OPINION: New Year, time to embrace the same fabulous You

As 2023 slips into 2024 it can feel like we are being bombarded with ‘New Year, New You’ advertising campaigns.

From gym membership deals to our social media feeds filling up with online offers on apps claiming to transform our bodies in a matter of weeks, it can really feel like we absolutely must throw ourselves into a new regime of strict diet and fitness goals. 

But there is a reason why it can feel like a big struggle at this time of year, and why such plans can so easily end in failure, leading to negative feelings about oneself. 

The calendar new year has no bearing whatsoever on our body clock which is more tuned into the natural rhythm of the seasons. We are still in the depths of winter, a time when our bodies want us to conserve energy and to eat to stay warm. 

New Year New You plans work really well for some people, and if it gives you that extra bit of motivation to go to the gym and focus on healthy eating, great!

It is the people for whom it doesn’t work that it can be a problem, and that sense of feeling under pressure due to being surrounded by new year goals can be very detrimental to our emotional well being. 

And of course, money is a big issue too. For so many people, January is one of the hardest times of year financially. A special offer of gym membership of as little as €100 is so unattainable at this time of year that it may as well be €1 million for a lot of us. Again, these offers are a great motivator for some people, but can lead to despondency for many others. 

I’m not suggesting that we should all stay home and vegetate. I’m just asking you to not be hard on yourself if a so-called ‘new you’ plan isn’t working. If it doesn’t feel like the right time to launch into something new, that’s perfectly fine. And being happy with the ‘same old you’ is also perfectly fine.

Chances are, when spring comes around you will feel much more motivated, and that is totally in keeping with nature. Maybe our local gyms could look at a ‘Spring Into Action’ offer in a few months time?

In the meantime, we can all find ways to carry out small but consistent improvements to our health and to get out and about in nature that little bit more. 

January is well recognised as a month when we need to really mind our mental health. We are blessed with so many fabulous beaches, woodland walks, cycleways and waterways here in Donegal that really are good for body and soul. Let’s get out and enjoy them for what they are, without being weighed down by a sense of obligation.

It may still feel cold and dark, but we have turned the corner on winter and the days are getting gradually longer. 

There are brighter times ahead. Look forward, gently.