Are you feeling frustrated with having made some New Year Resolutions this year and once again find it impossible to keep your promise to yourself?
You are not alone and many people get to this place year after year, sadly, often giving up eventually, on heartfelt desires to become a better or healthier person in some way.
Well, part of the problem with new year’s resolutions is that we’ve just gorged ourselves over the holidays. And while motivation may seem at an all-time high that celebratory eve, by about this time we are at an all-time motivational low and barely want to get out of bed, let alone tackle a longstanding unhealthy habit or take on a national weight loss challenge. Another thing wrong with new year’s resolutions is that they are at the wrong time of year. Isn’t it true that when temperatures start to drop, we naturally feel like hibernating and slowing down? Often cold temperatures alone make us need to eat more and shore up at night with a good book or a movie. While we still need to stay active and be conscious of our health habits, spring and summer are the seasons when energy bursts out, leaving us feeling like we can making the bigger changes.
Doing some research into new year’s resolutions, I found out that some historians say the tradition started in pre-Christian times with the Babylonians when they made their vows to be kinder and better people in March.
March is when the spring thaw starts in many places and when the little plants start to work their way toward the sunshine. Realistically, the warmer time of year makes way more sense as a time to put our fortitude to the test.
So my advice? Wait till spring to push on to bigger goals. Instead, choose a small step toward a big health goal, such as staying well rested, drinking enough water, eating better meals or taking good quality regular vitamins all winter. Maybe these seem insignificant but it’s amazing how such lifestyle patterns can really make a big difference.
So, let’s keep it simple. Let’s try listening to our more natural tendency to the slower winter pace of the body, resting a bit more, curling up by the wood stove with a cup of something warm and a good book or conversation. We just might find that winter is a really wonderful opportunity to reduce stress and build health in a nice, low-key way.
Something to consider. Take care in the snow, and if you are looking for some health resources in the area check out www.nakusphealth.wordpress.com.