For many, keeping New Year’s resolutions for much longer than the month of January is wishful thinking. The initial push to live healthier following that period of indulgence over Christmas is quick to fade away when reality sets back in, but this doesn’t always have to be the case!
Here are our top five tips to help you make sure you stick to the healthy habits for longer this year.
Start small
No matter what the resolution is, one of the easiest mistakes to make is pushing yourself too hard in the first couple weeks of January, leaving you ‘burnt out’ or daunted by the prospect of continuing at the same rate. Making habits is the key to keeping up with your resolutions, so make sure to build up your routines at a manageable pace so that you don’t lose motivation straight out the gate.
Make use of apps
As mentioned earlier, one of the most important aspects when it comes to keeping your resolutions is forming habits. One way to help you do this is by making use of reminder/scheduling apps. Receiving a regular reminder to fulfil your resolution gets rid of the risk of falling out of the habit due to forgetfulness. Additionally, there may be an app out there that is tailored to your specific resolution – for example, if you’re trying to get fitter, practice more mindfulness, learn an instrument etc. – there are loads of apps available to help you.
Set goals
Whenever you set out to accomplish something, you should always make sure to set out goals/milestones to complete along the way. By setting and achieving these goals, you will be able to have a clear view of your progress and will benefit from the positive reinforcement you get when you reach each target.
Share your resolution
It can be a lot easier to let your resolutions slip when going alone. It might be helpful to ask a friend or family member to participate in a resolution with you, so that you can motivate each other to keep it up when you begin to slip.
Leave room for error
Keeping resolutions is hard enough to do at any time – never mind during a global pandemic. There will undoubtedly be setbacks or things that come up and knock you out of the habit. So, while the notion of starting off the year fresh is lovely, don’t forget that resolutions can be started or restarted at any point!
So, whatever you’re resolving to do new in 2022, and however well you keep to it, remember that the point of New Year resolutions is to improve your wellbeing. Make sure to prioritise what works for you and what is good for you when embarking on this year’s resolutions, and best of luck!
