Taking Pressure Off Of New Year’s

It’s hard to believe that 2024 is already over. Like many of you, this brings up mixed feelings for me. Most years, I have approached this holiday with a lot of dread. However, this year I am mainly feeling gratitude and hope. 2024 was the year I really started living, rather than just surviving. There were lots of highs, lows, hard goodbyes, but most importantly, fresh starts.

I have always felt a lot of pressure around New Year’s. It’s easy for me to get caught up in my friend’s (and let’s be honest, stranger’s) highlight reels, which usually only shows the good moments. I can forget that behind the perfect year, there were likely struggles, setbacks, and challenges. I now know that comparison is a dangerous game.

In years past, New Year’s brought stress and discouragement. I looked back and only saw all the ways I fell short and, in my eyes, failed in the prior year. Even though people may not admit it, I think a lot of people feel this way, not just those with mental health conditions.

When it comes to resolutions, I am the absolute queen of setting unrealistic ones. This always results in feelings of failure and disappointment. This year I am doing something different and not setting any! Don’t get me wrong, I think that setting goals and working towards them (in a healthy way) is very important. If setting New Year’s resolutions works for you, keep doing it. The thing is, in the same way that New Year’s feels like a fresh start, everyday can feel like that. I want to give myself the freedom to change things in my life on a random Tuesday, not just on January 1^st. One of the greatest things I learned this year is that I am capable of building a life that I am passionate about by making small changes often. For me, it takes some pressure off New Year’s when I have this mindset.

So……. rather than making a list of resolutions, I have one thing I want to strive for in 2025- to live authentically. I often feel the pressure to live my life the way others do or want me to do, but I’m leaving that in 2024. Living authentically looks like prioritizing my recovery, taking care of myself, and pursuing what I am truly passionate about. It means that I will live according to my values and be present with myself through both the joys and sorrows rather than trying to micromanage what my next year will look like. Living authentically also means loving loudly and just being myself. I know that if I live this way, I can handle anything 2025 throws my way.

Happy New Year!