How are You Supposed to Have New Year’s Resolutions This Year? A Psychologist Weighs In
After a year of crisis, heartache, and uncertainty, it's time to reinvent New Year’s Resolutions for 2021.
By 
When the ball dropped at midnight on January 1, 2020, no one knew what the next 12 months had in store. Many went about making New Year's resolution, not knowing the coronavirus would drastically change the way people live, taking away the little luxuries — like meeting friends at a bar or screaming your favorite lyrics at a concert — and, for some, the necessities; a steady income, regular meals, physical and mental wellness. So now that we've said goodbye to 2020 and enter another year of uncertainty, where do New Year's Resolutions come into play — if they should at all?
When stay-at-home orders were put into place in March 2020, many Americans believed things would go back to normal by the Summer — Fourth of July plans still intact. But here we are, almost a year later, with COVID-19 rates at the highest they've been. The residual effects of COVID-19 — the isolation, the uncertainty, the loss — have taken a mental toll on people. According to an August 2020 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that anxiety symptoms and depression have tripled and quadrupled, respectively, among 5,470 since 2019. Yet even in a time when people are simply trying to survive, there is still that pressure to "be better."
So do New Year's resolutions have a place in 2021? Woman’s Day spoke with Dr. Joanna Petrides, a licensed clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine who specializes in anxiety and human behavior, to learn how to create positive, tangible goals while much of the world remains uncertain.
Focus on valuing what you have rather than obtaining something you don't.
“When I compare messaging and posts from the end of 2019 to the end of 2020, what I noticed was the absence of grand declarations for the new year," Dr. Petrides tells Woman’s Day. "Rather, I saw more statements of reflection and appreciation for the year that was experienced, the relationships which were strengthened, and the support that was received during the challenges."
"My hope and belief is [that] those individuals who chose to reflect on this past year rather than plan for the upcoming one are going to carry that appreciation sentiment into the future with them and we will hopefully see resolutions more focused on valuing connections."
Don’t rely solely on resolutions to make changes.
With so much lost and challenged in 2020, the year taught many to appreciate what they have — it’s about continuing to take small steps toward bigger actions.
Each large goal consists of many small goals that will be your journey to get there. “Add in the events of 2020 where meeting resolutions was challenged by events outside of our control and I think most people have learned not to rely on resolutions as the golden rule for making changes,” Dr. Petrides says.
Create actionable resolutions that don’t leave you feeling stagnant.
It’s hard not to feel stuck in quarantine, given social distancing and travel restrictions. But creating a tangible plan to achieve your goals, according to Dr. Petrides, starts with SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound).
“When setting a goal it’s more effective if you make it a SMART goal to assist you in feeling successful," she says. "For example, don’t just say ‘learn to bake.’ Say: ‘Learn to bake banana bread using mom’s recipe this weekend to share with family members.’ This written out goal has a specific outcome, a purpose for why you’re doing it, and a scheduled time frame which increases its rate of success significantly."
Think less about the destination, but just as much about the wanderlust.
Traveling to new destinations is a common New Year’s resolution, but travel isn’t available like it used to be. But seeking adventure doesn’t require hopping on a plane.
“Individuals are looking at their local surroundings as a solution to their apprehensive wanderlust," Dr. Petrides tells Woman’s Day. “Even I visited a local park that I have not been to since my childhood and rediscovered the beauty and peace of nature while walking the trails. I don’t think this would be something I would have done with much excitement if traveling wasn’t restricted during the lockdowns."
Allow your resolutions to push you in new directions.
“Before the pandemic, we all had some items we wanted to try or accomplish but there was always some invitation we were accepting or other distraction which kept us from tackling the items on this list,” Dr. Petrides says.
As we’ve seen in quarantine, Americans have taken up new hobbies such as cooking, running, even puzzles that perhaps they would have never pursued. “Going forward, perhaps there will be a better balance of accepting invitations and prioritizing what’s important to us,” Dr. Petrides explains.
Although we can’t always control situations we’re in, we can control where we can go from there. While we’re not checking off a Euro Trip on this year’s resolutions, we believe this year’s goals are more meaningful than years past.
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