New Year, New You?
2024 is in full swing!
As with any new year, there’s often talk of new years resolutions or sayings like ‘new year, new me’. Buuuut, lovely folk, let’s try to not get caught up in it all.
Resolutions infer there’s some sort of problem to fix and create pressure by focusing on a success / failure ultimatum.
‘New year, new me’ seems to come with the notion that the ‘old’ you isn’t good enough and should be gotten rid of.
Also, the expectation to do all of this at the beginning of the calendar year seems quite arbitrary, doesn’t it? Every day, every hour, every moment is an opportunity after all.
So, I have different idea! If you feel drawn to, try setting intentions instead…and only do so when the time feels right (whether that be today, next week, half way through the year or any other time).
Intentions allow you to be kinder to yourself. They focus less on having to actually ‘achieve’ something and more on adopting a mindset to be present, practice and try.
Set intentions when the time feels right for you. Change them as you or your circumstances change (change is constant…we’re constantly growing, experiencing new things etc…so it makes sense that what we desire changes too!).
Most importantly, allow your intentions to pave the way for some good old self loving…because, my lovely, that is something you’re darn worthy of!
P.S. Many people focus on weight loss, other aesthetic goals or diets in the new year. But I want to encourage you to take a big step away from these. If you feel drawn to focusing some intentions around health or food, but are unsure where to start, here are some ideas to inspire you:
Embrace being more intuitive – instead of following a diet, explore what actually works for you, discover the satisfaction factor, walk away from food rules, learn how to understand cues from your body and more. My top suggestion would be starting with the Intuitive Eating book by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch
Enjoy variety – try new foods you’ve never tried before, experiment with unfamiliar ingredients, get curious about new cooking techniques and dishes
Cultivate a great sleep routine – aim to get around 8 hours a night and enjoy cultivating a calming bedtime routine with supportive sleep hygiene. Some of my top suggestions are - turn your phone off (or at least switch it to night mode) at least 1-2 hours before bed, drink a sleepy tea (my favourites are jilungin or chamomile), burn some lavender essential oil, try the 4-7-8 breathing technique, journal or read a relaxing book
Experiment with mindful eating – the essence of this encourages you to be more present, more in touch with your body and enjoy meals more. Get started with this blog
Hydrate yourself – such a simple one but something that many of us don’t do! Bored with just water? Make a herbal tea, mix in some tasty herbal bitters (I love Pyewackets), add some cucumber or sprinkle in some berries
Give yourself some good old self loving – such a simple one but self care is something we often don’t prioritise! Build up your self care toolkit and enjoy using it often. Here are a bunch of ideas
Connect socially through food – food provides beautiful opportunities for connection. Have a pot luck or picnic with friends, enjoy a meal out with family, show your love for someone by cooking for them or with them, take your lunch break with a colleague
Embrace joyful movement – it could be dancing, gardening, walking, stretching, acrobatics, playing with the dog or little ones in your life, jumping on a trampoline, group social sports or anything you wish! To explore joyful movement more, head here
Support your body image – instead of trying to change the way you look, focus on improving your relationship with your body instead. This blog post and this blog post both have great practical tips
