INCLUSIVE & INSPIRATIONAL

When New Year's Resolutions Go Wrong

Psychotherapist Gershon Portnoi explains why you need to think carefully when setting your goals for the year ahead.

For many of us, the start of a new year coincides with a vast set of new goals that we task ourselves with achieving. Whether it’s winning the cup with our team or getting promoted at work, we all aspire to hit the heights in the year ahead.

There is, of course, nothing wrong with that. After all, we can never be expected to achieve much in life without setting targets. But occasionally there can be a downside to making a new year’s resolution.

Imagine a scenario where you set yourself a target of being able to do 100 keepie-uppies, having never previously managed to do more than five or ten. You start off all guns blazing and before you know it you’ve hit twenty, then thirty, and you’re feeling great.

But then, no matter how hard you try, you just can’t get past forty and you begin to feel a sense of disappointment and failure. In some cases, these kinds of negative feelings can start spilling out into other parts of your life and your self-esteem might be affected, which can itself trigger a prevalent low mood and anxiety.

Although this is an entirely madeup situation and you’re unlikely to damage your mental health while attempting to improve your football skills, it is based on a realistic chain of events: if you set your bar too high, you run the risk of crashing head-first into a major disappointment.

So, whether you’re after a rock-hard set of abs or a thirty-goal season, the key thing to ask yourself is whether your goal is achievable.

If you’re the office intern, resolving to become the CEO by the year’s end is definitely unrealistic, but if you aim to become a full-time member of staff, it’s far more likely.

Similarly, it’s important that the goal you set is as specific as it can be – instead of aiming to lose weight or get fit, give yourself an exact target like losing half a stone or running a half marathon.

It’s also important to have a detailed plan in place for achieving your resolution, and to only focus on one particular goal rather than making a long list of targets.

Finally, resolving to achieve something you’ve previously failed to do is another potential problem, as you’ll be highly likely to approach the task lacking in real belief.

Whatever you decide to do (or not do), here’s to a genuinely happy new year. TGP

"Thekeythingtoaskyourselfis whetheryourgoalisachievable."

To find out more about Gershon and his psychotherapy practice,visit gershonportnoipsychotherapy.com.

Nutrition: Winter Fuel

Emmy Campbell is a SENR-qualified sports nutritionist, working with football players from grassroots levels right up to professional players to help them improve all aspects of their game.

There’s nothing better than those early season fixtures and lining up with your mates on a sunny day. You’ve nailed your pre-match nutrition, got plenty of fuel in the tank and are ready for kick-off. Easy.

But, what about on a cold and rainy night in Stoke? What should you be eating to fuel those tough midwinter fixtures and can nutrition help to keep you healthy on and off the pitch?

With chilly days and long dark nights, eating well can be more challenging. You probably find yourself reaching for the comfort foods more regularly and focusing a little less on what you’re eating, especially when it comes to your training or match day nutrition. But eating well through the winter months is not only key to performing well on the pitch, but also to keeping you healthy, too. And while you don’t need to make drastic changes to how you eat in the winter, there are certainly some key areas that might need a little more attention. EAT BEFORE & AFTER Eating before and after football is not only essential to fuelling and refuelling, but it can also help to warm the body, too. When food is digested it produces heat, so besides being key to performance, your pre- and post-match nutrition can help to keep you warm.

HYDRATION Even when the temperatures are sub-zero and it’s raining sideways, your body will still sweat and lose fluids. You’re less likely to feel thirsty during those cold and wet training sessions and drinking icy water is often the last thing you want. This is why it’s really important to pay more attention to what and how much you drink. Keep your drink in an insulated bottle to stop it from getting too cold and make sure to sip on it regularly throughout the game. VITAMINS & MINERALS The immune system needs lots of different vitamins and minerals to ensure it can function properly and to keep you healthy. Getting in your five-a-day is even more important in winter to help fight off colds and other illnesses. As well as that, vitamins and minerals will also help your football performance, too, impacting everything from how strong your bones are to how efficiently your body can produce energy. So, make sure to eat the rainbow to play well and stay healthy! TGP

"Withchillydaysandlongdarknights, eatingwellcanbemorechallenging."

Whether you’re looking to get in better shape, need help with fuelling your ninety minutes or just want to take your game to the next level, Emmy can help. Find her on social media @nutritionemmy for support with your performance nutrition.