Have you made a new year’s resolution yet? If you haven’t, why not make it something that demonstrates self-love? Far too many people establish overly lofty goals and then fall short. They end up beating themselves up — but the journey is about progress, not perfection.
How can you demonstrate self-love? There are thousands of ways to benefit your body, mind and spirit. The following resolutions can transform your life in the new year.
1. Start a New Wake-Up Routine
What do you do first thing when your alarm rings? Do you hit snooze repeatedly? Maybe you stumble to the kitchen for a cup of joe, complaining the entire way. If you do, you’re starting your day with a negative thought pattern.
Instead, create a positive morning ritual for yourself. You might decide to tune into a 10-minute positivity podcast. Perhaps you’ll get your blood flowing with exercise or even some gentle stretches in bed. The critical part is making it both upbeat and meaningful to you so that you can start the day with a smile.
2. Create a Career Goal
What do you want out of your career? Far too many people drift aimlessly through life, performing their daily routine with no clear destination in mind. Goals can help you align your focus and lend a sense of purpose to your days. It’s easy to groan about another typical day at the office, but if you’re plugging away with visions of making it to the corner office, you’ll feel more energized about tackling your routine.
3. Clear Away the Clutter
When you come home at the end of the day, does your home welcome you? Or do you feel overwhelmed the instant you step inside your door? Clutter signals your brain that your work isn’t complete, resulting in heightened levels of anxiety.
Make a cleaning calendar and tackle one room or closet at a time. It may take a few weeks, but by the time St. Patty’s Day rolls around, you’ll adore coming home.
4. Find a New Hobby
Hobbies serve a ton of purposes. They can help you to form new friendships and explore your interests. They can also help you conquer negative thoughts by keeping your mind focused on the present. When you’re busy building a birdhouse, you’re not focused on feeling depressed or anxious.
Think about the things you loved to do when you were a child. If you couldn’t get enough of the outdoors, take up rock climbing or gardening. If you adored tinkering with machines, start a side hustle fixing small engines.
5. Try Mindfulness Meditation
Do you have high levels of stress in your life? If so, you might benefit from mindfulness meditation. This practice will help you build awareness of the present moment, teaching you how to divorce your thoughts from the emotional charge they carry. Through this process of separation, you’ll develop a greater acceptance of your feelings as temporary and fleeting.
To practice mindfulness, find a place where you can sit quietly. You can focus on your breath by inhaling for a count of four, pausing, and exhaling for a count of six. You can also try scanning your body and concentrating on relaxing one part of it at a time.
6. Make Your Bedroom a Sanctuary
Do you struggle to get your Zzz’s? This year, resolve to improve your sleep hygiene by creating a bedroom sanctuary. It helps to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day — but that’s easier to do if you enjoy your sleeping space.
If you live in an urban area, hang blackout curtains to eliminate flashing neon outside your window. Remove electronic devices like televisions, and create a docking station to charge your cellphone at night — outside of the bedroom. Invest in the softest comforter you can find, and surround yourself with pillows. Try a lavender aromatherapy pillow spray to help you drift into dreamland.
This Year, Resolve to Treat Yourself Kindly
This year, don’t punish yourself with overly ambitious goals that leave you feeling bad about yourself if you don’t meet them. Instead, show yourself a little love in 2020.
Kate is an online journalist from Pennsylvania. She enjoys writing about health, lifestyle, and culture. If you enjoy her work, you can visit her blog, So Well, So Woman.
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Author: Mandy Kloppers
Mandy is a qualified therapist who treats depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, trauma, and many other types of mental health issues. She provides online therapy around the world for those needing support and also provides relationship counselling.
