Does anyone still make New Year’s resolutions anymore or is just ingrained in our psyche that we need to do something new to mark the passing of one year into another?
Unfortunately our good intentions are often made in the heat of the moment and we opt for setting big goals which ultimately set us up to fail.
Rather than trying to make big changes, maybe we should consider making some gentle promises to ourselves instead with a more positive focus on how these changes can actually be converted into longer term habits.
Are there some things that you used to enjoy doing but have just let them go? With the stresses of 2020 it really was enough for many of us to keep body and soul together but can you revisit some of those habits again?
Perhaps you tried practising mindfulness when you could leave ‘life’ behind for a few minutes and just got out of the routine of doing it – try starting again for just a few minutes a day.
Did you used to go to the gym or attend exercise classes and were forced to abandon them? There lots of apps to download but choose something you enjoy doing and start with that.
The weather hasn’t been great and it’s not always inviting to go out in the cold but even a stroll up and down the road or around the block gets your body moving and gives your mind a bit of time to wander ….
If you are now having to work online a really good habit is to make sure you take a short break every 45 minutes or so to get up and walk around, perhaps take a few stretches – each time exercising a different part of your body. See the ChiroMoves app here: https://www.lucksyardclinic.com/chiromoves-lucks-yard-chiropractic-app/
If you’re eating habits have taken a nosedive into comfort foods – set yourself the goal to make sure you get your 5 a day and replace biscuits/treats with a few nuts and piece of fruit.
To help to keep your intentions why not write a note to remind you why you made that promise to yourself and to help you stick to it if you are having a wobble or an ‘off’ day.
One of the most important intentions – and this has been a theme of our 2020 blogs – is to be kind to yourself and others. We all have huge hopes for the promise of getting back to a more normal lifestyle in 2021 but the reality is that there is still some way to go.
So let’s take a big, deep, collective breath and promise ourselves that a SMALL INTENTION is as good as a BIG RESOLUTION.
Good luck and happy, healthy, peaceful New Year
