Now that the holidays are through, many people are trying to stick to their New Year’s Resolutions. Mental health officials in Kentucky have some advice on how to make lasting positive changes.
Michelle Martel is a professor and Director of Clinical Training in the Department of Psychology at the University of Kentucky. Martel said this is not the time to make sweeping resolutions.
“Usually this is a time of year where we’re trying to get back into the routine. So trying to make really large changes can in some ways be setting yourself up for failure. Also, we know for behavioral change and setting new habits, it’s going to be much more effective and more likely to succeed if you can try to do small things,” said Martel.
Martel added that it can be helpful to focus on things you can do, rather than things you can’t.
“That can be helpful too because it helps us connect with what the value is behind it, right? We may be thinking, ‘Oh, I need to give up sweets’ or ‘I need to cut back on shopping because Christmas is over’, but maybe instead thinking about things like ‘I want to be healthier’ or ‘I want to have more money to do things for other people’. Framing it in a more positive way can be more motivating for people,” said Martel.
Martel said it’s good to practice self-compassion while trying to achieve New Year’s Resolutions.
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