One constant of the
New Year rituals for many people is making their New Year resolution. We have grand ideas about changing ourselves,
improving something about ourselves or doing something different and the new
year seems the ideal time to put them into force. Then by mid-January, the ideas have gone out
of the window! So how do you make New
Year resolutions that stick?
Understand the mind
The first step to
sticking to new year’s resolutions involves a little psychology. Understanding why we give in can be a good
way to try not to do this. According to
psychiatrists from Harvard medical school, self-restraint is a rational desire
that is found in the front of the brain, the most recently evolved part. This is often overridden by those old survival
instincts that have been with us since cave man times. Pleasure also lives in this instinctive area
and when we do something pleasurable, the brain releases a chemical called
dopamine. In effect, we reward ourselves
for doing something we enjoy, such as eating a particular food or drinking a
certain drink.
Making and keeping
new year’s resolutions, therefore, are about out-manoeuvring those instinctive
urges and listening to the rational ones.
Sounds easy, right?
Making a resolution
Understanding how
the brain works is only part of the process.
The actual resolution itself is a big factor in how successful you will
be. For instance, people make these big
lists of things they want to change but the successful ones pick a single
thing. It could be stopping smoking,
drinking less alcohol, eating better or even going for a walk every week. Make sure it is something realistic and achievable
with a bit of work. Pick one thing and
stick to it until it is achieved, then look at picking another.
Before you begin, do
a little research into the subject to prepare yourself. For instance, say you want to cut down on
your intake of sugary drinks. So look
into what other drinks you can go for instead.
Smoothies are a popular option at this time of year for their detox
properties and natural boosts. So pick a
favourite recipe then buy yourself a personalised
high ball glass. Instead of a
birthday message, have a recipe printed on it or an inspiring quote.
Starting out
Choose a message about your resolution |
New Year’s Day is a
common start date for a resolution but it doesn’t have to be January 1st
when you start. Pick a date when you are
prepared for your resolution. One suggestion
is to write on a card what you are going to do and the start date or you can
make it a bit fun and have a wooden
plaque made that has the resolution and date on it. Hang it somewhere relevant, such as the
kitchen and glance as you are passing, reinforcing that it is a good thing and
helping your brain stick with the rational side and ignore those pesky
instincts. Once you have completed the
task, the plaque can act as a reminder of what you can do when you put your
mind to it!