Overcoming a New Year’s Nightmare
January 4, 2019
If you watched any of the New Year’s celebrations or read any of the stories, you’ll know that several famous names made headlines for all the wrong reasons. Tiffany Haddish sparked a debate by apologizing for a stand-up show that rang in the year on a sour note.
Chrissy Teigen angered parents by talking about vaginal steaming on a live broadcast with Carson Daly, just moments after Saturday Night Live’s Leslie Jones poked her in the eye with an umbrella.
Ariana Grande canceled her New Year’s Eve show at the last minute due to bronchitis which was, perhaps, better than trying to pull off a disastrous performance like Mariah Carey did as the clock struck midnight two years ago.
Were your first moments of 2019 a nightmare? Do you wish you could have a do-over? Unfortunately, we can’t go back in time and change things, but we can find a way to move forward. If you’ve been feeling like this new year is already off to a rough start, here’s how to turn things around.
Laugh It Off
We put so much pressure on ourselves to have a perfect, fresh start, but the reality is that life sometimes has other plans for us. Rather than dwell on how awful the whole situation was, choose to laugh about it. Chances are, if you stop taking it so seriously, you can find something funny about it.
When we laugh about things, we’re not diminishing anything that happened. There are plenty of comedies, such as The Truman Show, Crazy Rich Asians or even Blockers, that send powerful messages by showing how funny life can be. Plus, it just feels good to lift some of the heaviness, right?
Reflect on What Happened
There are things, of course, that you can’t giggle about. The ramifications of drinking and driving after a night of partying, enduring a breakup, or being laid off from your job are some examples of things that might be hitting you hard. Don’t run from the experience or what you’re feeling—reflect on it.
What lessons can you take away from what happened? What have you learned about yourself? Instead of wallowing, come up with a plan of action. Dust off your resume and start looking for a more fulfilling job. Put off dating, lick your wounds and then promise yourself you won’t ever settle in a relationship again. If you were reckless on the roads, hold yourself accountable and vow to never get behind the wheel of a car if you’ve been drinking. Turn this awful time into a pivotal moment by using your pain as a catalyst to make the changes you need to make.
Make Amends, If Necessary
Whether you puked on someone’s carpet, blurted out something inappropriate or behaved poorly in some other way, dust off your pride and make things right—the sooner the better. It never feels good to acknowledge that we were in the wrong, but it’s so important for everyone involved.
If you can’t bear to speak to someone face-to-face, send them an email. Keep it short and avoid making excuses for whatever you did. Just take ownership of your actions and show genuine remorse. One way or another, everything will work itself out.
Focus on the Future
We want everything to be spectacular and amazing at the start of a new year, but sometimes it doesn’t work out that way. While our society has made this a huge deal, the reality is that it’s just a day like any other and the transition to a fresh start is merely symbolic. If the beginning of 2019 was rocky for you, don’t sweat it. You’ve still got eleven more months to turn things around and make this year the best one of your life!
