Shifting Your Resolutions
As the leaves begin to fall, the air begins to grasp tighter around our skin; we reminisce, reflect on our year, and for most of us, begin to feel regret and shame for not accomplishing those new year resolutions we thought of many months before. The end of the year can be met with stress, anxiety, and depression, and especially now, we may have more fear and uncertainty. We tend to put pressure on ourselves around this time of year, mainly because of what is portrayed in the media, what we consume daily, and the shock that is this year ending and another one upon us. Time seems to pass by faster when the years come to a close, we tend to think back on what we could and should have done, what we may have lost or gained, thus looping us back into the shame of not meeting unrealistic expectations.
With the continuous pain that is of this pandemic, the looming uncertainties of what will be of our futures, and the grief that is also perpetually weaving through our bodies, I welcome you all to turn our expectations of enormous change to something different and more within. For this year, maybe we can work towards allowing ourselves to just, be. Be angry, be sad, be in pain, allow for joy, love, and grief. Let us all give ourselves permission to go at our own pace, listen to our bodies, and offer it a space to be exactly itself.
I challenge you all to allow for grace, mistakes, chaos; let us also in this pace, learn to be more understanding of others suffering as we work through our own. We can owe each other kindness when it is granted and grow within our flaws and messiness. This year, I invite you to ask yourselves what this new year, change, means specifically to you. Our resolutions can be as simple as saying no more often, breathing more intentionally, loving deeper, or maybe confronting that grief you so bravely tucked away. With all the resilience and strength that we have hadto express, give yourself the permission to collapse and rest.
As we are forced to open our doors to more uncertainty, we welcome discomfort, and also growth. This year lets be intentional and vocal about what we need, and to also normalize our needs are all different. For this new year, let us lessen the grip we put on ourselves to change automatically, and allow for peaks and valleys. Let us this year, appreciate all parts of ourselves and to also, just, be.
About Danielle Stram,, M.S. Ed, LMHCShifting Your Resolutions Related Blog Posts
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At the Stram Center, we recognize that mental health is often the basis of your potential to navigate life’s challenges as well as to heal from physical illness. Understanding your full self, including traumas and difficulties you may have experienced, is often the first step to learn what your unique strategies are in the face of life’s difficulties. Quality healthcare should include support…Mental Health Counseling
