Why does the desire to want to change always appear around the turn of the year, of all places?
“Because something new begins here and many use this turning point to leave the bad behind and take off with vigor,” says Bernadette Holzmann-Weißengruber, clinical psychologist and psychotherapist at the Klinikum Freistadt. Quit smoking, lose a few pounds, waste less time on the cell phone – the psychologist knows all too well the good resolutions, which are known to be very difficult to fulfill. “Personally, I prefer to talk about ‘annual resolutions’ rather than ‘New Year’s resolutions’,” she says. It is an arbitrary decision that people want to steer their lives in a different direction, especially at the beginning of the year. In principle, 364 other days would be available to set new goals. “But of course it is certainly praiseworthy to want to shed bad habits,” says Holzmann-Weißengruber.
“However, 80 percent of us humans are controlled by our emotions and our subconscious. And this is exactly where the difficulty lies.” Our head knows very well that it would be good for us to eat healthier and less – but the subconscious quickly takes over the helm in weak moments and you reach for the chocolate and not the apple. All surveys show that two thirds of people fail to keep their good intentions in the long term. For 27 percent, however, it works for more than two months. “In any case, you have greater chances of success if the goals are formulated specifically and are achievable, otherwise motivation is quickly lost again,” says the psychotherapist.
A slip is quite normal
“The best thing to do is to think in advance how to deal with possible stumbling blocks and be clear: a slip is by no means a failure. Two steps forward and one step back – that is quite common,” says the psychotherapist. However, if your weaker self has the upper hand or if failure sets in, it is important to be good to yourself and not fall into self-hatred. Only then can the next day be seen as a new opportunity. Changes in behavior would take time to become anchored in consciousness. “Be patient with yourself – and with those around you.”
Source: Nachrichten
