I am a chronic eye roller when it comes to Facebook around the holidays. Whether it’s someone posting literally every present they received for Christmas, including socks, or recapping their entire previous year, my eyes virtually reach the back of my head. Yet, the worst offenders are the people who post the “New Year, New Me” statuses and then proceed to list all of their resolutions, most of which will be ditched a week into the year. Starting fresh can be hard, especially when it’s already a month into the year and you haven’t followed up on anything you’ve promised to. Here are some tips on keeping your resolution strong until it’s time for another, “Page 1 of 365” status, eye roll.
1. Don’t Put Hard Numbers on Your Goals One of the most common resolutions is to lose weight and be more active. But when you say, “I’m gonna lose 15 pounds in a month,” or “I’m going to run four times a week,” it can become discouraging when that goal isn’t met. Then you jump ship straight into a bag of Doritos. If you make goals like, “I’m going to eat more fruit” or “I want to learn more yoga moves”, you’ll be surprised how effortlessly you’ll be doing them by April.
2. Limit Social Media Usage I can’t tell you the amount of hours I’ve sat on Facebook, stalking the albums of people who are abroad and gritting my teeth in jealously. I’d sit on my bed, do a sweep of the basics (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc.), and then do another round of that. Suddenly I’ve wasted an hour of my life and am doubting every single one of my life choices, pondering if I should fly off to London by the end of the day (I want cool Insta pictures too, darnit). If you slowly start to detach yourself from social media, it becomes easier to focus on your life, and not everyone else’s.
3. Stop Comparing Yourself to Everyone
Yes, that girl ahead of you in the Starbucks line has the most perfect outfit on and hair that she may have stolen from a shampoo commercial. It’s easy to go, “Wow, must be great to be her,” but she probably has something she wants to change about herself too. No one is perfect, not even her. Don’t be so hard on yourself to achieve things that aren’t even reality. Instead, focus on all the things you love about yourself, and accent them more. If you got it, flaunt it, and be proud!
4. Other People Are Not a Yardstick of Your Worth That guy from the bar didn’t text you back so you breakout the ice cream and turn on TLC. Two of your friends had a wine night without you and you feel beyond lonely. Being hurt is a natural human reaction and it’s okay, but don’t think these instances make you less of a person. The only person you should be investing your happiness in is yourself, because you are ***flawless and I believe in you. (Also that guy’s manbun was super greasy, so maybe him not texting you is a blessing in disguise).
5. Do More Things That Make You Happy If eating alone makes you happy, do it. Don’t worry you look like a loser, because the people who think that are judgmental and have bad eyebrows. Even if you’re swamped with work, carve out an hour to paint because you miss it and it will calm you down. Take a pilgrimage to Target if that helps you relax, eat a whole pizza, and don’t forget that your wellbeing should always come first.