So this blogpost was inspired by a quote I found on Instagram a few days ago, which led me to thinking a little about the issue of new year's resolutions.
New year's resolutions are a big business. In supermarkets, Christmas is barely over by the time the cake and biscuits are replaced by fitness DVDs and gym clothing.
I don't disagree entirely with the idea of new year's resolutions, but what I do find a bit uneasy is the way people approach them. It's admirable for someone to announce that they will "lose weight" or "eat healthily" as a new year's resolution, but what if that doesn't go to plan? I know from my own personal experience how difficult it is to abide by a healthy eating plan. All sorts of factors can affect that plan, from tiredness, to budgeting issues, to lack of motivation. Many people end up just feeling like failures, and depressed even more in what is already a very depressing month.
Maybe instead of pushing these unrealistic expectations on yourselves, it just might be an idea to give yourself a break this January. Instead of trying to lose weight or eat healthily, why not make this year the year you finally start to love yourself just the way you are?
It sounds very Oprah I know, and for some of us, it can be the hardest thing in the world to do, far more difficult than losing weight or eating healthily. I don't do it myself. But it's the most important thing in the world for our mental health and general well-being. So many new year's resolutions revolve around altering the exterior of ourselves, that we don't often give thought to the interior. As I've got older, it's something that has perplexed me. We often decorate our houses on the inside better than we do on the outside, why not do the same to ourselves? We focus on the physical aspects, rather than the inner aspects. You may have a few extra pounds, but you may have an amazing personality and a hard work ethic. You may be an amazing mother/father, brother/sister, niece/ nephew, boyfriend/girlfriend, and collegue, with people who love you just the way you are. These are the things that cannot be determined by a figure on the scale.
By all means, set goals. Set aspirations. But don't let it rule you completely. Do the healthy eating thing, but allow yourself to have cake when you want. Life is way way too short to be denying yourself of things that make you happy. After all, chocolate contains endorphins - scientifically proven to improve mental well-being, any excuse to dig in, eh? And that to me is more important than dropping a dress size.
Hope you enjoyed this blogpost xxx
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