New Year’s Eve - Delight or Dread?

New Year’s Eve - Delight or Dread?

15th December 2021 09:53 AM

Author: Richard Smith

If you noticed the title of this article and were drawn to reading it, the chances are a chord was struck somewhere inside you…

Knowing that there is no right or wrong way to feel about a situation can be a useful starting point; observing what it is that you feel, and paying attention to what that means, might even be helpful.  There is no obligation to be drawn into other people’s expectations around New Year. There is often a temptation to use a New Year as a chance to introduce change; make a promise to yourself that may or may not be realistic or achievable.  As someone who works with people on making changes, it can often be a very positive experience.  But I would say that it needs to be time-dependent, not date-dependent.  By all means, reflect on the last year of your life if that’s helpful, but try not to turn it into a stick with which to beat yourself!

If you were to try to predict how you are going to feel on the 31st December 2022 or even on the 1st January 2023, what would you use to do this? Memories from last year, or from your past? Or, do you create the perfect evening in your mind, only to be disappointed if it doesn’t happen?  Perhaps there is a feeling of dread; having to stay up later than you would normally, being with people that you wouldn’t choose to spend time with.  Or anxious feelings about being in a busy or crowded place at the moment.

Anticipation and anxiety can often be very similar emotions; I will often get my clients to 'reframe' anxious feelings as anticipation to see what changes - maybe there is an element of fear, but could it perhaps be excitement or trepidation? Our brains have a habit of trying to predict the future, but this is often based on the past and they won’t always get it right! Being able to rationalise and identify what you are feeling, and why, is a helpful skill, but is rarely possible if you are in a heightened emotional state. Consider some slow breathing to calm your nervous system, and then write down what it is that you are currently thinking or feeling. What is the alternative viewpoint? What would you say to your best friend if they were feeling this? What is a kinder way to look at the way you feel? You will still be the same person on New Year’s Day as you were on New Year’s Eve - just another day older and wiser…

Talk Therapist: Richard Smith is a former teacher who now works in talking therapy, helping children, young people and adults to understand and manage their mental health and wellbeing.

Richard uses a range of therapies which include Clinical Hypnotherapy, Counselling, and EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique). For more information, please see Richard's website: www.mindhealth.works

Richard is available at the Bridge Centre – Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

FREE consultations are available prior to booking a full price appointment.

For more information or to book a FREE consultation, call the Bridge Team on 01332 521 270

Tags: counselling, EFT, emotional freedom technique, Hypnotherapy, New Year

Treatments: Counselling, Hypnotherapy

Practitioners: Richard Smith

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The views expressed in these blogs are those of the blog authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Bridge Centre for Natural Health.