We have all heard the 'resolution' word being thrown around, for our New Year's focus and sometimes, this concept reminds us of the things that we no longer wish to do or stuff that no longer serves us.
So with your New Year's resolution this year, do more of what is good for you and less of what is not.
Let's review a few ways to be kind to yourself and in turn, start your day and year on the right footing:
- Go to therapy: Yes – this is a great idea! We check our bloods, heart and blood pressure regularly, but what about your mind? Some of your health issues could be resolved or certainly, understood more clearly with a good therapy session. We even get our cars serviced regularly so don’t let ‘you’ down by overlooking your ‘CPU’, which is your mind!
- Start Journaling: Getting things on paper has a cathartic release effect. Just the act of using your hand, thinking of what you wish to write down and then putting on paper is a way of letting it go…removing from the mind and giving some relief from that pressure.
- Practice Mindfulness: Do you know how to be present? When your children talk to you, put the phone away, stop looking at the TV. Listen with the intent to understand. So often we are doing multiple things at once and we overlook just being in the moment. Try it – when you next have a cup of coffee, do it peacefully – sitting quietly without the disruption of anything el,no phone, TV, no housework!!
- Get enough sleep: This is a real kicker – sleep deprivation is one of the most common contributors to many ailments, including poor mental health. It can also impact other aspects of our health and we all know how we feel after a terrible night’s sleep – we become short tempered! Now that can’t be good for you!
- Exercise regularly: If you don’t move it, you lose it! We were created with two legs, move them! We were not designed to sit and do nothing, keep the blood flowing through your body and grab as much fresh air as you can. This is not new to any of us so just a gentle reminder.
- Eat a healthy diet: Common sense, right? Prepackaged foods have preservatives and additives to keep them on the shelf, so the nutritional value has mostly disappeared. But fruit, vegetables, and proteins such as fish, chicken or meat, now hats good for you. Buy food that looks like its natural self! And portion control - no sense having healthy food if you overdo it, so be mindful!
- Practice gratitude: We are seeing more ‘gratitude’ sentiments on social media, and it is somewhat overwhelming. To be grateful is to find contentment in your own life. Not look at the material stuff and think to yourself ‘I am so lucky’, no, find that peace within yourself, the goals you set, the achievements you make, the letting go of stuff and pat yourself on the back. Show gratitude in you, the progress you have made and being ok with you.
- Seek social support: We are meant to be around people, we are not meant to be isolated. Find those connections that make you feel good, that are mutually beneficial and give you a sense of being. Find your tribe!
- Manage stress: Stress comes in all shapes and sizes and one person's stress may not be another person’s stress. So, own it. If rushing home from work and having to put a meal on the table stresses you, find a solution. Pre make meals or ask your partner to support, don’t dig down and keep at it, as this will cause stress, affect you in other ways such as your mood and can inflict resentment, none of those outcome are worth it - believe me!
- Make the ordinary, extraordinary: Little things like setting the dinner table with your best linen, cutlery and crockery - embrace the mealtime as a way of celebrating putting healthy and nutritional food into your body. The message is, embrace all you do, even making your bed and do it with purpose and a sense of achievement. Small steps to feeling good about yourself and in turn this makes the day so much brighter.
- Take a walk in nature: My absolute favourite pastime and the beach is my go to. The crashing of the waves, the movement of the water, the smell of the fresh salt air - it all reminds me of how life can come and go, how 'stuff' can wash away and all that remains is how we feel, at that moment in time. Make better choices in your life that work for you.
