New Year's Resolutions - To make, or not to make?
According to research, around one third of us in the UK make New Year's resolutions.
According to a survey, the top five resolutions people make are:
However, by mid-January, 40% of us have already 'quit'.
Are resolutions worth making? Of course they are, as long as you choose a manageable amount of realistically achievable goals. Although ambition can be a good thing, with regards to resolutions, many people set the bar too high for themselves, which ultimately leads to failure and an undermining of confidence.
These past few years have led many of us to reassess who and what is important in our lives. This coming year, we need to be smarter with our resolutions and kinder to ourselves when making them.
The very fact that you persevere with a goal and do not give up is an achievement, whether or not you have yet succeeded.
Here are some suggestions for smarter, kinder resolutions to make for yourself:
You may have heard this several times, but it really is important for your well-being.
Make sure you plan some time each week to do something that you want to do. One weekday evening, when the amount of marking and prep you need to do is minimal, set it aside and finally read that novel that has been sitting on your bedside table for months, get out into your garden, or, awaken your creativity and make something. If you persevere with this, knowing that you have that time set aside for yourself should really make a difference to your well-being.
This is a type of meditation where you practise awareness of what you are sensing and feeling in the moment. It is very simple to do, involving breathing exercises and in some cases, guided imagery. It is a technique that helps to relax both the mind and body, and in doing so, reduces stress and anxiety. Taking just 10 minutes out of every day to practise mindfulness can have a significant effect on your mental health. There are a huge range of books and apps available on this topic if you want to find out more.
Every evening, before you go to sleep, review the day and make a note of three things that were positive about your day, or made you feel good. They don't have to be huge events - maybe you managed to cross something off your 'to-do' list that had been on there a while, you saw a child’s ‘light bulb’ moment when they grasped a concept that they had been struggling with, or a stranger smiled at you and said hello whilst you were out on a walk. This simple exercise helps you to focus on the positive aspects of the day, rather than the negative, as many of us tend to do.
These resolutions can be the first steps to a bigger/longer-term exercise/eat more healthily goal, or they can be the goal themselves - either or both will help your body and your brain!
Resolutions don't always have to be about benefiting ourselves. This past year has led many of us to reassess who is important in our lives, and to make a renewed effort to keep in touch with them. So, sometimes, rather than texting or emailing, why not write them a good old-fashioned letter? A letter shows that you have been thinking about the person and have taken the time to write to them, find an envelope and stamp, and take a walk to the post box.
Whether you decide to make new year's resolutions or not, here is an idea worth taking to heart from best-selling author and speaker, Louise L Hay:
Learn all about the life and work of Kandinsky, who spent his career developing a 'language' for expressing sounds, ideas and feelings through his ...
View full details
This free Science Ocean Animals lesson plan pack contains three lessons to help your class identify and describe a variety of ocean animals from lo...
View full details
This free mini-scheme will give your class the chance to make paper toys. They will practise the important skill of cutting whilst they make easy p...
View full details
This free ‘Exploring Paris’ mini-scheme will take your class on a fun trip to one of the most famous cities in the world! Help your class to locate...
View full details
This fun and engaging KS2 Ancient Greece Topic for Year 5 and Year 6 will take your class back to one of the most fascinating civilisations in hist...
View full details
Leave a comment