New Years Resolutions - are they worth it?

The New Years resolution, the epitome of reinvention. A time for closure, new starts, and the impending pressure to find new ways to better ourselves for the year ahead. There is definitely no solid opinion among people for making resolutions, as with anything, there are people who abide by them religiously each year, and those who believe they are not worth their time. I fall somewhere in-between this viewpoint; It interests me, though it is not something I have every taken much time to consider. Yet, the whole concept of the New Year leads me to question - Why is it that something so largely celebrated historically and throughout the world has become less something to celebrate and learn from and more something to use to punish ourselves for the Christmas festivities that we have previously engorged. The phrase 'New Year, New Me', is one that is thrown around so often as we near the end of the Christmas months. We lose count of the amount of times we hear friends and family joke "It's Christmas, I'll worry about that in the new year" as we fill ourselves up on food and drinks over this period.

I have personally never been one for making serious resolutions that I plan to stick to, or if I do, then as many others will know, they last a few weeks maximum before I sack it off and start making excuses; "I just don't have the time today", "I need to finish this work first", or the biggest lie we tell ourselves - "I'll do it later". Everyone reading this is guilty of that one. In the past, I have mostly found that the idea of the modern day resolution can be very cliche and not something that I have needed to do for myself. However, I know that the concept of New Years and the hope for fresh beginnings can serve to provide some form of solace and closure for people that certain things can be left behind at the end of that momentous countdown.

My personal interests do not lie in the most commonly pledged goals of vowing to lose weight, eat healthier or start a new hobby. I know already what works for me, this time of year encourages me that I just need to step back and find the time to fit them all back into my schedule again. For me, the new year presents an opportunity to clean the slate, remove the chaos from the past year and get back to finding time to do the things I enjoy. Each year, as December rears it's head and life gets even busier, I find I have to sacrifice time that would usually be spent doing things that I enjoy, for the extra commitments that Christmas brings. Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas. I love the anticipation and the atmosphere, even more so the family time and memories that it brings along with it. But it is undoubtedly the busiest time of the year, and with that comes even less time for ourselves.

So this year, here is my main goal: I want to relax more. I want to read more, spend more time out with my dog, get back to yoga. Sometimes the smaller things are what make the biggest impact in these situations - a cup of tea in the garden, a quiet bath with some candles, a sunset dog walk on the beach, can all do the world of good for your mental health.

If what makes you happy is spending an afternoon with a cup of tea, a big pack of biscuits and a colouring book, then make more time for that. If you enjoy sweating out your toxins in the gym every day, then make time for that too. If you want to expand your knowledge with a new skill or hobby, do it. Spend some time each week doing something that makes you happy, focusing on your own personal and mental health, because that is the most important, and by taking care of that, other aspects of life will fall into place much more simply.

My point is, I am not against New Years resolutions, I simply feel that the way in which we approach them and view them perhaps is what can sometimes be unhealthy. We shouldn't feel that we need to make changes or adjust our lifestyles simply because others are or because advertisements are putting pressure on us to. Making changes to welcome the near year should be a personal experience, and not one to be interfered with by the pressures of social media and society. If you want to set goals and challenges for your self, that is fantastic, but if you are already content the way things are for you, don't feel you need to change. Do what feels right for you. Embrace the New Year in all its rawness and look forward to the unknown that will come this year, don't fear it.

What are your goals and aspirations for the Year ahead? How do you feel bout the New Year's resolution? I would love to hear them in the comments!

Best wishes,

Abby x