Dr Michelle O'Driscoll: Let go of what holds you back as you step into 2025 

In this reflective period between Christmas and New Year, thoughts often shift from turkey feasts to January sales and New Year’s resolutions.

It’s a natural time to consider how we want to improve our habits and lives as we enter 2025.

When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, we often focus on adding new activities to our lives - like taking up yoga, meditating, spending more time with family, or setting work-related goals.

However, this time can actually be a good opportunity to also think about what you’re going to set down and leave behind in 2024 – what habits, practices and thought patterns are you currently carrying that really don’t serve you or help you to feel as good as you can feel?

When it comes to the toys in our playroom or clothes in our wardrobe, the approach of one in, one out is very effective – if you’re taking on something new, it must be paired with the shedding of something old. The same can be said for our habits.

So, with this in mind, what would be helpful to consider stopping or at least reducing in 2025? What would you benefit from leaving behind? Below are some examples to get you reflecting – which of these do you resonate with? Or is there some thing else that you’re going to ditch this year?

Overthinking – we spend up to 80% of our time in the past or future, rather than being present in our lives as they are right now.

Of course, some of this is necessary, in order to process and learn from previous interactions and to plan ahead.

However, our overthinking can fuel anxiety, sadness and uncertainty.

The patterns of this overthinking can also prove problematic – catastrophic thinking, or all or nothing approaches to situations are just some examples of the ways we might get trapped in unproductive or negative mental loops.

Burn-out – defined by the World Health Organisation as chronic physical, mental, or emotional exhaustion lasting three months or more, burn-out is increasingly common.

This often results from overworking, neglecting breaks, or failing to advocate for our needs.

In 2025, commit to setting boundaries and prioritising rest to prevent burn-out before it starts.

Burn-out is something that you can say no to for the coming year, and putting plans in place sooner rather than later will ensure that it doesn’t feature in your life over the coming months.

Self-criticism – the overthinking that we’ve mentioned previously is in itself exhausting, but the other thought-related thing that we can look to do less of next year is self-criticism.

The inner monologue that we direct towards ourselves can be so harsh, so unforgiving, and sometimes even debilitating.

This is something that, through self-awareness and practice, we can say goodbye to for the coming year, replacing it with a narrative that supports ourselves and our efforts at navigating this messy, challenging life.

Neglecting physical health – this is something that definitely shouldn’t feature in our lives next year.

Instead, prioritising our physical health will ensure longevity, energy, and a mental health boost due to feeling strong and healthy.

Leaving behind the attitude of placing ourselves and our physical health last on the list of importance, and instead giving ourselves the gift of some time for exercise, fuelling our bodies and resting, will all contribute to a better experience overall.

Setting goals and creating new year’s resolutions is a process that generally involves ‘signing up’ to completing something new.

Take this opportunity to shed what’s holding you back, and make space for more beneficial, supportive things in our lives.

As you step into 2025, remember: letting go of what holds you back can be just as powerful as taking on something new.

Make space for the habits and mindsets that uplift you.