CLEVELAND — 2020 has been quite a year.
This Mom Minute Monday, 3News’ Hollie Strano once again got some great advice from "chief habit scientist" Tamsin Astor about making resolutions during a pandemic. Astor says that, for many of us, it’s all about how we approach our resolutions.
"By February, 92% of people have quit their New Year's Resolutions," she explained. "One of the biggest things is it's often grounded in such negativity and shame, that people after a while are just kind of like 'No.'"
Astor suggests that instead of looking at what you need to stop doing, look at your resolution as a chance to add something positive.
"One of the big things that I think really helps create a re-frame and shift around this is to really lean into the idea of 'What can I add to my life? What can I improve? What can I do that makes my life more fun?'" she said. So, for example, if it's around health, 'What exercise could I do every day that's fun?' rather than 'I need to lose 10 pounds!'"
Astor says the new year is also a chance to look at what you succeeded in over the past year.
"Our brain is designed to look at what we've failed at, what we're doing wrong, where things are not going right," she said. "So one thing I think is really useful is to start by going, 'What did I succeed at doing this year?' and then from that, maybe build a resolution."
Astor also says if your resolution is to stop doing something that you consider a bad habit, it's much easier to replace it with something else. Also, if you're not big on setting resolutions or goals for the new year, how about doing it for your birthday? Astor says that's a great time to reassess, and there's not so much pressure around doing it.
For more advice from Dr. Astor, you can read her book, "Force of Habit: Unleash Your Power by Developing Great Habits". Check out her website here.