Being Intentional in the New Year by Crystal Han
It ’ s been a rough two years due to the pandemic . Our unique struggles have reshaped the way we approach many aspects of our lives and have caused us to re-evaluate what ’ s most important .
In that spirit , it might also be time to change how we do New Year ’ s resolutions as well .
Traditionally , we begin the start of the new year with a goal , such as losing weight , kicking bad habits , or exercising more . We often come up with a plan and charge forward , only to lose speed and slip back into old habits after a few months , or , for some of us , a day .
Part of the reason this happens is because our habits are deeply wired into our brains . The Oxford Research Encyclopedias describe a habit as a person ’ s behavior running on autopilot . Habits run off of environmental cues , like stress , which trigger us to respond by eating , drinking , smoking , etc . This causes a release of dopamine and endorphins in our brains , which momentarily reduces stress . The brain isn ’ t used to analyzing why a behavior is carried out . All it knows is that the habit causes a rewarding feeling , or it used to when the habit was formed . When we try to change these habits , we ’ re working against neural pathways that have been reinforced for years .
The way we approach our goals also plays a part . Most of our New Year ’ s resolutions are avoidance based : no more junk food , no smoking , no phones before bed . According to the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine , avoidance goals are associated with fewer positive thoughts and greater negative emotion . If we slip up , we ’ re likely to chastise ourselves , which increases stress and makes us more susceptible to falling back on old habits .
Self-improvement is wonderful , but how we approach it is as important as the improvement itself . When we set goals , we ’ re fixating on the future at the expense of our present selves , which is why it might be time to set intentions rather than goals .
“ Life is too precious to be treated like a race to a finish line .”
Intentions keep you in the present and they ’ re associated with a positively framed approach , according to the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine . Setting New Year ’ s intentions might look like being intentional about such things as : enjoying conversations with loved ones , learning a new hobby , noticing elements throughout your day that give you joy . For more traditional goals like weight loss or healthy eating , you might set the intention of eating yogurt for your afternoon snack or , instead of banning all junk food , adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet so that you ’ re too full to snack . If exercise is daunting for you , start with the intention of exercising one day a week and gradually work your way up . Having an intentional or approach mindset has been associated with greater positive emotions , thoughts , and self-evaluations . Instead of focusing on what you can ’ t do or aren ’ t supposed to do , you ’ re focusing on what you can do and the things you value most , which means you ’ re more likely to stick to it .
Life is too precious to be treated like a race to a finish line . Wherever your self-improvement journey takes you , it ’ s okay to take baby steps or start your intentions late . It ’ s okay if your best varies from day to day . The important thing is that you give yourself time to just be .
10 WINTER 2022 gmhTODAY Magazine gmhtoday . com