A new year usually brings new goals and resolutions. We often make big plans for the 12 months ahead.
Maybe you want to exercise more, keep a gratitude journal or eat kale once a week. You might be pushing for that promotion or want to buy a bigger house. So many things to do and to achieve.
Resolutions are usually all about doing.
But sometimes living a good life is about the things you don’t do. Letting go of unhelpful habits can go a long way to making a happier, healthier you.
Here are 5 things to give up to make 2018 a great year:
1. Give up being a “Yes (wo)man”
So many of us are people-pleasers. We take on extra commitments and tasks just because we can’t say no. Living a life of not wanting to let people down is admirable, but if you find yourself doing things that cause you more stress and are counteractive to your own goals then you really need to learn to say “no”.
2. Give up comparing yourself to others
No one leads a perfect life, even the ones who like to portray it that way. We’ve all got our troubles and dirty laundry, some people are just better at putting a good Instagram filter on it. Live a life that is authentic to you. If you need to, stop hanging out with or unfollow people on social media that make you feel inadequate. Have a think about what makes you happy and forget about the rest.
3. Give up worrying about things you can’t control
Overthinking is a cross most of us bear, but usually gets us nowhere. Stop losing sleep over things you can’t change or control. Accept that what will be, will be. Try writing your worries down before you get to sleep and ask yourself, “Can I fix this?” if the answer is “no”, don’t invest any more energy into it.
4. Give up toxic relationships
Family and friendships that do you more harm than good have to go. Or at least be minimised. Try to limit one-on-one contact and don’t engage in any discussions that will cause you distress. In these cases, self-preservation is the key. Surround yourself with people who energise you and appreciate you for who you are. Here are some other good tips for dealing with toxic people.
5. Give up guilt
We all feel so much guilt these days. Guilt about the things we don’t do, guilt about the things we do or have done in the past. It serves no point. If you are doing the best with what you have, there is nothing to feel guilty about. If you have mucked up in the past, say sorry, learn from your mistakes and move on. As with point 3, don’t invest energy in the fruitless exercise of beating yourself up about things you can’t change.
Think about the things you do that drain your energy and are counter-productive, then resolve to give them up. Are there things other than the ones on this list?
