Self-Care During the New Year Season

Written by Lauren Planas MS, RD, LDN

Edited by Sarah Criscuolo MS, RD, LDN, CSN, CPT

 

The New Year promotes a reflection of the last 12 months and a celebration of a fresh start. Reflection can bring a desire to change current patterns or adapt to new habits. Resolutions are often influenced by diet-culture, causing individuals to feel pressure to adhere to unsustainable dieting, exercise, and weight loss goals.

Setting specific goals to achieve a certain appearance or body weight can cause feelings of inadequacy and guilt if the goal is not met. Unhealthy and unrealistic goals can additionally drive perfectionistic tendencies and influence disordered eating patterns, potentially triggering a relapse for in those in eating disorder recovery.

Spending time in self-reflection can promote mindfulness and allow one to see where they’ve been and where they can go – being mindful and realistic if choosing to set a resolution can make all the difference. Consider how acts of self-care may better guide you leading into this new year.

Let’s change the narrative around resolutions.

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Take Time to Reflect

Look back not only on the past year, but the past season, and even the past month. What is something that you’re proud of? Something that you hoped to have a different outcome? What had contributed to areas of success, and what were perceived barriers in achieving such? While it can be easy to focus on where one feels they felt short, reflect on these situations as learning experiences to help support you in future endeavors. Reflecting can help one to ensure that they are aligning their efforts with their values and goals as well.

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Be Curious

Feeling tired of the same old same old and looking for some inspiration? Get curious in the kitchen! Consider what flavors, textures, smells, temperatures, and even cuisines you may be inspired by. Altering one to two components in a staple dish can help to freshen it up, while trying something completely new may allow you to explore something you may not have expected to enjoy! Try making a new dish and hosting friends or family for a themed dinner to open your taste buds’ perspectives!

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Listen to Your Body

Our bodies send us messages all day long, but have you ever paused and thought about how often you may actually be receptive to and responding to them? For example, if you are feeling hungry, do you grab something to eat? If your body is feeling tired and sore, do you allow yourself time to rest, or push through a workout and end up feeling bogged down for the remainder of the day? Gaining awareness of these signals and being able to honor them can be challenging to start, but leaning into trusting your body can unlock food freedom, rest and recovery, and self-compassion in so many ways.

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Make Time for You

It can feel difficult to find time for oneself in a given day or week, especially during the holiday season. Keeping up with work, family, and various responsibilities without taking time to decompress can lead to emotional, behavioral and physical feelings of burnout. Look to find time that you can carve out of your schedule to dedicate towards self-care. This could look like enjoying your coffee on the porch before starting the day instead of logging on right away, yoga or deep stretching as part of a night-time routine, or even scheduling a crafting class and taking up a new hobby! Remember that you are just as deserving of your own time and energy that you so often give to others.

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Be Kind

Not only to others, but to yourself as well! Acts of self-compassion and kindness can present themselves in many ways, but may unfortunately feel like an afterthought for many. Reframing negative self-talk, honoring hunger cues and cravings, wearing clothes and/or accessories that you feel comfortable and can express yourself in are examples of self-compassion and kindness. Give yourself some grace, it can take time to see progress and you are showing up as best you can each day!

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