People who paused aspiring towards their long-term goals during the pandemic were better able to avoid anxiety and depression and had improved mental health, a new study has revealed.
Researchers found that COVID-frozen goals – goals for which progress is disrupted due to the pandemic – were associated with poor wellbeing; the greater number of them people had, the greater psychological distress they experienced, such as experiencing stress, depressive symptoms and anxiety.
“Typically, when we think about how to increase goal success and wellbeing, we focus on how to be more committed and more engaged with our goals,” said Dr Abigail Scholer, a professor in at the University of Waterloo and Canada Research Chair in Motivated Social Cognition.
“Our research highlights that being able to let go of goals, particularly during COVID, is actually a critical part of staying mentally healthy.”
In the study, 226 participants were assessed around the relationship between psychological wellbeing and goal pursuit. Participants reported on their psychological distress and life satisfaction and were asked questions about normally progressing goals as well as COVID-frozen goals.
As well as establishing that COVID-frozen goals can be detrimental psychologically, the researchers also highlighted that the way in which people engage with their goals drastically impacts their wellbeing.
“Goal rumination is compulsive and can aggravate worries and frustrations while also taking away mental resources from other goals,” said lead author Candice Hubley.
“We hope people can apply these findings to their own life by taking the time to assess their goals and engagement with them.”
PhD candidate Hubley adds that disengagement is not an all-or-nothing situation, and sometimes we relinquish one type of engagement but not others.
By quitting unattainable goals and redirecting efforts to alternative goals, individuals are setting themselves up for a healthier relationship with their goals and better psychological wellbeing.
The researchers plan to build on these findings and hope their work will aid in future interventions aimed at helping individuals become more flexible in their goal pursuit to improve wellbeing.
