Published by: The Messenger
Written By: Hannah Yasharoff
Lose weight. Quit smoking. Find a partner. Get a promotion. Travel more. Spend less. Connect with loved ones. Finally get enough sleep.
The end of the year can pile on pressures to completely revamp your life in the new year. But is the calendar hitting Jan. 1 really a good enough reason to make a major change?
“For so many people, New Year’s resolutions often focus on changing appearance or body size because there are multi-billion dollar industries pushing their beauty and weight loss products this time of year,” Dr. Samantha DeCaro, Psy.D., Director of Clinical Outreach and Education at The Renfrew Center, tells The Messenger.
There isn’t anything wrong with using this time of year to reflect on how you might want to improve yourself, Dr. DeCaro adds. But she urges those making resolutions to evaluate whether those dreams for the new year are actually aligned with what you want and what you’re able to accomplish, not just concepts you feel compelled to reach for just because it feels like everyone else is.
“Check in with yourself,” Dr. DeCaro says. “Does your New Year’s resolution actually reflect your core values and what is most meaningful to you in your life?”
But, she adds, “you do not have to participate if it doesn’t feel right for you. If you’re noticing anxiety or feeling shame that you haven’t created a New Year’s resolution, remember that we can simply observe and sit with those feelings without acting on them. Feelings aren’t facts and all emotions eventually rise and fall with time.”
Read the full article here.
