Stacey Solomon reveals her New Year's resolution to stop 'worrying about what others think'
The end of 2023 is nigh. While most people only come up with their New Year resolutions after Christmas, Stacey Solomon has already shared what she plans to do more of in 2024.
The Sort Your Life Out host, 34, reflected on her priorities for the year ahead in her recent Instagram Stories. In a lengthy caption posted under a Story titled “A Productive Tuesday”, Solomon said she has finished all her administrative tasks and gotten her office cleaned out and ready for next year.
“I can honestly say I’m so excited for next year. I’m calling it the f*** it year,” she revealed in the caption. “Because I think the last couple of years I’ve worried a little too much about what others think and it has held me back.
“I’m not doing that next year. I’m going to do a massive January sort-out through the house and through my brain. And then just start being a little more unapologetically me and maybe throw myself into some things that scare me but also could be super exciting.”
The mum-of-five continued: “No pressure though, because who needs that? Looks like we’re all in this together and I’m excited. Let’s get sorted together and then just go for it this year.
“You deserve it and you can be 100% who you want to be. I feel like if we have each other’s backs it will be even better,” Solomon told her fans.
Watch: Stacey Solomon shares glimpse of her garden wedding at home in Essex
The former X-Factor winner’s go-getter attitude to the new year will undoubtedly inspire fans to be more daring and less self-conscious about how others perceive them. But it can sometimes be hard to shed the feeling of being judged and to stop caring so much about what others think.
The impact of worrying too much about what others think
Everyone deals with self-esteem issues differently, but some of us are more conscious about how we’re perceived by others - whether it’s friends and family or total strangers.
A 2019 survey by YouGov found that overall, a third (33%) of Britons are not bothered by what other people think of them. However, among those who were, women were significantly more likely (70%) to emphasise the importance of what their family and friends think of them, compared to 56% of men.
Younger women are also much more likely to worry about what others think of them, with 27% of 16 to 24-year-old women admitting they were very bothered by the opinions of others around them - this figure was significantly higher than any other age or gender group surveyed.
Being overly concerned with what other people think can be “detrimental to our growth and mental wellbeing”, says Danielle Barton, certified life coach and therapist. This is because it “encourages us to be inauthentic to ourselves”.
“Sometimes, we worry that people will react negatively, which inhibits us from expressing ourselves, though often the actual outcome isn’t as bad as we fear,” she explains. “There's a saying that goes, ‘If everyone likes you, then there's a problem’, suggesting that universal approval usually indicates a complete lack of boundaries.
“Establishing healthy boundaries helps to repel those who might abuse them, which is beneficial for our wellbeing.”
How to care less about others’ opinions
As the YouGov survey suggests, the anxiety that comes with being too bothered about what others think of us peaks when we are younger and more self-conscious. If it’s any consolation, it seems that this wanes with age.
A 2021 poll suggests that Britons start feeling more comfortable in their own skin when they turn 42, and finally stop worrying about others’ opinions at the age of 46.
Baron has also noticed this pattern in her own life. “Throughout my life, I have always been less conscious of what people think, and this is even more true now that I am older,” she reflects. “I find it helpful to realise that people are mostly concerned with their own lives and don't pay much attention to what you do unless they are inspired or jealous.
“At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter. Being aware that life is short also helps. One of the biggest regrets people have on their deathbed is that they should have cared less about what others think, and this is indeed true. Why live according to someone else’s dreams and not your own?”
She adds that, while you can listen to advice from others, you shouldn’t let it “inhibit your final decision”. “The more confident you become, the easier it is to adopt a ‘f*** it’ attitude.”
Read more about New Year's resolutions:
Why you should actually start your New Year's resolutions in December (Yahoo Life UK, 4-min read)
New Year's resolutions you should make based on science — and how to keep them (Business Insider, 7-min read)
Restaurant Resolutions You Should Make in 2024 (Food & Wine, 4-min read)
