Happy New Year! More than any other day, New Year’s Day is psychologically important and significant to people throughout the world.  It makes the attainment of happiness more real and possible, and often includes a feast of foods to symbolize health, luck, and prosperity.

According to Trafalgar.com, the first New Year’s Resolutions date back over 4000 years ago to ancient Babylon.  The Babylonians are said to have started the tradition during Akitu, a 12-day New Year celebration.   During the Akitu festival, the ancient Babylonians would plant crops, crown a new king (or pledge their loyalty to the reigning king) and make promises to gods to pay their debts and return any borrower items.  They believed that if they kept their word, the gods would look favorably on them for the year ahead.  If the Babylonians broke their promises, they would fall on the bad side of the gods. 

For us, the New Year is that time of year when we make resolutions that can bring more inner peace and overall well-being.  Simply put, it is the change that you want to get into your lifestyle or habits to lead a better life.  Common New Year’s Resolutions include self-care, such as asking for what you need, setting boundaries, taking a step back and putting yourself first.  How about valuing and saving money? Time literally is money-the time value of money you have now is not the same as it will be years from now and vice versa.  How about surrounding yourself with good people? Healthy and supportive relationships are critical to self-care.  And your home– a living environment can have a significant impact on someone’s life.  One of the most common New Year’s Resolutions is to get enough sleep.  This five-letter word is important for energy, avoiding weight gain, lowering the risk of heart disease, and reducing stress.  

Not only do New Year’s Resolutions impact our life at home, but they also impact our professional lives.  Rather than having self-care be something outside of work, weaving them into your work-life can be very beneficial.  According to calm.com, work is invariably intertwined with our life routines.  We spend roughly a third of our lives at work, so shelving self-care for “later” just won’t cut it anymore.  And, we’re already seeing the result of this, as burnout has become a growing problem.  Self-care alone won’t solve burnout, but having it recognized as a priority within your organization can make a huge difference when it comes to building happier, more sustainable workday routines for you or your employees.

In summary, since we counted down the final seconds into 2022, let’s celebrate our successes in 2021. Let’s have a ‘walking” meeting and not eat lunch at our desk.  Let’s set boundaries around our time and take a minute to log-off and take a deep breath.  Let’s create our own personal self-care plan.  Cheers to a happy, healthy, and successful 2022!