How to follow through on healthy New Year’s resolutions amid the pandemic
As we head into any new year, we look toward fresh starts, renewal and hope. However, as we begin 2022, we also carry the anxiety and stress from the unrelenting COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on our well-being.
To help foster hope and renewal and manage anxiety and stress as we enter 2022, it’s best to focus on two areas: strategically putting one foot in front of the other and self-care.
In the best of times, New Year’s resolutions are ineffective, if for no other reason than they are vague, all-encompassing and undefined. This year, however, we can feel lost in the chaos and uncertainty of our times. To regain direction and traction in our lives, we need to set goals and resolutions for the new year that are much more basic and focused.
Most treatment providers in behavioral health settings advocate a model known as SMART. This is an acronym of goal-setting that stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Based. Using this model allows us to make incremental progress in a way that is pragmatic and manageable.
For instance, avoid the meaningless resolution “I’m going to get into shape.” A more functional SMART goal -- during a pandemic marked by isolation, lethargy and lack of motivation -- would be to “walk around the block one time daily for two weeks.”
Not only are SMART goals manageable, thus slowly building traction and direction into our life, but the small victories provide mastery experiences that counter the lack of motivation that can go with isolation. It is important to be patient and to recognize that, indeed, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Since this particular new year is also one in which we still find ourselves in the midst of the COVID pandemic, the topic of self-care is particularly relevant, not only to help us keep our bodies, minds and spirits afloat as we push through this seemingly never-ending pandemic, but also to give us the motivation and energy to advance our productive goals into the new year.
Self-care in a pandemic necessarily includes being mindful to maintain contact. Human beings thrive through human connection, and COVID, as we know, has pushed us into isolation and distanced relationships. FaceTime, texting and telephone contact may be a secondary choice to in-person meetings, but they can still add a critical piece to finding ways to stay involved with others.
Humans depend on structure and schedule to provide a sense of security and predictability in life. Unfortunately, many people’s work and social routines have been disrupted by COVID, including working remotely or not working at all. Some level of self-imposed structure can help to avoid apathy and lethargy and should include regular movement such as light exercise.
Finally, we all need some activity or practice to lift the spirit. Spiritual practices are activities that help us, even for a moment, transcend the stress and challenge of the day. They can give an effective boost to our spirit and soul. Building in time for simple pleasures such as a beach walk or listening to inspiring music can be effective.
Human beings are persistent and resilient when faced with difficult life challenges. Entering this new year in an ongoing pandemic is one of those challenges. We will certainly meet the challenges as 2022 begins to unfold, particularly if we mindfully focus on the tools that will help us negotiate this difficult territory.
Jon Brett, Ph.D., is the director of the Partial Hospitalization Program at Newport Hospital. Newport Hospital provides this monthly column for The Daily News.
This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: New Year's resolutions tips to sustain during COVID-19 pandemic
