It’s New Year’s Eve, which can only mean one thing (aside from boozing): resolutions. I’ve always been kinda iffy about them. While I believe it’s great to have long-term goals, resolutions can be burdensome. Regular visits to the gym are great, but can they become obsessive? Maybe you’re stressing out over fitting in that hour of gym after work and before dinner, when maybe all you really want is an hour of solitude? There’s ways to combine the two, and that works best for me. But for most people, the problem is how to keep resolutions all year. Some experts offer a couple tips to staying on track in 2018:
Don’t think of it as a New Year resolution, says Charles Duhigg, the author of The Power of Habit—think of it as a new year plan. “Much more important than setting a far off goal, like running a marathon, is to set an immediate plan that you can start right away.” Start with baby steps—running half a mile every Monday morning, for example—and you can work upwards.
Do it in the morning. One study found that simple habits form more quickly in the morning than in the evening. Researchers believe this may be to do with levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which tend to be highest when we wake up. The author of the study, Marion Fournier, a lecturer at the Université Nice Sophia Antipolis, explains: “Cortisol elevation changes the mechanisms in our brain—it blocks the prefrontal cortex, meaning behaviour becomes habitual.”
Keep track. Use apps, a diary or a chart to track your progress. “People who monitor behaviour tend to do a better job, even if they’re not actively trying to change,” says Gretchen Rubin, the author of Better than Before.
This tip from the experts is probably the most important, especially when folks are already facing intense burdens due to ongoing risks to their physical and emotional well being, their healthcare, their education, and their livelihoods in the Trump era: “Show self-compassion. Dr Jessamy Hibberd, a clinical psychologist, says ‘the biggest obstacle to new habits is self-criticism. Study after study shows that self-criticism is correlated with less motivation and worse self-control, in contrast with being kind or supportive to yourself, as you would to a friend—especially when confronted with failure.’ ” Self-compassion. Now there’s a resolution we should all be making for ourselves in 2018.
What about you? Do you have any resolutions for 2018?
WOMAN'S MARCH NYC 2017
Footage compiled from the 2017 Woman's March on New York City, directed by Joan Brooker, with support from the SVA community.
Organizers, remember to choose a place to meet in advance and that cell phone service will shut down before the events get started. Consider a sign to hold up above the crowd for people to find you with. Check with your local march organizers to find out what materials are not permitted, such as balloons or sticks.
NEW YORK RSVPS
1. joanbrooker, organizer (kosmail her to connect)
2. belinda ridgewood
3. gchaucer2
4.
MAYBEES :
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LOng Island RSVPS to rally at the intersection of Rt. 112 and 347 in Port Jefferson Station at Noon
1. grannycarol, organizer (kosmail her to connect)
2.
MAYBEES :
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RSVPS
1. EagleOfFreedom
2. Bleeding Blue
3. DoingBusinessAs
4. momomia
5. ptressel
6. Kay3295
7.
MAYBEES :
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Netroots Nation 2018