Happy New Year and welcome to my first blog post of 2021!
A new year always symbolises change to me. It's time where many of us start new resolutions and I personally love the thought of turning over a clean page and starting afresh.
I think we are so much more in tune about mental health now which is great, but often we can forget about taking time out for ourselves and actually doing the little steps we need to, to take care of ourselves.
We all get so hectic and consumed by our busy lives we often don't pause to look after our bodies and appreciate what it does for us and it's often only when something goes wrong (physically or mentally) we seem to realise the importance of it all.
So in this month's blog, I want to talk about giving our mind & body a reset for the new year and I have compiled a list of my favourite things I like to do which I feel have a huge impact on both my mind and body.
- Read positive and motivational quotes daily.. I am super careful of who I follow online and what content I let consume me and I am very quick to press that 'unfollow' button if I feel someone of something doesn't feel right. They say we are a reflection on what and who we let consume us and this is so true. If I read a positive quote first thing on a morning, it really helps to set me up for the day. You will also find on my own social accounts, I share these kind of posts most days for my followers to read.
- Practice Gratitude.. I think it's so important to stop and reflect on things and appreciate how far we have come and also acknowledge the positives so I like to write down 1 thing I am grateful for in my diary at the end of each day and I think it really helps to keep your mind positive and focused, even on the worst of days. Remember, there is ALWAYS something to be grateful for even if it is something as simple as breathing.
- Communicate.. keeping feelings bottled up inside is never good for us so I think it's really important to have someone who you can trust and confide in about things that are on our minds, however big or small. I love the old quote 'a problem shared is a problem halved' and when I share my worries, I usually feel so much better for just off loading and when you confide in a person you know you can trust and who cares about you, you know their opinion is genuine and it can often help to see things differently through someone else's eyes.
- Rest.. I'm a big fan of an early night! Listen to your body and when you feel tired, rest! It really is that simple. I read an article online recently where someone had suggested we should treat ourselves how we treat our children and that when they are tired, we put them down for a nap or we sit them in front of their favourite film with a snack! I know it's not always possible to just down tools and have a nap in the middle of the day but I'm sure you get where I am going with this..
- Self Care.. Again this is something I talk about a lot and whether self care means a bubble bath and a book, a pamper evening at home or a Facial appointment at the salon, it's so important to treat ourselves to regular self care. I genuinely believe it should be non negotiable and we should schedule it in with ourselves, otherwise more often than not, it doesn't happen!
- Exercise - get out in the fresh air! Walk on the school run, go for a jog or to the gym, what ever it is you prefer but make sure you get some physical exercise every day. Not only do we know how good it is for our bodies but it also helps us to feel better in our minds too! A double win.
- Eat and drink well.. December is the month many of us let things slip and enjoy a few more extra treats than usual and that is OK! But for the new year it's a great time to go shopping and buy some fresh, healthy ingredients and to ditch the wine for more water! Our bodies are a reflection of what we put inside it and although bad things are often yummy, they are not going to make our bodies feel good!
- Finally, be kind.. some days we have it all nailed, healthy eating, exercise, writing gratitude's and others, well it all goes to pot! Don't be hard on yourself, focus on what you are doing rather than you are not and there's always tomorrow :)
I hope you enjoyed reading this and I'd love to hear if you have any of your own mind and body care tips I haven't mentioned.
Sarah x