Why New Year Resolutions Are Unhealthy and Don’t Work

Every New Year people talk of new beginnings. They declare the things that aren’t working for them, how unhappy or dissatisfied they are with X, Y or Z and how now… right now… is the best time to sort these things out. Not because it is now however, but because of the calendar, the date, the time of year. Of course, the media capitalises on this; as do brands and I don’t doubt that life coaches and dieticians begin to pile up the pennies when New Year rolls around. It makes sense, all businesses have popular times of the year of after all. Even blogs! That said, with New Year Resolutions comes a toxic cycle and one that I can’t get behind because they simply don’t work and ultimately, they’re unhealthy. At least mentally, anyway.

Here’s why.

Resolutions Aren’t Necessarily Forces for Positivity

Being positive and being real are not contradictory. People sometimes act as though they are.
To take a positive mindset does not mean blindly doing something, acting a particular way or ignoring the negative. It is about overcoming that negativity in a healthily. Sometimes this takes a massive amount of willpower and sometimes we fail.

That’s ok though, life is a journey – right?

Resolutions aren’t healthy or positive if they are just an arbitrary goal chosen because it is what you do after the holidays. More to the point, setting or holding yourself to an unrealistic standard can become an incredible source of guilt, anxiety or even depression. So, coming out of a stressful time of year; ignoring the toll it takes on our minds and emotions and piling on more pressure with ill-timed goals isn’t as healthy or positive as it might seem.

They’re Chosen for the Wrong Reasons

Deciding to be happier because you’re unhappy is admirable but is it realistic?

Choosing to go on a diet because you feel you’re overweight is sensible but are you doing it because you want to, need to or because you feel you should want or need to?

The same point can be made about smoking, drinking or just about any and every other thing. Making a life change because of expectation (be it cultural, internal or external) isn’t the same as actually choosing to make that change for yourself. So, when you do… you have to wonder if you’re doing it for the right reasons. Honestly, more often than not – I’d say the answer is no.

This isn’t saying that you shouldn’t try to make changes; what I am saying is that it is ok not to, if you don’t actually want to.

Goal Orientation Often Leads to Unhappiness

It took me way to long to realise this; I have a mind that likes information, that collates, collects, organises and stores data. Tick boxes and a to-do list are a great way of moving me on rather than fixating on the information I have.
This does not mean they are a good thing!

The problem with goals and becoming focused and fixated on them is that it takes you out of the moment. You work towards a thing and you move onto the next. Reaching the goal becomes more important than the how and why. It devalues success and leads to obsession on the next and depression when a goal is not met.

Change Takes More than a Date

If real change is required in your life, if you are unhappy and need to move on past whatever the problem factor(s) are; a date is not the catalyst. You being ready is! It takes resilience, willpower, appropriate timing and support. It won’t be easy and there will be hurdles.

Change is rarely simple. If you need to make that change, you need to wake up and be ready.
Don’t force change because of numbers on a calendar; make it because the time is right, you have what you need and with the support you need and then it will last.

Then things will be better.

New Year’s Resolutions don’t work and are unhealthy but positive change is not, it is just more involved than a date and a decision.