Why New Year, New Me Isn't Always Good For You
It’s the new year and whilst I am happy to be in 2023, I am not happy about the unnecessary pressure that the new year can bring. You all know what I mean - it’s the endless diet plans, workout guides, girl boss ebooks and self help bullshit that we are bombarded with. After years, I am really sick of the incessant “new year, new me” rhetoric that is designed to knock our self-esteem in order for us to become vulnerable to whatever it is we are being sold.
It is not necessarily the products that annoy me, it is the way these type of businesses use the new year in order to convince people that they need their product to be a better version of themselves. However what we are missing is that self development doesn’t come from a product, but within ourselves. What we really need to be doing instead of buying unnecessary things is telling ourselves is we are already enough - we are already worthy. And just because you may not be slimmer, stronger, smarter or more skilled at something than someone else it doesn’t mean that you need to change to be better. You’re already better than you can imagine. I think we could all learn to be a bit kinder and gentler towards ourselves. After all, you’ve carried yourself through life up until this point and we should be proud of the things we’ve overcome along the way.
That’s why this year I am not partaking in any kind of reinvention of myself. I am going to take the time to love the person I am right now because “future me” would always want me to regardless of how much I’ve changed or am going to change. I am not going to put any pressure on myself to be a certain way or accomplish a certain goal by a certain date. I already have daily pressures from my life which I cannot control so why punish myself with even more? We all know this can lead to burn out and feeling overwhelmed which is never good for anyone’s mental health.
Additionally it’s still winter. Physically, mentally and spiritually I believe winter is not meant to be sped through with massive amounts of energy. Winter is not a time for change and to take the world by storm. Just look at the world around us in the northern hemisphere right now. Animals are in hibernation, flora and fauna are in a sleeping state and the nights are longer than our days. Instead, take this time to rest, relax and and most importantly take the pressure off yourself.