With the approach of another beginning to a new year, the pressure to refurbish our day-to-day lives with resolutions builds. But in the year of 2020, marked by massive waves of unemployment, loss of loved ones, and a lack of our usual structure, how does one navigate the involuntary life overhaul when setting goals for the months to come? When even our New Year’s Eve celebrations, socially distanced and much more low-key, will be a reflection of the change affected by the unprecedented pandemic, it can seem like an insurmountable task to think of ways to better yourself.
Saving money, losing weight, and quitting smoking are all commonly found on the lists of most popular New Year’s resolutions. While admirable and often beneficial to your mental and physical health, these resolutions may seem impossible and discouraging. So instead of setting resolutions, try setting intentions.
While setting resolutions may look like setting specific goals, often forgotten by Valentine’s Day leaving you feeling like a failure, setting intentions are more akin to setting the mental theme for your year to come to manifest the life you desire.
Setting intentions is similar to practicing a cognitive behavioral therapy technique called positive thinking. Common in treatment for those suffering from depression and anxiety, the premise of positive thinking is to train your mind to stop negative self-speak. With much practice, you can recalibrate your brain into accepting more positive thoughts and thus a more positive outlook.
Use a mantra
When it comes to setting intentions, repetition is key. Mantras are short, sweet, and to the point: usually only a few words long. Repeating your mantra to yourself during your morning routine in front of a mirror can build positive thoughts and reaffirm the purpose of your mantra. For example, if your resolution for 2021 is to get that long-awaited promotion at work, a great mantra to set your intention could be “I am enough and I deserve success.” While repeating mantras do not directly produce anything tangible, they provide the right mental state for you to attain your goals. The promotion at work may not be available this year due to cutbacks, but reaffirming your worth and building your self-confidence by focusing on these affirmations will prepare you for any opportunity you may encounter in 2021.
Practice gratitude
Practicing gratitude may be the single most important intention, as studies have shown it can have a positive effect on both your mental and physical health. According to a study from 2011, practicing gratitude helped study participants enjoy better nights of sleep, both in quality and duration. A 2003 study found “a conscious focus on blessings may have emotional and interpersonal benefits.”
Practicing gratitude can come in the form of a mantra (see above) or a gratitude journal. As the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley explains, there is no right or wrong way to keep a gratitude journal. Simply spend time several times a week recording a moment of your day you were thankful for, no matter how big or how small.
Practice mindfulness
Practicing mindfulness is another catchall way to set intentions. At its core, mindfulness is simply the ability of being present. This can mean active acknowledgment of your emotions, thoughts and body.
Many New Year’s resolutions revolve around losing weight and eating healthier. But after a year of being confined to our homes with our gyms closed and public parks inaccessible, it seems rather unfair to put that kind of pressure on ourselves. Instead, practicing mindful eating and listening to our bodies can be a more positive and effective route to health in 2021. Some questions to ask yourself before eating may be, “Am I eating because I’m bored or because I’m hungry?” Or “Am I eating my food in seconds or savoring and appreciating my meals?”
Meditating can be an effective way to practice mindfulness and get in touch with how your body is feeling. For beginners, guided body scans are an excellent form of meditation to evaluate your physical health. For example, maybe you woke up with a kink in your neck and the added physical stress has caused you to lash out in stressful situations. By focusing on the pain during meditations, you may come to realize that you slept on your neck wrong and need to correct your sleeping habits.
Goal-setting is a commendable practice and very common for the New Year. But curating the right intentions for your year to come takes the pressure away from attaining goals that may prove impossible in uncertain times. If and when your goals become possible, you will have the mental fortitude to tackle any objective in a purposeful way.
