NEW YEAR, NO NEED FOR A NEW YOU!

So the calendar pages have ticked over from 2021 to 2022, but for a lot of us, we haven’t entered the new year with the usual surge of motivation. We are all still living through a pandemic, coming to grips with constant changes in our communities and for some countries, including Australia, Covid cases are at their worst. 2022 kind of feels like the extended finale of 2021, not a fresh new start. So how do you approach a new year with kindness and consideration for yourself and your mental health? And without the need to set ridiculous goals that just make you feel bad? We’ve gathered some of our best tips you can use as a guide.

1. DO WHAT YOU LOVE

Instead of making lavish resolutions, why not make promises to yourself to nurture your soul. It is time to do more of what you love! I saw someone share a post the other day on if you are constantly feeling exhausted, drained and even depressed, it is important to check in with yourself and see if you have been filling your cup with things that bring you joy. It is funny, on a number of occasions people have asked me what I like doing in my spare time, and if I have any hobbies? This question actually flaws me. Firstly, I don’t feel I have much spare time these days and secondly most of my time around work is spent just being a Mum. BUT, the reality is, we can all make time for the important things, so this year I am starting out writing a list of the things I enjoy doing, smaller and bigger, so the smaller things I can weed into almost every day and the bigger things maybe once a fortnight or month.

 2. FOCUS ON THE FUNDAMENTALS

We’ve heard it before and I know the fundamentals well, but gosh do they often get neglected the minute I am busy. I am talking about staying hydrated, nourishing your body and getting enough sleep. Doing these things regularly can have the biggest impact on your mood, focus and health. Neglect one and it throws the others out of whack. We’ve all been there, missing sleep and you suddenly are craving caffeine and sweet food all day to get you through, which again makes you feel sluggish when you crash. Dehydrated? You feel totally sluggish and have serious brain fog. Make these three things an everyday focus, and everything else will be much easier.

 3. LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

You may already know that in Queensland the start to the school year has been pushed out by two weeks. I guess I am really lucky as working from home allows me to be more flexible, but working from home with kids is a juggle and can often be stressful and see you working early mornings and late nights. BUT, I am choosing to look at this little change as an opportunity to spend more time with my big grade 1 girl, giving us greater opportunities to do things together, and who knows even get away for a few days as a family! Plus more sleep-ins, and less early starts packing school lunches are always a good thing. I guess the moral of this is that most times you can always find a bright side if you step outside and look at it from another angle!

4. LESS IS MORE

I don’t know about you but I am feeling seriously overwhelmed here in Australia by the news and everything on social media. Vaccination opinions, businesses closing, mandates, Covid cases, struggles to find RAT tests, complaining and negativity, friends arguing about Covid etc. It is all getting a bit too much. One focus for me to help myself feel less overwhelmed, and let's be honest, reducing time wasted on things that don’t really matter, is reducing my screen time. Yes, a lot of my job is spent on these channels, but there are often times I jump on to post something and then just find myself mindlessly scrolling. Maybe with less scrolling time, I can replace it with some things from my list in point 1?  Another “less is more” is simply to stop saying yes to everything. It is already blaringly clear that “spare time” comes at a premium, so make sure you are only saying YES to things that are important or make you a happier you. Is there something you’d prefer to do less of?

5. JUST FOCUSING ON GETTING BY IS TOTALLY OK

Now let’s not be too hard on ourselves, there is absolutely nothing wrong with concentrating on surviving the year ahead. Navigating change through a pandemic is not like anything we have had to do before. So let's be gentle on ourselves and actually give ourselves credit for dealing with all these curve balls that get thrown our way.

So there you have it. Just because it is a new year, there is no need to feel the pressure to re-invent a new you. After all, who says there is anything wrong with the old you? We think you are amazing just the way you are!

If you are in need of a little motivation for the new year, check out our new Motivation Bundles, designed to inspire you to believe in yourself and achieve your goals. 

We’d love to hear more from you via our socials. Let us know what you are going to do this year to be kinder to yourself in 2022?