Posted in Wellness & Wellbeing

New Intentions for a New Day, Month, & Year

A new year has begun; I always look at the beginning of a new year (day, week, month) as a new start, a fresh one to do things in my life even better than the previous one.

Think of some things you would like to do better and/or more of for others, yourself, or change during this new month/year. Here are a few things I try and be better at this myself. We are all a work in progress and all we can do is keep trying. Hugs to you and yours on your new beginnings…

Appreciate Life: Be thankful that you woke up alive each morning. Develop a childlike sense of wonder towards life. Focus on the beauty of every living thing. Make the most of each day. Don’t take anything for granted. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

Choose Friends: Wisely Surround yourself with happy, positive people who share your values and goals. Friends that have the same ethics as you will encourage you to achieve your dreams. They help you to feel good about yourself. They are there to lend a helping hand when needed.

Be Considerate: Accept others for who they are as well as where they are in life. Respect them for who they are. Touch them with a kind and generous spirit. Help when you are able, without trying to change the other person. Try to brighten the day of everyone you come into contact with.

Learn Continuously: Keep up to date with the latest news regarding your career and hobbies. Try new and daring things that has sparked your interest – such as dancing, skiing, surfing or even sky-diving.

Creative Problem Solving: Don’t wallow in self-pity. As soon as you face a challenge get busy finding a solution. Don’t let the set backs affect your mood, instead see each new obstacle you face as an opportunity to make a positive change. Learn to trust your gut instincts – it’s almost always right. Do What You Love: Some statistics show that 80% of people dislike their jobs! No wonder there’s so many unhappy people running around. We spend a great deal of our life working. Choose a career that you enjoy – the extra money of a job you detest isn’t worth it. Make time to enjoy your hobbies and pursue special interests.

Enjoy Life: Take the time to see the beauty around you. There’s more to life than work. Take time to smell the roses, watch a sunset or sunrise with a loved one, take a walk along the seashore, hike in the woods etc. Learn to live in the present moment and cherish it. Don’t live in the past or the future.

Laugh: Don’t take yourself – or life to seriously. You can find humor in just about any situation. Laugh at yourself – no one’s perfect. When appropriate laugh and make light of the circumstances. (Naturally there are times that you should be serious as it would be improper to laugh.)

Forgive: Holding a grudge will hurt no one but you. Forgive others for your own peace of mind. When you make a mistake – own up to it – learn from it – and FORGIVE yourself.

Gratitude: Develop an attitude of gratitude. Count your blessings; All of them – even the things that seem trivial. Be grateful for your home, your work and most importantly your family and friends. Take the time to tell them that you are happy they are in your life.

Invest in Relationships: Always make sure your loved ones know you love them even in times of conflict. Nurture and grow your relationships with your family and friends by making the time to spend with them. Don’t break your promises to them. Be supportive. Keep Your Word: Honesty is the best policy. Every action and decision you make should be based on honesty. Be honest with yourself and with your loved ones.

Meditate: Meditation gives your very active brain a rest. When it’s rested you will have more energy and function at a higher level. Types of meditation include yoga, hypnosis, relaxation tapes, affirmations, visualization or just sitting in complete silence. Find something you enjoy and make the time to practice daily.

Mind Your Own Business: Concentrate on creating your life the way you want it. Take care of you and your family. Don’t get overly concerned with what other people are doing or saying, get caught up with gossip or name calling, or be so quick to judge. Everyone has a right to live their own life the way they want to – including you.

Optimism: See the glass as half full. Find the positive side of any given situation. It’s there – even though it may be hard to find. Know that everything happens for a reason, even though you may never know what the reason is. Steer clear of negative thoughts. If a negative thought creeps in – replace it with a positive thought.

Love Unconditionally: Accept others for who they are. You don’t put limitations on your love. Even though you may not always like the actions of your loved ones – you continue to love them. Persistence: Never give up. Face each new challenge with the attitude that it will bring you one step closer to your goal. You will never fail, as long as you never give up. Focus on what you want, learn the required skills, make a plan to succeed and take action. We are always happiest while pursuing something of value to us.

Be Proactive: Accept what can not be changed. Happy people don’t waste energy on circumstances beyond their control. Accept your limitations as a human being. Determine how you can take control by creating the outcome you desire – rather than waiting to respond.

