Breaking in the New Year
New Years Resolution:
The infamous new years resolution is upon us and while many enter January full of sprite and optimism for the year ahead, it is easy to become discouraged and renege on your commitments to yourself.
Fitness:
There’s no disputing the importance of daily movement. Countless scientific studies reference the benefit of exercise for mental and physical wellbeing. When your days are busy and the grind of routine gets overwhelming, working out can be the last thing we feel like doing. So, if getting fit is a priority for you, sign up to a fun program with a friend. When you commit alongside other people it substantially increases the likelihood of you maintaining the habit, while nurturing your social life!
Mental Health:
Committing to prioritising your mental health is without a doubt one of the most important resolutions you can make. Your mentality determines your reality, so if you’ve been struggling in this area of your life, which all of us do at some stage, then take the new year as an opportunity to set in place strategies. Building and sticking to a routine is a great way of establishing stability and making the challenges of the working week feel achievable. Planning ahead, getting fresh air, catching up for a coffee with a friend, sitting in the sunshine reading a book are all excellent methods to help you relax and reset. Write down what alleviates the pressures of your work or lifestyle and make a promise to yourself that you will integrate these into your routine.
Kindness & Forgiveness:
“Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain but it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving” Dale Carnegie. Being a kind and self-aware person does not only benefit those around you but will also make you happier and more fulfilled within yourself. Consider kindness in the sense of how you interact with yourself (internal talk) as well as others. Commit to viewing things with a softer lens and be generous in forgiving others when they fall short. One way of holding yourself accountable for your interactions with others is to keep a diary and write down feelings and experiences, successful or not, to reflect on how you dealt with challenging situations and recognise how you would improve on these in the future. Ultimately, being kind and forgiving makes for a better world for all to live in, where we value inclusion and people are safe to make mistakes and try again tomorrow. This is your year, breathe in the opportunity of an entirely new way of thinking. Embrace the decade with open arms and remember to be kind to yourself and others.
