New year, new habits?
The new year is often a time for reflection on the year that has passed, and a focus on the year ahead. The transition from one year to the next is more than just turning a page in the calendar – it can be a strong symbolic moment that acknowledges the passing of time and the capacity for our continued growth and improvement.
The greatest superpower in the world is the ability to change yourself.
A new year also signifies a new beginning which can be an important motivator – letting go of the troubles of the old year and stepping into the new year with a clean slate. Harnessing that motivation is the key, but for many people the resolutions made in January for self-improvement invariably fall away long before the middle of the year. The real challenge is to ensure that any changes that you plan to implement are achievable and long lasting.
One way to do that is to focus on the habits that you need to achieve those resolutions, rather than simply focusing on the outcome. James Clear makes the distinction between goals and systems in his book Atomic Habits. Goals are the results that you want to achieve (losing a few kilograms or getting fitter), whereas systems are the processes or steps that you put in place that lead to achieving those results (such as eating less junk food or exercising more). Often, we are so focused on the goals that we forget to put the best system in place, and that is often why our resolutions fail.
Another problem is that we have a tendency to prioritise our present over our future, and act accordingly. We all have a bias to instant gratification, so when we set a goal, we are delaying gratification for the benefit of our future self. The habits that we put in place to achieve that goal cost us in the present – it takes time to exercise or practise mindfulness, and we don’t reap the rewards until much later. Conversely, the rewards of bad habits are immediate (the enjoyment of enjoying a glass of wine or spending the weekend bingeing on the latest TV series), and the costs are in the future.
So how can we overcome these issues and establish some good habits that will help us to improve our mental health and wellbeing in 2024?
Tiny is mighty
It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that we need to make big changes – and certainly bigger changes will deliver bigger results. But it also makes the behaviour change that much more difficult to sustain. You will be better off walking 5,000 steps per day and doing that every day this year, than starting off with a goal of 15,000 steps per day and giving up in March. It’s also much easier to build on the tiny changes and gradually make them bigger. Start with 5,000 steps, and when that becomes ingrained, extend yourself to 6,000 steps, and build from there. The same with meditation or mindfulness – if this is a new practice, then you may find it difficult to do for 30 minutes or more each day. Start small, and the benefits will grow.
Remove points of friction
If a new habit is difficult, then we are less likely to stick with it. Reducing friction is looking for ways to remove obstacles or creating strategies that make a task easier to do – because if it’s easier, you’re more likely to continue doing it. Friction generally comes in three forms – time, distance and effort. Not having enough free time is one of the biggest obstacles to creating new habits. If something takes a lot of effort (like shopping and cooking healthy meals), then it’s harder to maintain. And if you plan to go to the gym or swimming pool to improve your fitness, but it’s a long distance to get there, that can be a point of friction.
Never miss twice
This one is really important. We all have bad days, and it’s easy to get off track. The most important thing is to be forgiving of yourself, and make sure that you don’t miss the next time. Because once you miss the next time, it will be easier and easier to make excuses to keeping on missing.
There are some simple areas that you could focus on to improve your mental health and wellbeing in 2024:
o Sleep
o Exercise
Pick one (or more) of these areas, and spend some time thinking about what an achievable goal might be for improvement. It could be reading for 15 minutes before bed, reducing the amount of alcohol you drink or taking up mindful practice. Pick an easy starting target and plan how often you want to do it – remembering that the more often you do something, the easier the habit becomes.
Make sure that you plan time for yourself. Some small things throughout the week, like having a hot bath, listening to some music or having a walk in the park, can help you to recharge and improve your mood. Set aside time to do this so that you have something to look forward to.
And finally, start the year the way that you intend to finish it.