In The Community
Data reveals that a substantial percentage of the population faces obstacles in their attempts to fulfill New Year's resolutions. The pressure to meet high expectations and unrealistic goals can frustrate success rather than propel it forward.
Some reasons include adopting extreme all-or-nothing behavior, lack of accountability, and setting immeasurable goals. Tackling these challenges involves cultivating a compassionate introspection within ourselves.
Questions like: What moments brought me happiness last year? Or, how can I cultivate my emotional well-being this year? These types of questions can guide this introspection and also remind you that a new year doesn’t necessarily have to mean a new you. You could find that you’re perfectly happy with the 2024 version of you, and one arbitrary date change doesn’t mean anything has to fundamentally change.
But for many others, this largely symbolic date change often serves as an opportunity to revisit this introspection and take action if and when you feel it’ll best serve you.
If you’re someone who feels like the start of the new year can kick-start some new habits, use the tips below to help guide your New Year’s resolutions.
But also remember that change can happen any day - not just on the eve of the new year:
Mindful Progress:
Make it a priority to anticipate challenges and recognize the gradual process of progress. Set realistic goals that are on your timeline and no one else’s. Setting unrealistic goals is a sure-fire way to set yourself up for inevitable failure. The key here is to be proactively mindful that progress is progress, whether fast or slow.
Proactive Approach:
Being proactive is an extension of being mindful. Staying intentional and embracing flexibility in your schedule will help you avoid comparing yourself to others. Set small, gradual goals to maintain a proactive and productive approach to the process. Doing this will help you avoid placing unnecessary and unrealistic expectations on yourself. We have enough to deal with when others place unreasonable expectations on us - there’s no reason to do it to yourself, too.
Progress Support:
Change is a gradual process that can become discouraging when it feels like we’re not moving forward. During times like these, it’s helpful to have someone who can add some additional encouragement and accountability. Consider recruiting a support partner who can add these elements when the inevitable challenging moments arise.
Journaling your emotions regarding progress, goals, and challenges can also offer valuable insights.
Self-Kindness Reset:
Be kind to yourself, stay flexible, and find joy in activities. If you miss your goals this month, take a quick breather and approach them with a fresh set of eyes next time. Redirect the focus from goals affecting your mental well-being to activities bringing genuine happiness.
As we enter the new year, mental health is a necessary element of our journey towards well-being. Whether you’re looking to start new habits, get rid of old ones, or continue on as-is, each step in self-care guides us toward a more balanced and resilient self.
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Get Under a Table
Looking for a relationship is as hard as it gets, and a global pandemic didn’t help. Not to mention our mamás who are constantly asking to see their future daughters and sons in law. So of course Latinos have a cure for that and it’s pretty simple – just get under a table as the clock strikes 12 to get lucky with a future partner.
Sad Happy Hour GIF by MOODMANGiphyWrite on 12 Pieces of Paper the 12 Wishes you Want to Accomplish
Wishful thinking has never been quite as literal as this. In some countries, like Colombia, writing down 12 wishes on a piece of paper and then burning those pieces of paper will make every wish or goal happen
Run Around the Block with a Suitcase
Getting to travel is a dream for us all so this is definitely a popular one. We’re going to do whatever it takes to help make our travel dreams happen even if it means pulling up several suitcases exactly at 12 midnight and running around the block in the freezing cold. Running around the house works too but word has it, the further you run, the more exotic the location and we’re not trying to end up at the local Six Flags, so we’re taking those suitcases as far as they need to go.
Put Lentejas in your Purse or Wallet
We all want more wealth, don’t we? So it’s safe to say that we’ll be stuffing our purse, pockets and anything at hand with lentejas is the way to go. It’s supposed to help with abundance, so if you want to give our bank account a boost, get to stuffing those lentils in there.
Sweep Your House from the Inside Out
Pick up that broom and make sure you sweep everything outside. Besides having a nice and tidy house in the New Year, which is good every day of the year, this ritual will sweep away any bad vibes that are lingering and get that bad luck out of your space and outside where it belongs. Visualize ending up with a nice clean slate with only good vibes left for a solid 2022.
