Episode 65: Resolving Resolutions

In this mini-episode we discuss the process of setting resolutions for 2024 and prioritizing self-care as you create your lists of goals for the new year!

Transcript

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Speaker 1 0:00

Welcome to the Self Care Society podcast with your hosts Celia Williamson , ashley Kutcher , louis Guardiola and Carrie Shaw , a podcast devoted to those whose job it is to help others get or remain mentally , physically and emotionally healthy , but who also need to take care of themselves . How we're going to do this ? By first showing you the filtered , pretty version of success and then the real struggles , real work and raw grit it took to get there , how they took care of themselves and also achieved their goals while doing it Together . We will work with you to improve and maintain your internal health and growth , while helping you achieve your external goals and your next professional achievement in life , and we're excited to show you how to follow your own individual and unique path and achieve the dreams you have , while taking good care of yourself .

Speaker 2 0:54

So let's get started . Hello and welcome to the Self Care Podcast . I am your host , isabel Matossian , and today we're going to keep it pretty short . With the new year coming up , many of us will be working on our new year resolutions . I think these can be both pretty helpful as well as a bit stressful and frustrating when you can't accomplish every single thing you set your mind to in January . But the fear of failure is no reason not to try right , and setting goals is crucial to living a fulfilling life because it keeps you actively thinking about what you'd like to do next . Humans were never meant to be stagnant and unchanging . We were meant to grow and change and learn incredible things . I think setting new year resolutions can be a part of that . While it doesn't necessarily serve as a reset button for your life , it can serve as a motivator to try again and keep working towards something . In that spirit , I encourage our listeners to set goals that they can accomplish . This can be done by maybe setting fewer goals or determining what is reasonable to accomplish in the next year . That doesn't mean stop dreaming or setting bigger life goals , but maybe choose something to help contribute to those goals instead of setting that larger life goal as a resolution for the year , unless , of course , you're prepared to accomplish it .

Speaker 2 2:18

This year we talk about setting smart goals . In social work school . This stands for specific , measurable , attainable , relevant and timely . I think this doesn't only need to be applied to projects or programs . Right , specific goals are concrete and tangible . You know what it would look like to accomplish it . Measurable goals can have an objective measure of success . Attainable goals are challenging but should be achievable with the resources available to you . And goals meaningfully contribute to your objectives , being perhaps improving your self-care skills . And timely goals have a deadline or a timeline of progress milestones , maybe every three months . You want to see a certain level of improvement in whatever the goal was . I'm not saying you have to be so scientific about everything no need to take the magic and fun at goal setting but it might help you to have a framework to use when setting your goals . I also encourage you to make the goals about you or your life .

Speaker 2 3:23

Try not to include others in these , not only because we can't control the actions or choices of others , but because you deserve to set personal goals . Every good parent , for example , wants the best for their children and may be tempted to add that to a resolution list , but that doesn't mean it has to be on your resolution list , because you will already be doing your best to be there for your children . You do it all the time , especially if you're listening to this podcast . If you're all involved in our project , then you are someone who constantly gives and strives to do better for others . This time , set these goals for yourself when you are at your best . When you're fulfilled , happy and practicing self-care , the people around you naturally learn to do the same . The people you love still benefit from you setting goals that are solely for you , not an example by prioritizing yourself in these resolutions .

Speaker 2 4:20

Here are a few mini goals for self-care to incorporate into your resolutions list . One is to focus on your sleep quality . Give yourself permission to have high quality sleep . Maybe get in bed 15 minutes earlier than you usually do Once you get into a rhythm with that . Consider other aspects like sleep hygiene , which may involve limiting your screen time before bed or making it darker in your room and ensuring that you are resting in a peaceful environment . Sometimes , when I struggle with sleep , I clean my room and light a scented candle to make it a less chaotic environment . Find what works for you .

Speaker 2 4:58

Another may be taking a break from social media and being present in your own life . One suggestion for that might be to schedule time to scroll your social media feeds . My favorite idea is to schedule days of rest . Getting rest allows the body and mind to recover from daily life . Don't love a day in with sleep . Make a point to schedule a day each month with no plans and no obligations and do what you enjoy on those days . If that's too much for right now , then start by incorporating hours of intentional rest throughout your weeks rather than a full day .

Speaker 2 5:36

You can also practice mindfulness through activities like yoga and meditation . This can help you be present in the current moment . Even taking a walk around your neighborhood or incorporating it into your meal time can help increase your connection to your body . Spend some time outdoors . It can improve your mood and feelings of peace , similarly to mindfulness . Maybe even eating lunch outside once a week or planning a monthly excursion . It doesn't have to be anything fancy .

Speaker 2 6:08

Clutter can increase your feelings of being overwhelmed and stressed . So set a self-care goal of decluttering your space . You can start by choosing a drawer or cabinet each week and set a monthly goal to go through clothes , books , dishes or cookware to donate . This way , you help your community and yourself . I personally like to set aside just five minutes in my morning routine to clean my bathroom sink and counter , and another five maybe to tidy my room up . A last mini-goal to consider is creating a gratitude list or journal , or just a self-care journal in general . We've talked about practicing gratitude before . This is an idea to help redirect your focus away from the negative thoughts and focus on what makes you feel happy and grateful . As I said , today is a short episode , so that's all I have for you . I hope you all have a fantastic New Year and will take good care of yourselves . We'll see you again in 2024 . That concludes this week's episode . And remember , it's not selfish , it's self-care .