2021 is almost done and the countdown to the new year is on. Can you believe it? If you’re like me, you may already be thinking about new opportunities and goals for the new year.
If you’re a bit skeptical at the very thought of “New Year’s Resolution,” after the year we’ve all had, let’s state the obvious: There’s nothing significant about January 1st when it comes to goals. There is nothing magical about new year’s resolutions. In fact, research has found that only about 45% of people even make resolutions. (And 35% of those who do quit them before the end of January.)
While resolutions may not be the most successful, there is a lot of benefit in setting goals for yourself. There are strategies we can implement to help us become who you want to be, provide stability and support our desire to improve our overall wellbeing.
In addition to the usual challenges with making—and keeping—resolutions, COVID-19 has changed the way we think about our health. So why make resolutions anyway?
Thanks to the psychological, and even physical, impact of protracted quarantines and shutdowns, many of us have come to realize that feeling healthy is more than the absence of disease. We feel our healthiest when experiencing positive emotions, when we feel calm and at peace, when we are connecting with others, and when we are taking in beauty with a sense of wonder.
Here is the checklist of a few activities that can give us tools for all the changes we’ve having to address. If we adopt just a few on this list, it is possible we can change our perspectives on what is happening to us, with the potential to alter how our brain and heart process information:
1. Take a few deep breaths. We all know that a deep breath helps us relax. No surprise then that decades of research have demonstrated that by taking slow deep breaths, we calm the body and mind by activating the parasympathetic nervous system; when this happens, stress markers, heart rate, and blood pressure all decrease. That’s why taking deep breaths throughout the day can help keep us be calmer and more balanced.
2. Call an old friend. Research and experience suggest that social connections impact on mortality is on par with blood pressure, cholesterol, and obesity. The benefits likely come from the immediate activation of positive, calming emotions and the long-term benefits of social support.
3. Give someone a hug. Hugging releases chemicals like oxytocin that helps build social bonds and lowers the levels of the stress hormone cortisol. When hugging, we also release endorphins that lead to a sense of well-being and relaxation.
4. Help a friend in need. Helping others allows us to meet some important psychological needs, such as developing our senses of agency and competence as we strengthen social relationships. When we act on our values by being a good friend and helping those in need, we foster a sense of purpose, which is foundational to a meaningful life. Some social scientists suggest that those providing help may get more benefits than those receiving it.
5. Write a thank-you note. Many studies over the last two decades have found that people who express gratitude are happier and less depressed.
6. Sing in the shower…or anywhere. Making music, and in particular singing, just makes us feel better. And this happens in several ways. We release endorphins when we sing; given this, it is not surprising that singing reduces pain. Stress hormone levels fall, leading to improved immune function. We make meaning as we embody the lyrics
7. Dance to your favorite song. We all know that moving our bodies improves our health but moving to music has additional benefits. The mood boost from dancing lasts much longer than from exercise alone. And dancing often has social benefits. There is even data suggesting dancing prevents cognitive impairment in the elderly.
8. Go for a walk in a beautiful place. We all feel better after being in nature, yet we underestimate the healing power of these experiences.
9. Forgive someone. Forgiveness doesn’t mean denying we were wronged; it means we let go of our anger and other unhealthy cognitive processes. Forgiveness requires some hard work, but the benefits are profound: Those who have learned to forgive live longer. This is a result of having less stress, depression, and better sleep and relationships.
10. Talk to yourself in a kinder voice. We are often our own worst critic and when our health goes bad, we can cast an unhealthy amount of blame upon ourselves. Finding self-compassion helps us heal rather than hurt ourselves. Talking to ourselves in a kinder voice is the key to this practice!!
Source:
- The Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley
- Sutter Health
- UCSF
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. –Jeremiah 29:11
“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” –Isaiah 43:18-19a
"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day." --Edith Lovejoy Pierce
"Never underestimate the power you have to take your life in a new direction." --Germany Kent
