As New Years Eve fast approaches we are once again confronted with the idea of ‘resolutions’. Although time is a human construct, many of us feel compelled to make some life changes when the clock strikes midnight on December 31st. In time gone by New Years resolutions have been quite problematic with people focusing on what they do not like about themselves, using these resolutions to try and change themselves. Instead, I want to propose six New Years resolutions which will help you have a positive and healthy 2020 which puts YOU first.
6 Positive New Years Resolution For 2020
Try A New Hobby
The world has as many different types of hobbies and they are as varied as the people who undertake them. Acrobatics, baking, hiking, skiing, stamp collecting, fossil hunting, dancing, yoga and photography are just some of the hundreds, if not thousands, of hobbies and pastimes out there. There really is something out there for everyone.
Taking up a new hobby, or restarting an old hobby, in the New Year is a great way to stimulate you physically, mentally or spiritually outside of the general monotony of work and family life. Hobbies can have a number of positive effects in our lives including increasing confidence, though improving at something; socialisation, through meeting people with similar interests; and relaxing, through putting your time and efforts into something you love.
Get Involved With Your Community
Whether you live in a small village or a bustling London borough, we all want the communities that we live in to be the best they can be. As the old saying goes that ‘change starts with you’ and so the best way to improve your community is to get involved with it. Volunteering comes in a variety of shapes and commitment levels and is perhaps the easiest way to get involved with your local community. It has a number of great benefits, not only for those you help, but also yourself. Including; socialisation, learning new skills and gaining new experiences.
Google, in all its infinite knowledge, makes it extremely easy to find volunteering opportunities in your local area with just a simple search of those keywords. If you are Otherwise, you can look on GOV.uk, Do-It and Volunteering Matters for a wealth of opportunities.
Put Your Mental Health First
With a bigger focus on the importance of mental health than ever before, 2020 is the year that you put your mental health first. Putting yourself first can be hard as it means making changes in your life which can be difficult. In order to put yourself first you need to identify what is toxic in your life and what has a negative impact on your mental health. Be it people or habits cutting toxic elements of your life out can help you to change your perception of your life, making it more positive and healthier. Alongside that you need to remember that it is ok to ask for help when you are struggling, be it at work or in your personal or academic life. The traditional stigma that surrounds mental health is steadily being reduced making it easier to seek help when you need it, with many charities such as Mind offering a range of different support methods.
Create A List Of Films Or TV Shows To Watch
With the huge amount of new films and television programmes premiering on the big, small and streaming screens it feels like it is almost impossible to keep up. It feels as though we are constantly being recommended things, adding them to a never-ending list called ‘I will watch it later’ or ‘I’ll get around to it soon’. Whilst it may not seem like it, film and television can play an important part in our mental health, happiness and general well-being. Making time for films and television allows us to escape from real life for a little bit, forget our stresses and worries and immerse ourselves in a world that is not our own.
There are a number of ways that you can narrow down the best films and television shows into a manageable list. Maybe aim to watch every Oscar nominated film from the last decade? Or, highest rated television shows from the last decade? Internet Movie Database (IMDB) has a wealth of lists on its website that could help you make decisions, from Top Rated Movies, to Popularity by Genre to choices from some of the world’s biggest Film Festivals.
Do More Of What You Love
Due to work commitments, family life and all the stresses in-between we can often forget to make time for what we really love doing. Be it a hobby, a pastime or an interest we all have something that we would love to do more of, especially if we had unlimited time and money. Making time for what we love is really important, as it can help us relax, improve our mood as well as our physical and/or mental health.
For example, I love going to the theatre. I love the bright lights of the West End, the thrill of the house lights dimming, the beauty of a great script. When I lived, and went to university, in London, I was always going to the West End, the National Theatre and a variety of other smaller theatres to see shows. Since I have moved away from London, I have visited the theatre less and less frequently. Even though there are smaller, local theatres near me which very often have touring productions from London I am out the habit of going. So, in 2020 one of my New Years resolutions is to make an effort to visit the theatre more – regardless of the cost!
This New Year you should make it your aim to do more of what you love because you will feel better for it.
Turn Off Your Phone More
Our phones dominate our lives, that goes without saying. On them we check our emails, we organise our banking, we keep in touch with friends and family, we have our social media profiles and we have all the world’s knowledge at our fingertips. This makes it hard to put our phones down, let alone turn them off. Turning our phones off even just for a couple of hours a week can be really good for us, it allows us to escape from the constant connectivity of the modern and focus on what is around us.
