By Anne Peters, LMFT

Hi, everyone! How are we already landing in June? Time flies. Did anyone else find themselves just simply acting on survival techniques over the last several months while we handled the COVID-19 pandemic? As gyms closed, groceries were ordered online, spas and libraries were closed, and we were encouraged to just stay home, I found myself falling back on some bad habits and old ways. The motivation to start a new challenge just was not there as we were in the midst of a difficult time. Here we are, several months later, and we have the opportunity to start fresh and really dive into these new challenges.

It feels almost like a New Year’s Resolution, but different. According to research, only 8% of people keep their New Year’s resolutions past a month. This unique time we are in now gives us the opportunity to reflect on the last several months of our life to determine what is important to us. We are able to experience this self-reflection in the most organic way possible. We had no choice but to halt life in a lot of ways. What did you miss the most during this time? What did you discover is important to you? What do you want your life to look like moving forward?

A coworker shared with me that her “COVID habit” that she is going to work on quitting is eating so many frozen pizzas! What COVID habit might you break? Maybe you’ll reduce online shopping, get some more steps in, get some more sleep, or eat some fruits and vegetables. Whatever it is, make it attainable and beneficial to you.

The most important part of taking on a new challenge or kicking a bad habit is to be realistic and allow yourself to make mistakes. We are humans, and we are not perfect. Acknowledge and celebrate any success, and forgive any mistakes. You can do this!