Psychology Behind New Year’s Resolutions

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – New Year’s Resolutions hold a negative connotation for some people because they can be really tough to carry through.

Genesis Healthcare System General Cardiologist Kunal Shah talked about some of the psychological barriers that make New Year’s Resolutions so difficult to accomplish.

“At the end of the year, you’re ready to restart,” Shah said. “You’re excited there’s a new year, there’s a new beginning and you’re very gung-ho about potentially making a lifestyle change. Sometimes in order to live a healthier lifestyle, you need to figure out, you know, be more intentional and figure out what you’re going to enjoy doing consistently in the long term for it to really stick.” The psychological part of it is probably the biggest issue of all.”

Shah noted that changing to a healthier lifestyle is difficult because you must override years of programmed behaviors and suggested looking for ways to make the healthy lifestyle changes easy, comfortable and fun.

“It’s a slow process,” Shah said. “Not everybody is successful all the time. I mean again it’s baby steps. And I’m right there with them. One of the things I talk to my patients about is how we are on this journey together. And there are going to be some times when things don’t go the way you want it to go. But you shouldn’t consider that a failure, it’s still a step in the right direction. So you can start off very slow. An accountability partner is great if you have a spouse or a friend that’s willing to have… that has the same goals. That’s also very helpful.”

Resolutions take motivation to start and persistence to maintain but your goals can be reached by finding what works best for you, keeping a positive mindset and recognizing the changes you’re making are bigger than the results might appear.