Best New Year’s Resolutions for Caregivers

Updated and edited for 2023

Here we go! Last year is finally over and we are faced with all the possibilities of a new one. We can hit the restart button and change our lives and how we live them. This is the year we are finally going to get it all right, dump what we don’t need, and fix all the broken parts. Even though we have been exhausted by all the challenges 2023 forced us to face, we still feel the need to make New Year’s resolutions and feel hopeful about the possibilities of change.

When it comes to making New Year’s Resolutions. I think we all start out with the best intentions ever. However, it’s really hard to change everything at once. So much change is truly difficult. We get partially there, lose the momentum, or just get sidetracked or discouraged. Instead of trying to make major changes, I suggest trying to make a more gentle shift in our lives. Here are some things for Caregivers and all of us to consider when starting the New Year.

1. Review last year

Don’t be so fast to throw out last year. Some great stuff got accomplished and we survived some really tough challenges. Write that good stuff down and celebrate it. Use it as a guidepost for meeting new goals. What worked for us to get all that good stuff done and help us face our challenges? What formulas and strategies do we need to keep and use in the New Year?

As for the things that got in our way or we aren’t pleased with, can we be honest and kind to ourselves about them and see if we learned anything along the way? Surely we came away much wiser from any bad stuff. Hold onto that wisdom and be grateful for it. It will serve us well in similar, future situations.

2. Forget the big changes

Trying to completely change our lives in a big dramatic way sets us up for failure. Life doesn’t work that way. Small changes made a step at a time have a much higher rate of success. Instead of trying to lose 50 pounds, cut out all sugar, begin a rigorous exercise campaign, become a saint of mercy and kindness, and have the best self-care routine in the world, we could try eating a little better every day until it becomes easier, cutting back on sugar a bit in the beginning, being a little more patient when we can and adding one new self-care routine a week or even a month. Make change manageable. Progress, not perfection.

3. Include Self-care

We so often desire to be thinner, richer, better when we approach the new year. However, we mustn’t forget to include more self-care, love, and awareness in our list of resolutions. Being kinder to ourselves may not seem as glamorous or as important as making major life overhauls but we can actually change our lives in significant ways when we improve the way we treat ourselves. Putting self-care at the top of the list in the upcoming year can make all the difference to our health and well-being. When we promise to keep self-love and kindness as priorities, we are setting ourselves up to lead happier, healthier lives. All the rest seems to fall into place after that. Little self care changes become habits and these habits can add up to make a major impact.

4. East Does It

We are all living in a new normal. And so many of us have faced changes in our lives this past year that are unbearable. Turning the page in our calendar will not automatically set everything right or take away the pain or sadness. We must be so gentle with ourselves and those around us. The grace under fire we have been able to find and have seen in others will continue to serve us. We need to heal our hearts and souls and continue to rest when we can. Perhaps we can resolve to simply pause and breathe and not worry so much about changing or fixing or adjusting or doing anything faster or better. Maybe we can just try to regroup by taking it easy on ourselves and our expectations. It may truly serve us to start this year off by taking the time to settle in a bit and allow the healing to begin.

I hope you find these thoughts helpful. I truly wish that this New Year brings joy, peace, and serenity. I am so grateful for all the new friends and families I have met this past year and all the love and support I’ve received. Many thanks to all the Caregiver Warriors out there for all you do. You have shown grace and courage above and beyond anything I have ever seen. I am in awe. I look forward to sharing this new, exciting upcoming year with you and send you much love!

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