Photo by Mizanur Rahman
To paraphrase the words of John Lennon: another year over, a new one about to begin. (Okay, I admit it doesn’t scan as well!) As we all know from the ‘round robin’ news summaries in Christmas cards, this is typically a time to review the past twelve months and think about the year to come. Research from positive psychology suggests this can be good for mental health, particularly if we focus on the good experiences and achievements of the past year, and our constructive plans for the future.
For example, looking back you may think about the times when you:
- felt particularly happy
- were kind to others
- showed love
- got so absorbed in a project or idea that time flashed past (you were ‘in flow’ in psychological terms)
- took a risk or were particularly brave/courageous
- learnt something new
- achieved something you’re proud of.
For me, some highlights were my volunteer work at Sudbury Arts Centre, having fun with friends at the immersive performance of Grease, feeling the support of writing buddies and all those who came to my book launch, sharing the joy my partner takes in refurbing his old tractor, making art works and taking part in the Mortal and Strong exhibition at Waterloo, finding out I can do aerobics, learning to say ‘no’ when things get too much.
Looking forward to the coming year, many people focus on new year’s resolutions – and just as many break them within the first month! Research suggests that it takes an average of around two months to change a habitual behaviour, for some people less, others longer. The key is repetition. If you do want to break a long-standing habit or start a new more positive behaviour, the best way to make it stick is to plan now. If you want to stop a behaviour, what will you put in its place? Identify the triggers and think about how to avoid them. How will handle the temptation to fall back on the familiar? Don’t let a minor set-back put you off. Notice your small successes.
My own goal is to stop getting distracted by other interesting projects and get my fourth novel completed and edited. I’m currently 10,000 words in, so watch this space!
Wishing you all the best for the coming year.