Robin Williams Cleaning GIF by Hollywood SuiteGiphyDo you know any more? Which ones are you doing? We’re doing every single one because 2022 needs all the help it can get. Let us know on Twitter @luzcollective.
From overworked teachers to once again arguing (debating maybe?) about Latino identity, to J Balvin demonstrating not once, but several times, that he refuses to do anything about his anti-Blackness, 2021 had you all (and us) trying to digest all the things.
But let’s not blame the year. After all, it’s the humans who are doing all the things, not the calendar year. And here’s what they did in 2021:
America Prefers Teachers Who Offer Themselves as Tribute. And That Needs to Stop
Luz’s unabashed contributor Myriam Gurba, tackled the over the top expectations that American society places on teachers, expecting them to sacrifice and strain themselves physically and emotionally for the greater good instead of recognizing the hard work they do and treating them as human beings instead of sacrificial martyrs and educational heroes. During a time when so many parents were forced to become teachers themselves through homeschooling, the often horrific treatment of teachers resonated in a viral way.
Dear J Balvin We’re Trying to Enjoy Your Album Pero…
We’re reggaeton fans and generally have been J Balvin fans too, but after Balvin released a video that included scenes of him walking around Black women as dogs, amongst many other troublesome scenes, we had to point out the obvious: J Balvin has anti-Black beliefs that have manifested themselves on more than a few occasions. Listen mi gente, we love it when Latinos are winning, but we also have to hold our own accountable for their behavior. It’s up to the entire Latino community to say no to racism and anti-Blackness in our culture.
9 of the Best Telenovelas of All Time
We. Love. Telenovelas. So of course, we had to pick our favoritas to lay around and binge-watch. Whether it’s a throwback to when you were a kid forced to watch with your family or as an adult who’s still a fan of drool-worthy men and wild no-way-this-is-possible plotlines, the reasons don’t matter. Novelas are a part of our culture and we’re here for it. On to the switched-at-birth-babies and fairytale happy-endings.
3 Reasons to Consider Dual American/Mexican Citizenship and How to do it.
With the state of the affairs in the U.S., packing up our bags and leaving has been pretty tempting for many. We looked at the reasons why Mexico is slowly convincing Mexican-Americans that maybe getting dual citizenship might be a pretty great option, and how to get it done if that’s the case. With endless societal curve-balls, what better time than now to consider dual citizenship?
Latinas Discuss Race, Identity, and the term BIPOC
Latinas are diverse, and identity is always a complicated topic. Tackling Latino complexity deserves more than just published thought pieces. We need to have real conversation, nuanced discussion, and time to figure it all out. Tamarindo Podcast contributed their thoughts on the topic with deep and enriching conversation and you all were here for it. Check it out.
Is Rosalia Taking Advantage of Latinx Culture?
Gone are the days when Latinos were so underrepresented and misunderstood that the community was willing to accept anything it could get. The Latin revolution populated with mostly white European Spaniards is now a thing of the past and Latinos are now demanding representation of their own. So we asked, do Spanish artists like Rosalia still get to lead the mantle for Latinas as a white Spanish artist from Barcelona?
The History of Hoops and What They Mean to Latinas
We’re all about hoops and the way they make us feel when we put them on. But how and why did hoop earrings become a way of making bold statements with the mere presence of them on our ears? Turns out wearing them has a deeper meaning than just being a fashion accessory and it’s no surprise that women of color embody their power in a way that does their history justice.
Labels 101: Hispanic, Latino, Latinx, and More
The decades-old debate about Latino labels reared its ugly head in a big way in 2021. Latinx led the way in proving to be a generational marker of sorts with older people disliking the term, and younger people embracing the inclusive nature of it, though the term remains highly unliked or otherwise unknown with the majority of the U.S. based Latino population. How to categorize over 60 million people with roots from 33 Latin-American countries is no small task but it’s worth knowing where our labels came from so we can have an idea of where we’re going.
Happy 2022, familia!
