It's 2009! Woo!
Welcome to the future! Check out that dude with the jetpack! And how about those eco-friendly hovercars? Huh? Huh?
Well, okay. Maybe it's not the future with a capital F (although I am holding out some hope that in a year we'll all have dolphins in our living rooms like Roy Scheider did in the film 2010), but it is a fresh start and, after a long look at how 2008 went, many of us are
committing to a fitter, happier 2009.
But this BBC article reckons that making new year's resolutions could be bad for your health.
Paul Farmer, the chief executive of mental health charity Mind, worries that concentrating on our bad points can make us feel so bad about ourselves that we set unrealistic goals and compound our feelings of inadequacy when we don't reach them.
He suggests that we think positively about the coming year, rather than negatively about the previous one, and try to embrace new good habits instead of trying to fix existing bad habits:
- Being active - exercise releases endorphins and even a gentle stroll is beneficial for mental well-being
- Going green - evidence has shown that connecting with nature can boost moods
- Learn something new - it will keep minds stimulated and give confidence
- Give back to the community - it can be just as rewarding for you as those you choose to help
Personally I don't believe in New Year's resolutions - I don't see the point of pledging abstinence bang in the middle of a season devoted to excess. Although I am aiming to be more mindful in 2009, so I can learn from my successes and failures as they happen throughout the year (oh and they will, particularly the failures).
But what about you? Are you making any resolutions this year? Or have you resolved to be irresolute?
Image courtesy of CommandZed's Flickr stream.
