new years resolutions

Image credit: Pixabay/JogiKenobi

Why New Year’s resolutions are bad for you

Do you have a list yet?

new years resolutions

Image credit: Pixabay/JogiKenobi

It’s that time of the year when we make lists upon lists of New Year’s resolution only to forget about them again by the time the third day of the new year rolls around.

These resolutions usually include exercising more, drinking less, eating healthier, being more positive, and things along those lines. Things that are actually good for you, so why is it bad when we put it on our list of resolutions?

New Year’s Resolutions are unattainable

According to a social psychologist at Harvard Business School, Amy Cuddy, people tend to set unreasonable goals, and therein lies the problem. When we can’t reach those goals – going from being a couch potato to working out for 2 hours straight in the space of a day or losing 20 kilograms in the first months – we end up with anxiety and a decrease in our self-worth.

Cuddy explains: “People are making absolute statements about what they’re going to do, and that’s setting them up for failure immediately because they’re not always going to go to the gym three times a week.”

Yes, you may be able to keep up that gym schedule, but the moment you hit a snag or get flu, or life throws another curveball your way, the gym will be the first commitment to go, along with a chunk of your dignity.

New Year’s Resolutions are based in negativity

Are you really adding exercising to your list for the sole reason of exercising? Or are you exercising now because you want to change something about your body you don’t like? Forcing yourself to do something to fix something else you dislike is counter-productive. Cuddy adds:

“If you’re focused on walking 100 miles, and you’re just constantly focused on that number 100 miles and trying to track your progress, it’s going to be pretty friggin demoralising most of the way. You’re going to feel like a failure for so much of that because the comparison is between where I am now versus where I want to be.”

The outcome isn’t up to you

Things like getting a promotion at work are probably not up to just you and what you can do to get there. Many resolutions are centred around other people and just plain luck. Some factors are just going to be out of your control.

So instead of resolving to exercise more – something that can fall by the wayside when a workload increases or you fall ill – Cuddy vowed to “fall in love with running” again. Start small, build a habit over time and nudge yourself in the right direction instead of just jumping all in.

If all else fails, remembers that nearly three years ago, Meghan Markle decided to throw her resolution list out the window and “look for magic instead.” Less than six months later she met her Prince Charming on a blind date and today she’s a duchess. Just a thought…

Also read – Ten alternative suggestions for New Year’s resolutions we should all try