Dubai: Ever wondered why people feel the need to keep New Year’s resolutions? It turns out that this is their way of fitting in, according to John Mathew, an occupational psychologist based in Dubai.
The population that keeps resolutions seems to be doing it based on the general perception around the popularity of this concept. “Many people wouldn’t even know the background of the concept. If they see a lot of people doing it, they will also follow,” said Mathew.
So this herd mentality gets a lot of people through a few days of trying to lose weight or quit a bad habit, but they are unable to continue through the year.
He said: “They say if you do anything for 21 days, it becomes a habit. So, the first 21 days are the hardest and only the most sincere focus on that. If they cross 21 days, it becomes a habit and they don’t have to worry. But, for others, they stress about what others will think, rather than what will benefit them.”
It seems like there is a lot of stress associated to maintaining resolutions, as stated by Karen Anne Hope Andrews, a clinical psychologist based in Dubai. She told Gulf News previously, when contacted for another community report on new year resolutions that most people who are unable to achieve their resolution would “likely feel a sense of disappointment and discouragement”. But, if a person places a lot of importance on their goal, or is vulnerable about its outcome, it could have a “damaging impact on their self-confidence and could even trigger serious mental health problems such as anxiety or depression”.
It’s true that maintaining an activity that a person plans when the year begins would be satisfying and rewarding. So, how does one succeed?
Andrews had advised: “People need to be realistic about their resolutions. Also, be specific and detailed about each resolution. Breaking it down into small, achievable steps means it’s more likely that you will get started and keep going. Vague and broad resolutions are more likely to fall by the wayside.”
She also suggested framing each goal in a “present, positive way”.
“Instead of telling yourself to ‘stop hitting the snooze button’ of an alarm so you aren’t late for work, say ‘I will get out of bed immediately when I hear my alarm’. Instead of saying ‘I will stop eating junk food’, say ‘I will eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day’,” she said.
Other ways to succeed include having a proper plan of action, so you know exactly how you are going to achieve your goal. Additionally, one should plan for failure. “Of course you’re going to have dips in your motivation, you’ll make mistakes, or things will happen that will challenge your resolve. But, if you have a backup plan, you’ll be better able to cope with the inevitable setbacks and less likely to get discouraged,” Andrews said.
