Now that we are more than a month into 2023, it is a good time to reflect on the intentions we set for the year and how well we have stuck to them. I, personally, am not a huge fan of New Year’s resolutions – I find that they hold an expectation, applying unnecessary pressure on caring for your well-being. When there is that feeling of force, it becomes a lot more difficult to take on actions that are sustainable and conducive to long-term goals. However, I do believe any time of transition, including a new year, brings opportunities for personal growth, renewing commitments, and creating intentions. So, rather than setting New Year’s resolutions, I focus on trying to create new habits. This article will discuss how I reshaped my mindset and how this panned out over the first few weeks of the year.
A couple months ago, I saw a TikTok that explained that anti-aging skin care needs to start in a person’s early twenties to be effective. I have many thoughts on the capitalistic fearmongering of aging, which could easily be another article, and I don’t believe that an undergraduate student needs to worry about how aging will affect their appearance. However, this video did make me consider if I was putting enough effort into taking care of my skin. I spend a lot of time in the sun, wear makeup, have hormonal breakouts, and have genetically sensitive skin; yet, to be transparent, I did nothing to care for my skin. Rather than making the resolution to fix my lack of skincare, I started thinking about how I could create a habit that responded to my lifestyle. I did research on the products that were best for my personal needs and created a simple routine that could easily fit into my mornings and nights. The overarching plan wasn’t to create a perfect regiment, but to be a bit more aware of how it could improve the way I care for myself.
I have always been an avid reader, however when life gets busy, my love for books often gets pushed to the back burner. I also have a disgustingly high screen time as someone who works and studies predominantly online. So, I wanted to set the intention that instead of picking up my phone in every free moment, I would try to reach for a book. It was really important to me that this came from my love for reading and not an obligation; hobbies shouldn’t feel like work. I don’t track how many minutes I read daily, or how many pages and chapters I can get through. Rather, I keep a book within reach so that there is always the option to grab it instead of my phone. Reading happens naturally because it is easily accessible without requiring any thought. I do track the books I read on StoryGraph throughout the year because I am a fan of the end-of-year wrap-up, but as of now, I don’t commit to reading challenges. So far, I have finished four books this year!
There are other habits I have incorporated into many of my days. I am working through a therapy journal, I have signed up for a yoga membership, I try to drink more water during the day, and I am learning to connect with myself spiritually. These are all things I have been wanting to do and just hadn’t made the effort to set intentions. There hasn’t been a single day this year where I met all of these habits, but there have been many days where I did most of them. My focus has been on learning to slow down and take time to care for myself mentally and physically, and as of now, these habits have helped me achieve this. For me, it was important to have the mindset that self-care is not a chore, but a practice and doesn’t need to be perfect. I am learning to make conscious choices, to find what works for me and what doesn’t, and not to expect a new year to be a new me.