As we get into a new year, the one word that we’ll constantly be hearing for a few weeks is “resolution.” Now, I don’t believe that a resolution is something that you can only make for yourself at the beginning of the year. It’s something that you can do at any point in the year. What matters is that you’re actually holding yourself accountable to the goals you’re creating.
2022 wasn’t an easy year. Personally, I know that it was a year of ups and downs; the wildest roller coaster I’ve been on. The one thing that I wish I had done more, though, is finding ways for me to take care of myself during that ride. So here are some self-care resolutions that I’m hoping to hold myself accountable to that you can also use.
Read more
I think a lot about how much I loved to read when I was younger. I would binge-read novels and take myself into new worlds of characters and plot twists, and it was always so relaxing and something I looked forward to. But in the last few years, I haven’t made enough time for reading. I’ll still buy books, but they’ll be lying around untouched for ages. So this year, as cliché as it is, I want to find more books that sound fun and exciting, and intense – and set aside the time to read them.
Say “no” to plans
I’m absolutely the queen of FOMO. It’s always so hard for me to say no to plans – and most of the time, that’s completely fine (especially when I make a lot of the said plans myself). But every now and then, I definitely need to take more of a break. So my goal is to say no more often and learn to let myself live with the FOMO. This one’s not going to be easy, but I know it’ll be worth it for both my health and bank account.
Learn to feel my feelings through healthy outlets
2022 was a year of a lot of feelings – good, bad, and downright ugly ones. I cried a ton, I got frustrated too many times, and I sometimes took it out on the wrong people. One thing I’m grateful for is that I have so many emotions – even when they’re hard to deal with. I’m glad that I’m not numb to them. But I do want to get better about the way I deal with and express them. So for me, this means writing down my thoughts and feelings more. It also means being more upfront with people about what I’m thinking or feeling and not letting it get to where I blow up. Most importantly, I’ve learned that many of my feelings stem from my anxiety – so I’m going to make it a resolution to continue working on how I cope with anxious thoughts.
Find a way to be healthy every day
The most common resolutions tend to be “eat healthy” or “work out,” and those are absolutely fine. But I’ve realized that I need my resolutions to be a little less narrowed down. Overall, I want to be healthy – and this means both physically and mentally. But I don’t think I can commit to one strict goal. So instead, I want to find a different way to be healthy every day. This could mean going on a walk or working out or eating healthy, but it can also mean making sure I’m taking my medications, finding a new way to cope with my mental health issues, or even going and getting that pap smear that I’ve been putting off.
Let myself be loved (in healthy ways)
This is the biggest and maybe hardest resolution of all of them. I want to unpack a little bit. There are two parts to this. The first part is this: I learned in 2022 how many good people I have in my life. I am truly so lucky to have family members and friends that care about me. I’m not exaggerating when I say that I have people who I know would drop everything to be there for me. So, in 2023, I want to continue to build on those relationships. I want to let them love me but also love them and take care of them the way they deserve.
The second part of this resolution is the healthy love aspect. In 2022, I also allowed myself to put up with too much pain and disrespect because I thought that the love I was getting from the same people doing that would make up for it. But this isn’t true. A hard lesson that I’ve learned is how hard it is to let go of people who – even if they love and care about you – aren’t treating you right. In 2023, I promise to let myself only be treated properly and loved properly, and I’m going to be more proactive about removing people in my life who aren’t showing their love and affection the right way.
None of these resolutions are going to be easy, and if I’m being totally honest, I didn’t even think I’d write down any resolutions for this year.
I just kind of started this piece and let my words flow. So we’ll see how much I actually succeed – but the first step to it all is me holding myself accountable. I hope these resonate with all of you too, and if they do, best of luck with this year. May it be one filled with only healing, growth, and positivity.
Read also:
Self-Care And Its Components
Feelings Are Valid And It’s A Journey
Bliss: An Allegory
