LIFESTYLE: NAVIGATING NEW YEAR ANXIETY: TIPS FOR A FRESH START.

By Ausi Tosin

“2024 No gree for anybody” but please gree for change this new year. The motto of the Nigerian youth towards the New Year encourages assertiveness, resilience, and non-compromise of their values in 2024. Towards the end of 2023, the plague of anonymous links flooded youth’s statuses, DM’s, and even class group chats. Various people sought “feedback” from family, friends, and classmates on the concluding year—while some received insults, praises, and showers of hatred or love, they nonetheless got feedback.

The start of a new year often feels like a fresh start, a blank slate, and is often met with resolutions. It’s all about reflecting on the past year and thinking about what we want to achieve in the coming year and various improvements we can make in our lives. The tradition of making New Year’s resolutions has been around for thousands of years, but it hasn’t always looked the way it does today.

New Year resolutions can be a great way to set goals and make positive changes in our lives. There are different types of people and their resolutions. What category do you fall into?

1. The go-getter: These folks thrive on setting ambitious goals and taking steps to systematically achieve them. Their resolutions might involve attaining a 4.0 GPA in the new semester, achieving a distinction in a particular course, learning a new language, or starting a business. They are detail-oriented, disciplined, and understand the importance of setting structures and celebrating milestones along the way.
2. The Visionary: Their resolutions are fueled by passion and expression and are frequently centered on artistic or intellectual endeavors. They might vow to write a book, read 52 books within the year, take online courses in a field of interest, or master a musical instrument. Their imagination and love of discovery and understanding drive them on.
3. The community change agent: These people have a strong desire and inherent ability to better their community and the world around them. Their desire could be to lead a community project, contest for a student leadership post, volunteer for a cause, or promote social change. They are able to easily build rapport with people, motivate them, and derive satisfaction from having a positive influence.
4. The Fit-Fam members: These people may have had this resolution every New Year, but this is the year they are dedicating to attaining optimum fitness and health. Their resolutions revolve around adopting healthy habits, as they prioritize physical and mental well-being. They might commit to quitting unhealthy snacking, eliminating soda (carbonated beverages) or refined carbohydrates from their diets, quitting smoking and alcoholic beverages, adopting new workout routines, or improving their quality of sleep hygiene. Their main focus is on self-care, mindful living, and sustainable wellness practices.
5. The Hustlers: This group of people is determined to overcome financial constraints in the New Year and experience financial freedom. Their goal is to either save more, be more prudent in spending, make worthwhile investments, or do all three.
6. The “New Year, New Me” tribe: Every New Year, this group of people declares change and improvements but somehow abandons their resolutions by February and carries on with their old ways. More like “New Year, Same You.” You do not want to be in this category. Trust me.

While the New Year is a time of excitement and hope, it also brings along its own unique set of challenges that have the potential to trigger anxiety in young people today. Some challenges include academic and social pressures, financial concerns, a crippling fear of the unknown or feeling lost, and the fear of criticism or judgment from peers. While such feelings are valid, it is important to remember that everyone experiences these challenges differently, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. However, there are some steps you can take to prevent burnout, anxiety, and depression in the New Year.

8 Tips on How to Be Productive This New Year.

1. Set SMART goals: There is a difference between goals and dreams. Dreams are something you create in your mind that can take any shape or form, while goals are based on taking action. With goals, a lot of focus and attention are needed. Dreams, on the other hand, don’t need that kind of focus. You can sit for hours and dream without doing a single thing about it. Your goals should be SMART—specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound.
2. Devise a strategy: Create a detailed blueprint for how you plan to attain your set goals for the New Year. Map out plans for all eventualities and propose solutions. Be open to unlearning, learning, or relearning. The Boy Scouts motto “Be prepared!” encapsulates the core values of strategizing: readiness, resourcefulness, self-reliance, and proactivity.
3. Divide the year into quarters and set goals for each quarter: Better still, divide and conquer. That is, a set of four 3-month divisions of a year: Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4. Or, as a student, when dealing with academics, you can divide your year according to semesters and set specific goals for each semester. This allows you to be more accountable to yourself and effectively evaluate your outcomes after every semester or quarter.
4. Intentionally develop healthy habits: Adoption of healthy habits goes a long way in helping you achieve your goals and prevent anxiety. Making not-so-little changes like waking up early, not skipping breakfast, setting up a to-do list for every day, and drinking water.
5. Prioritize self-care: Make sure to take care of yourself by getting enough sleep, having a support system, eating well-balanced meals, and engaging in activities that bring you joy and relaxation. Prioritizing self-care helps to keep anxiety triggers at bay and improve the overall quality of life.
6. Embrace the power of prioritizing. Not all tasks are created equal. Learn to say no to non-essential activities and prioritize those that truly matter by differentiating between urgent and important tasks.
7. Embrace flexibility and adjustment: Accept change instead of resisting it; try to embrace it as an opportunity for growth and learning. Be adaptable and willing to adjust your plans when necessary.
8. Practice self-compassion: Be kind to yourself and acknowledge that everyone experiences anxiety sometimes. Don’t beat yourself up over setbacks or perceived failures. Focus on progress and learning from your experiences.

The New Year definitely brings along with it a sense of new beginnings and opportunities. If at any point you lose track of your goals, just breathe, re-strategize, and re-implement your plan. You do not have to wait till the next New Year to get yourself back on track, as time in itself is just a construct. I wish you the very best in 2024.