Wow, 2017 went by quickly! Happy New Year to our team members, clients, colleagues and blog followers. We hope 2018 brings each of you good health, happiness and safety as we begin the next 365 days.
As the New Year gets underway, many people focus on New Year’s resolutions … things they want to accomplish in the New Year, hopes and dreams they have not been able to achieve before but something they vouch to achieve in the new year.
A common New Year’s resolution is to lose weight … get a gym membership and commit to working out more often. Sometimes people truly commit to this resolution but often times it works for a few weeks or a few months and then slowly fizzles away.
Make 2018 a year of true commitment … think of something that has been difficult for you in the past. Try to look at ways to stop doing something that is causing you additional stress or anxiety vs. taking on something new to achieve. Maybe you are someone who spends a lot of spare time on social media sites … often finding yourself frustrated, angry or sad by what you are seeing or reading. Do you like feeling frustrated, angry or sad? My guess is NO. Simple solution … STOP going on social media. You may feel it is nearly impossible to stop … but try it for a week or two … see if you notice a difference in your mood or energy level … if so, you know you either need to limit the time you spend on social media or turn away from it completely.
If you are someone that is always tired or wake up multiple times during the night, stop taking your cell phone to bed with you. Even if you leave it on your nightstand, it can interrupt your sleep. If you use your cell phone as an alarm clock, put it on “do not disturb” mode at night so it will not chime or vibrate each time a new email, text message or calendar notice pops up … your alarm will still sound loud and clear in the morning.
Maybe you tend to be a piler or a pack rat and the extra “stuff” causes additional stress or anxiety … try to declutter. Make an agreement with yourself to get rid of 5 or 7 things a day. This could be as simple as sorting through a stack of magazines that you have not had a chance to read. Throw out or recycle any that are “old news”. Maybe your closet has become overrun by shoes or clothes. Each day pick 2-3 items you have not wore in the last year and donate them to charity (maybe you have saved a pair of jeans you wore in high school when you were a size zero … let’s face it … the chances of you wearing that pair of jeans again is slim to none … so stop tormenting yourself and purge the jeans!
Whatever you decide to do to improve or change your approach with things this New Year, do so with commitment. Consider putting a “stop” to something versus adding more to your plate. Resolutions can be anything you want them to be … make a plan, commit to it and improve your life in whatever way you believe is best for YOU!