MAKE THAT CHANGE When it comes to New Year’s Resolutions, Forbes says come 1 February, only 25% of people have remained committed. If you want to stick to your goals, make sure they’re realistic. Viwe Ndongeni-Ntlebi WITH every new year comes new opportunities, new challenges and for many people it comes in the form of New Year’s resolutions hoping to spark positive change. If you are one of those people, Abdurahman Kenny, mental health portfolio manager for Pharma Dynamics said: “Making New Year’s resolutions often involves self-reflection, which in general is good practice if done in a constructive way. However, the reality is that for many, the past year may have been discouraging and fraught with difficulty. “Those dealing with depression, troubling life events, loss of a loved one, divorce or lack of self-esteem, may find themselves spiralling into patterns of negative thought as their problems or perceived imperfections consume their thinking. The added pressure of setting and failing to keep to New Year’s resolutions may exacerbate
feelings of worthlessness. “When resolutions involve making significant behaviour changes, it adds a huge amount of extra stress and pressure, which increases our cortisol (stress hormone) levels. When we fail, we tend to punish ourselves for our perceived shortcomings. This makes us feel inadequate and worse than when we started.” For those who want to stay true to the tradition, Kenny recommends making small, realistic changes rather than setting unattainable goals. “For example, if you’re wanting to lose weight, make healthy eating your goal as opposed to losing a certain amount of weight by a certain date. By focusing on a concept – whether it’s becoming healthier, being more adventurous or spending more quality time with your loved ones, you’re bound to achieve it if that’s where
PLAN and prep for the week ahead. | S-WELL Unsplash
you put your focus.” “So many resolutions are focused on what you’re doing wrong or what you need to change about yourself, which can be damaging. Instead, focus on your strengths and how you can use these to create the life you want. Be kind to yourself by celebrating the progress you have made and how far you’ve come. Let your successes motivate you to keep moving forward,” said Kenny. As to New Year’s Resolutions, Forbes says, come February 1 only 25% of people stay committed to their resolutions. By December, only 8% accomplished them. Herbalife Nutrition has some of the tips you can use to maintain or start exercising by being patient with yourself. “It will take a while to create a new habit. The more you practise healthy habits, the more you will get used to them, and before you