Self Care: Take care of your mind, body and health. Get regular medical check ups. Eat healthy and work out. Get plenty of rest. Drink lots of water. Exercise your mind by continually energizing it with interesting and exciting challenges.

Self Confidence: Don’t try to be someone that you’re not. After all no one likes a phony. Determine who you are in the inside – your own personal likes and dislikes. Be confident in who you are. Do the best you can and don’t second guess yourself.

Take Responsibility: Happy people know and understand that they are 100% responsible for their life. They take responsibility for their moods, attitude, thoughts, feelings, actions and words. They are the first to admit when they’ve made a mistake. Begin today by taking responsibility for your happiness. Work on developing these habits as you own. The more you incorporate the above habits into your daily lifestyle – the happier you will be.

Posted in Wellness & Wellbeing

Self-care for the New Year

It’s THAT time of year again. Time for fresh starts, new beginnings, setting goals, and re-evaluating your personal growth. At least that’s what bringing in the New Year does for me.

One of the things I’ve gotten in the habit of is creating a list for each of my “resolutions”. Each new thing that I want to tackle has its own list of “things to do” to get them achieved and having a check-off list helps you get to that point.

Task tip: Your brain actually works better when you focus on just one job at a time, rather than trying to be a multitasking master. You don’t always need to eat while you’re writing emails or check your email in the middle of prepping for a presentation. Put the phone down.

Speaking of cellphones, I have become so glued to my phone for work purposes, it’s easier (for me) to make these lists on my phone’s calendar. Using a planner is great too if you are one to write things down.

Here are a few things to try this new year:

Change your daily routine
Add something different to your routine that you know makes you feel good and remove what you feel doesn’t inspire you anymore. Sometimes we need to kick it up a notch and get out of the everyday norm. Trying new things is always fun too.

Social media cleansing
If you have people on Facebook who don’t ever comment anything nice and are always ready to comment negatively…DELETE (or unfollow) them! Same goes for all your other social media platforms. Keep in mind you are not obligated to keep anyone (that goes for family too) on your friends list. Another great idea is to move your social media apps off of your phone’s home screen if you feel you spend too much time on social media apps.

Work/Life Balance
We all have different lifestyles and occupations however, if you were feeling the “burn-out” this past year, maybe it’s time to get a little more balanced in both your personal and professional life. Try not working so many extra hours, trying to please everyone in your life by saying “yes” all the time, and taking some time out for yourself. Schedule at least one thing a week that you love to do.

Keep a Clean Home
I get it, you’re busy… and the last thing you feel like doing is cleaning up your house. Instead, you ignore the mess and watch as it builds up to the point of not knowing where to start when it comes to cleaning up. Try spending at least ten minutes each day cleaning and tidying up. You’d be surprised how little things like wiping down coffee pots, wiping down countertops, or changing your sheets once a week will help keep your place neater.

Plan a Vacation
Even if it’s just a short road trip type of weekend in a nearby small town you’ve never visited, a getaway can help you reset and refocus when you’re back at work. Stop thinking about vacation as an indulgence (which it certainly can be) but more of a well-deserved break.

Healthy dates and outings
Make time to catch up with friends and family members a couple of times a month. Try out new restaurants, host a potluck, take a walk in the park, or attend an event together. Check in with old coworkers that you don’t see as often as well.

Invest in Yourself
Mental and physical health is highly important and we tend to put ourselves last. Joining a gym, seeing a therapist, and buying healthy foods all cost money, yes, but you could argue that they’re all money well spent. Plus, when you take care of yourself, it’s that much easier to take care of your family and friends around you.

Glow Up!
Besides eating your veggies and making sure you use SPF everyday, get that skin glowing by getting monthly facials or getting on a good skin care regimen.

Get more sleep
We need sleep. How are we supposed to conquer the world if we are tired? A good place to start is establishing a tranquil sleep environment by making small changes, like setting a bedtime for yourself (no devices allowed afterward!), investing in blackout shades for your bedroom, or adjusting the thermostat to a comfortable temp to ensure more restful sleep.

Write down accomplishments
Remind yourself of the great things you’ve achieved and accomplished. It’s good to be proud of yourself and can also be motivating for your next venture.

Start the new year with a “bang” and focus on that self-care. Happy New Year!