you’re more likely to succeed.
Connect it to a purpose. Even when your resolutions are specific and realistic when they are disconnected from your “why”, you lose sight of the reasons you are trying to make a change. Your why could be, for example, “I want to feel better about my health, buy clothes off the rack, and live long enough to see my grandchildren.” Before you can change your behavior, you must change the way you think about why you want to change it.
Once you’ve set a resolution, consider enlisting a friend or family member to keep you on track or work together toward the same or a similar goal. “The association offers a level of support and accountability,” says Stelter. “If you slip, don’t sink into the agony of defeat, just acknowledge the slip and move on.”
“One thing we do know is that results vary widely,” says Stelter, noting that a large study in Sweden found that only 55% of respondents considered themselves successful after one year.
“Another important factor to consider is that making resolutions and sticking to them can help improve your mental health, which is something more people have struggled with during the pandemic,” says Dr. Stelter. “If you suffer from anxiety or depression, seek professional help. But if you’re trying to prevent those conditions, breaking a bad habit or creating a good one is positive, empowering reinforcement for well-being. Many employers, including Blue Shield of California, offer employee assistance programs that provide confidential counseling and other services from outside professionals, including help with setting physical, mental, career, and financial goals.”
If you were too busy celebrating or cleaning up after the holidays to make a New Year’s resolution, don’t worry. Although January 1 is the most common time to turn the page, this Informs study found that people are more likely to diet, exercise or pursue personal goals at the beginning of calendar cycles (such as a new week, month, etc.). school year or semester), vacations, and birthdays.
“Don’t get stuck with the idea that the New Year is the only time to make changes to improve your health and well-being. Sometimes it’s major life events—new job, new home, relationship changes—that give us the opportunity to pause and reflect on what we want to change. Don’t wait for the New Year to get started,” says Dr. Stelter.
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Source: news.google.com