A new year. A new school year. A new week. Mental health experts say our brains are naturally drawn to fresh starts, wired to find motivation in new beginnings.

These moments act like a psychological reset button, nudging us toward self-reflection, habit-building and behaviour change. Yet despite making resolutions year after year, many of us struggle to stick with them. Why do we keep coming back for more?

Here’s why we crave resolutions and how to harness them in a way that actually boosts productivity and keeps momentum going, helping you feel more accomplished all year long.

Why Our Brain Is Drawn To Making Resolutions

Though the start of a new year has long been tied to making resolutions, there’s more behind the tradition than just cultural habit.

“For many, fresh starts feel hopeful,” said Jennifer Birdsall, a board-certified, licensed clinical psychologist and chief clinical officer at ComPsych. “Psychologically, they allow people to release the baggage of past experiences, including failures, and set forth on goals with renewed energy and optimism.”

This ties into what psychologists call the fresh start effect. When a clear milestone, like a new year, a birthday or the start of a new semester, gives us the sense of turning the page, it helps us mentally separate our past self from our future self, motivating us to break old habits and approach change with a bit of extra momentum.

Resolutions can also give your brain a boost. There are actually psychological benefits to making goals, even if you don’t follow through on them. Simply setting resolutions can help you feel a greater sense of control.

“This is especially important right now given how much uncertainty people experience in today’s volatile social, political and economic climate,” Birdsall said.

Alivia Hall, a licensed clinical social worker and clinical director at LiteMinded Therapy, noted that just picturing a future version of........

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