New Year, Same You
2020. The year of a global pandemic, a polarizing Presidential election, fatal police shootings, racial injustice, natural disasters… the list seems endless. In 2020, 40% of adults reported struggling with either mental health or substance abuse. It’s likely you can relate. You may have lost a loved one, been laid off from your job or had to cancel that vacation you had been planning for months.
If you exist anywhere on the Internet, you’ve seen the memes and read the comments about how collectively awful the past year of everyone’s life has been. We’ve all thought it or said it out loud, “I can’t wait for this year to be over”. Well, it finally is. Now what? Realistically, our circumstances haven’t changed. As much as we wish a new year meant the pandemic abruptly ended, no one had a racist bone left in their body and everyone finally got along, that isn’t the case. Even though we can’t change our circumstances, we can change our outlook. Take a few minutes to complete the tasks below to reset yourself for a new year.
Reflect. Start by writing down a list of every positive thing that happened last year, big and small. Maybe you made a career change, stuck to a tough work-out routine or perfected your sourdough bread recipe. If you’re having trouble, consider this: you survived. Despite everything, you adapted to a reality no one ever predicted and you are still here. Next, write down every negative thing that happened last year and contemplate what it taught you. Maybe being forced to quarantine alone in your apartment taught you the importance of human relationships or how to enjoy your own company. Consider how you’ve grown and changed and allow yourself to be proud of how far you’ve come.
Plan. As cheesy as it may sound, the new year is the perfect time to set goals and intentions. Visualize where you want to be 6 months or 1 year down the road and consider how you can get there. When setting goals, keep in mind where you felt you were lacking last year. Did you get easily bored without the option to get out of the house? Maybe it’s time to pick up a new hobby. Did you see an increase in your levels of depression or anxiety? Maybe it’s time to start or reengage in therapy. Whatever goal you want to set, make sure it is attainable and really think through what specific steps you can take to achieve it.
Manifest. I’m a strong believer in mantras. Do I think repeating the same phrase over and over again is going to change your life? Of course not. However, having a mantra can inspire you to change your life yourself. After reflecting on last year and planning for this one, take a moment to create a mantra. When you find yourself struggling with inspiration or drive to keep moving towards your goals, repeat it to yourself and see how your thoughts begin to change. If you’re struggling to come up with a mantra, I’ll let you borrow one of my favorites: “I am resilient and can get through anything”.
