New Year, New You?

Well, 2021 has begun. It’s been a little intense so far hasn’t it?

With each new year we can see the beginning of January as a time to set new goals and expectations for ourselves. There is definitely a feeling of ‘newness’ in the air and I think a lot us get swept up in the ‘New Year - New Me!’ sentiments.

Whilst it can be fantastic for self growth and motivation to set yourself goals, and to also put yourself outside of your comfort zone, it can also come with challenges and significant implications for your mental health.

Why can setting new year goals be potentially hazardous to your mental health?

Expectation - When setting new years resolutions for ourselves we often have an expectation that we will be consistent with these goals and remain persistent. We also assume that we will somehow be magically much better at maintaining these goals than we’ve ever been before. This can be tough as we often set ourselves up for failure. I don’t know too many people where their new years resolutions have latest much beyond January! Be mindful of your expectations for yourself. Often the goals we’re setting for ourselves in January are centred around things we find hard or are personally challenging. Be kind to yourself and, if you stumble a little, consider setting a slightly easier to reach goal to start.

Setting the bar too high - I know that I have been guilty of this many many times. Again, January can often trick us into thinking that we can suddenly be the absolute perfect versions of ourselves, if only we tried a little harder. The thing is no one is perfect and that’s absolutely ok! If you would like to set yourself some small goals for the new year, be reasonable in your expectations for yourself. You know you better than anyone else, you also know that if the bar is too high, you just won’t reach it. So try something a little more short term or a little closer to ground, and give yourself a massive pat on the back when you smash that goal!

At Piece by Piece Therapies we want to support people to feel the best version of themselves through kindness, patience and education. If you feel like you (or someone you care about) needs support in managing your expectations or looking after your well being into the new year, please feel free to reach out to our team at Piece by Piece Therapies for skilled, and supportive, care.

Happy New Year!