Ring in a New Year and a New Outlook

New Year’s Eve is a time to celebrate, and the passing of one year into the next is always worth marking.

Surviving the past year and having the chance to set goals for the upcoming year are reasons to celebrate. The past two years in particular have been difficult, and there may be many parties and events this New Year’s Eve.

What if you’re trying to reinforce a fresh start that you’ve been working on? When you’re overcoming an addiction, for example, New Year’s Eve can be full of traditions, but it can also be a time of difficulty.

It’s easy to slip into old habits when everyone else is partying and having fun, but if you’re working on living a clean and sober life, old habits might be the last things you want to face.

Making a Fresh Start

For many, making a New Year’s resolution is more than just something they do, it’s a tradition. It makes sense because this vow also coincides with the beginning of a new year.

Some people’s resolve quickly fades, but for others, their resolutions can become new habits that last forever.

There are many tips to help make those fresh starts a reality, but a helpful thing you could do before making a resolution is knowing why you want to change.

Take overcoming an addiction. It’s no small task to stop drinking or using drugs, or stop smoking cigarettes or vaping. They’re all addictions and there’s a physical factor to kicking these types of habits. In addition to mental and emotional effects, there are also the physical tolerance, dependence, and withdrawal to address.

If you don’t know why you want to stop using, drinking, or smoking, you may quickly lose resolve. Understanding the reasons you want to change can make all the difference in whether you’re able to follow through on your New Year’s resolutions.

Enlisting Help to Make Fresh Starts

Sometimes we might not consider that we help to make a fresh start work for us.

Jumping on bandwagons isn’t a good idea if you’re planning to make changes other people want for themselves. Instead, commit to the changes that you want for yourself, then enlist all the help you can to make them happen.

Often, we think we’re alone in our desire to make things change for ourselves, so we might overlook the many options that are available to help us along the way. Once you’ve decided on a New Year’s resolution, or any resolution, find the tools and resources you need to help you be as successful as possible.

You can take classes to create a new career, join groups for weight loss or exercise, or network your way to a better social life, for example.

Deciding and Acting

Often, a good way to start resolutions, and that includes those made on New Year’s Eve, is to decide and then act.

No matter how you’re looking to make changes to your life, whether it’s treating an addiction, losing weight, or developing a fulfilling consider deciding, committing, and then acting. Even steps that might seem small, such as calling a rehab center to find out more about its programs, can make a tremendous impact on your new direction. Happy New Year!

Sources

health.harvard.edu – Seven Steps for Making Your New Year’s Resolutions Stick

soulsalt.com – 21 Simple Ways to Change Your Life (Starting Right Now)

sunshinebehavioralhealth.com – The Effects of Alcohol Addiction