What does the word ‘strong’ mean to you?

A new survey from Fitbit has found that strength today is about so much more than physical ability.

Nearly half of Irish people surveyed believe strength is a combination of mental and physical wellness, with 74% saying a good night’s rest helps them feel strong, exercise coming second at 57% and goal setting coming in third at 32%.

Fitbit survey Irish people for their What’s Strong With You campaign, with the hopes of crowdsourcing definitions of ‘strong’ from people across Ireland. Their survey found that nearly 8 in 10 Irish respondents (75%) believe the definition of ‘strong’ in the dictionary needs to be updated, with 37% believing strength to be the ability to deal with the stresses and challenges that life can present.

“Being strong comes in many guises be it physical, mental or emotional,” says Lucy Sheehan, Head of Marketing UK and Ireland at Fitbit. “Strength is all-encompassing and this should be reflected in all meanings of the word ‘strong’.”

So before you berate yourself for not following a gruelling exercise regime like you promised you would this January, maybe give yourself a break, and a good night’s sleep. Emotional, spiritual and mental strength is as important, and you’ll never achieve that if you’re beating yourself up over the imaginary goals you set two weeks ago. Make self-compassion your new 2022 resolution – you’ll never reach your goals if you sabotage yourself with negativity before you’ve even begun.