Published:

01/17/2011 02:45pm

Rethink Resolutions the Sequel

The 3rd Monday of January is deemed the most depressing day of the year. Sure, acknowledge the post-holiday let down and the associated weight up. Yeah, any extra money has evaporated and bills keep appearing everyday in the mail. Perhaps work’s gotten back into a grind and winter is plain just a grind with bitter cold, blustery winds, driving rain and even multiple snowfalls. But brace against the tide of depression that may be looming, it doesn’t have to be a self-fulfilling prophecy! Realize what you can change and what you can’t. Decide to react in a more positive way; craft a plan of action to manage your reaction. If the dreary, damp skies have gotten you down brighten up your space—home or work—with some plants or bouquet of flowers. Introduce aromatherapy oils into your day and see how much impact fragrances can have on mood. Add music. The saying “Music soothes the savage beast” reflects the power of music over emotions. There are ways to counter the depression that accompanies the 3rd Monday of January.

So whatever happened to your New Year’s resolutions? Know, if they’ve dissolved, you’re not the only one. A basic physics principle: A body a rest tends to stay at rest can be applied to habits as well. Sir Isaac Newton’s First Law of Physics highlights how difficult change is to implement; unless acted upon by an outside force things remain status quo. Understand this and create your outside force: Come up with a plan…a realistic plan. A realistic plan includes steps to recognize and recover when you deviate or revert to old ways. Maybe it’s as concrete and real as stepping on a scale every morning or maybe a little more subtle in that you’re wearing warm-ups more and jeans less. Perhaps you’ve allowed your latte consumption to creep up to 2 per day rather than 2 per week. If you have a training partner that gets sick, do you go ahead and hit the gym alone or curl up on the couch? Evaluate potential scenarios so you’ll be aware of them if and when they happen. And if any happen, that light bulb inside your head should flick on for an “Ah HA!” moment. Your “ah ha” moment shouldn’t be one of berating, just accepting what is. Review your long term goals (ie., New Year’s resolutions) and why they were set in the first place. Understand the pathway to those goals will be travelled by tacking back and forth until the destination is reached. It’s worth repeating: Do not berate yourself. In fact, do the opposite and congratulate yourself on recognizing the situation and getting back on track, support rather than criticize.

Yoga is diametric by nature; the student seeking a balance between extremes. Two concepts: Abhyasa and vairagya and their equilibrium can assist in bringing a healthy mindset for reaching your goals’ destination. Abhyasa reflects a determined dedication; vairagya an indifference, a detachment. Another way to view these concepts can be: Charging on at all cost versus throwing in the towel at the first hint of difficulty. Neither of these extremes is desirable OR healthy. Striving for the equilibrium or balance leads to an approach that’s manageable and sustainable.

You might feel depressed January 17th but maybe not. Maybe it’s the following Monday or the 2nd Wednesday in February. It doesn’t matter when it happens. All that matters is what you do. Start off the New Year, reTHINK re SOLUTIONS and reSET, reNEW and say, even aloud, reAFFIRMATIONS as the days go by.

Health, Wellness & CURES!!
Karen Whittier