THIS stage of the holiday festivities can often feel a bit flat; presents have been opened, the Christmas dinner has been eaten and Gavin and Stacey fans will have finally found out what happened on that infamous fishing trip...
So after navigating the post-Christmas slump (surely Morrissey must have written ‘Everyday Is Like Sunday’ to describe this very period?), many people are quick to turn their attention to the next big event in the calendar - the New Year and, more specifically, their resolutions.
If I’m being completely honest, although I make some resolutions, very few last more than a couple of weeks. I remember at the start of 2022 I decided I’d try and get into yoga – I bought a mat, printed yoga pants, the lot. Has that mat ever been rolled out? No. It’s sitting in my wardrobe gathering dust, just like the guitar, ukulele and treadmill, all optimistically bought during January sales.
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However, this appears to be relatively common. According to research from the IHRSA (International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, no less), 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by February.
There are various reasons why people don’t keep these personal promises but a big part of the problem is that we set ourselves unrealistic expectations. It’s not hard to see why.
For as long as I can remember, New Year has been marketed as a ‘fresh start’ and an opportunity to ‘reinvent’ yourself. The phrase “new year, new you” is practically inescapable for several weeks after Christmas with the number of people joining gyms, weight loss programmes or fitness classes increasing dramatically compared to the rest of the year.
And although I understand that this narrative is supposed to motivate and encourage people it can lead to a toxic mentality that affects our confidence, outlook and attitude, particularly if we fail to meet the often-idealistic goals we set for ourselves.
In recent times this has been exacerbated by social media between the annual Spotify Wrapped, BeReal Recap and Snapchat Memories lighting up our phones with songs and snaps from the last 12 months, not to mention the endless snapshot style videos we see on TikTok of people’s years, where they seem to have visited every city and gone to every concert and event imaginable.
Then there are also those who will be embracing ‘dry January’ or even ‘Veganuary’. This is, of course, commendable, particularly after the excesses of the festive period, but is it realistic? January is already a difficult time of the year. Why make things harder by removing booze and burgers from the equation?
There is nothing wrong with having a few goals – it’s good to have something to work towards - but you don’t need to adhere to a raft of resolutions or spend hours making a bedazzled vision board in order to have a good year. Sometimes it’s better to just ‘go with the flow’.
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We can all experience a touch of the ‘January blues’ – a phenomenon associated with seasonable affective disorder (SAD) and exacerbated by reduced sunlight during the winter months. I wrote about World Kindness Day and being kind to others in a previous column but be kind to yourself is a good mantra to have at this time of year.
So watch that box set, read a good book, get out walking, listen to a podcast, meet up with friends - perhaps leave up some of those twinkly lights (the ones which have been up since November…).
Basically, continue to do the things you enjoy instead of punishing yourself unnecessarily as come spring there will be plenty of time to work on that beach body...
