After the stress and chaos of the holiday season, there can be a strong desire that many people experience at the turn of the new year to bring more balance into their lives. However, achieving this balanced mindset can be more challenging than you think. It requires being intentional, setting goals for yourself and making a conscious effort to prioritize your wellness needs. While the demands of the holiday season have subsided, new pressures can take over in the form of work, family and other obligations. If you are not intentional, the same old habits can surface and leave you feeling out of control, overwhelmed and ultimately unhappy. Here are some tips for achieving balance and prioritizing wellness in the new year:
Prioritizing a Balanced Mind and Wellness in the New Year:
- Connect to your personal goals for yourself.
Rather than getting caught up in what everyone else expects from you, focus on what you want to achieve this year. Sometimes it can be helpful to focus on a few different goals for different aspects of your life such as work, family and (physical or emotional) health. Then, explore breaking down these goals into smaller, actionable parts so that you can start to visualize how they can be achievable for you.
- Use this "slow" month to create a self-care routine.
Focus on what aspects of self-care are important to you, and how you can fit them into your current routine. Because January is often a month with limited obligations or distractions, it can be a great time to reset and hold yourself accountable to adopting a new routine. This way, your new routine will already be a habit for you when things start to get busy later in the year.
- Allow yourself to take pauses.
Practice taking mental "pauses" can be a great way to work towards a clear mind. When you notice your brain is going a mile a minute, that is the perfect time to take a "pause", stop what you're doing, and take a few moments to focus on your present experience. This can be done by focusing on your breath, your current sensory experience, or different feelings in your body. Focusing on what is going on for you in the present will help interrupt anxious or stressful thought patterns and allow your mind to take a break from "doing".
