New year, new you? Another look at “resolution”

A new year has begun, but do you know anyone who is making resolutions? If you are one of these people, you might think that people who don’t have any resolutions are somehow feeling down or unmotivated. Do you think I don’t have one or am lazy? I don’t have any myself. I’ll continue to go to the gym probably 3-4 times a week, maintain a body fat percentage of probably 18%, and probably have 3-4 publications in the next year. But these are not the goal itself or a pressure source. Here are five suggestions on how to approach 2025 without making a “list.”

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Take it slow and steady. It’s new and not tiring. Instead of rushing to achieve your high resolutions from 1 to 10, you can choose to continue doing things and activities that you have found beneficial and helpful. Instead of a new high-intensity, high-pressure exercise program, try walking for 30 minutes a day or doing yoga twice a week. Instead of counting calories, eat fresh, healthy foods as often as possible (ideally every day) and avoid snacking or consuming foods and drinks with no nutritional value (junk food, sugar, fruit, etc.). Why not try eating 2 to 3 meals a day without overdoing it? diet soft drinks, alcoholetc.)?

Delegate tasks as early and often as possible. For many people, it has become a communication hub or a “destination” for families and various duties and roles within the family. social network. It’s starting to feel like these are mandatory and everyone expects them. But what if, instead of being your family or friend’s exclusive Uber or Lyft driver every day, someone else could step in to help out from time to time? You can also have them do your own laundry, including folding and hanging your clothes after drying.

Maintain alone time and self-care habits that work for you. In my research (e.g. Killian, 2008; Scott et al., 2023), one of the first things people waste when they feel stressed and have too much to do in too little time is is self-care. For too many people, activities and practices to “recharge your batteries” quickly fall off the to-do list when things get hectic or difficult. There’s nothing selfish about carving out time for yourself to do what you need to do to stay grounded and healthy. It’s about taking care of yourself and being ready when the demands come.

Get enough rest. If things get bad, the next thing to do is go out the window. stressful Sleep is important, but getting enough rest is key to maintaining your physical and mental health. Last year, I spoke to someone who said her employer was forcing her to work longer and longer hours per day as staff at her workplace were leaving in large numbers. When I asked her how many hours of sleep a night she gets with her current work schedule, she said: three. This was a frightening scenario, in which the ever-increasing demands of her work would leave her with insufficient time to eat healthy and rest. If you need six hours a night to be fully functional, adjust your schedule to accommodate that time. If you feel exhausted at 5pm every day, take a 20-minute nap. This will help you wake up and be able to have lively conversations, work, and safely drive your bike or car. Think of it as a gift to yourself.

Finally, if you are over 55 years old, pleaseretirement” I started pre-retirement about two years ago. The idea is to spend as much time at work as we need and complete all tasks on time, in our usual exemplary manner, but at the same time do what we want to do with the time we have left on Earth. I’m also thinking about what I want to do. Time for those activities. You may be at your most productive or creative after age 50. Before you retire, you can think about what you want to do, both work-related and non-work-related, and that may become part of your “legacy.” Time to take off this deadly coil. In pre-retirement mode, panic “You only have a few years left to establish your legacy.” All of this is currently being done over a period of 10, 15, or 20 years, but as I said above, “slow and steady.” ” It works because it is done.