It’s the start of a brand new year and with it comes the many resolutions we all make and never stick with. From losing weight and staying in shape to looking for a new job and promising to connect with old friends, we always tell ourselves the same lines year in and year out. Unfortunately most of us give up on these resolutions by February and spend the rest of the year making excuses for why we couldn’t stay committed. For 2014 why not try some resolutions that are easily attainable and will bring peace and calm to your life.
Give yourself a Break – Here’s an easy resolution to keep: don’t have any. Really, life has enough stress without the added pressure of a resolution that demands results. For some people it is fun to have a healthy resolution such as quitting smoking or exercising regularly but if it really means that much to you, you’ll do it anyway. If you feel uncomfortable making resolutions for fear of breaking it then simply don’t make any this year.
Focus on You – Sometimes we make resolutions that involve other people. This is fine when we resolve to spend more time with the family but a good idea for a resolution is to clear up some much needed “self time”. Most of us spend our days appeasing bosses, spouses and friends and we forget to take care of the most important person, ourselves. This isn’t being selfish, it’s being kind to the person you go to bed with and wake up with every night and day. This year if you have to pick a resolution consider making a promise with yourself to take it easy and enjoy the moment to keep stress and pressure from making life hectic and miserable.
Identify Stress Signals – Another healthy resolution is to simply identify things that make you unhappy. We all want to be happy but many of us forget that part of being happy is avoiding the things that make us unhappy. It is human nature to get into routines but when the routine is bringing you down it’s time to do a little soul-searching. Make a promise with yourself to keep a notebook or journal and record all the things that upset you. It can be anything from traffic jams to how your boss speaks to you. After a few months you’ll notice patterns and then can start taking steps to avoiding or correcting situations that tend to bring you down.