2025 is around the corner, and now is as important a time as any to remind everyone that, while you do not need to have any New Year’s Resolutions, it is still important to use these new year milestones to remind yourself that it’s okay to care about yourself and your wellbeing.
One story that we hear often around this time that relates to this is relief when plans are canceled. Many people say, casually, that they are stressed about some upcoming social experience. Suddenly they get a text that the event is canceled, and instead of feeling sad that they won’t see their friends or family, they experience relief that they will not have to attend.
This relief can often lead to guilt. It may even be a source of humor – something that you joke about with others. But it also shows how important it is that we start prioritizing your mental health above all else.
We Have Too Much Going On
Many of us simply have too much going on in our lives at the moment. It’s becoming difficult for us to manage all the tasks we have to do during the week and then, when the weekend comes and so many of us need rest, we agree to plans that we may not even want to attend because we feel like we have some sort of social obligation, or we have a fear of missing out of the event if the rest of our friends go.
It’s normal to feel this way. But it also reflects that we’re often agreeing to activities too easily, before we’ve had an opportunity to get the rest that we desire. We’re saying “yes” to things when we aren’t truly able to enjoy them, and when we haven’t had a good opportunity to care for ourselves and what we need.
Give Yourself Rest Days
Everyone needs rest days. They need time to do nothing but relax and refresh from a long week of work, school, kids, etc. If you’re finding that you’re agreeing to plans when you’re not ready for them, because you haven’t been able to take that time to yourself, then maybe 2025 is the year where you prioritize your rest days.
You can address issues like the fear of missing out or the social obligations by scheduling something else at a time when you think you’ll be ready with the people you’re hoping to see. You can also get more from your rest days by logging off and taking time to truly rest, meditate, and do what you need to do to feel refreshed so that the next social plans you have you can be excited for, rather than worried and stressed that you still have no time to rest.
Then, as long as you’re intentional on your rest day (staying relaxed instead of busy and stressed with other tasks), you’ll find you’ve got far more energy for the next get together and much less stressed about the idea that plans will go through. You may even find you have more energy to be yourself as well.
This year, prioritize your mental health, whether it’s through how you spend your time, therapy, or something else. Contact Flourish Psychology today if you’d like more personalized care, and happy new year!