New Years Goals – Nourish Yourself.
In a season of pushing for more… dreaming bigger, setting goals and purging (all great things!), it’s also important to nourish yourself. When coming off of a depleting December, while magical and grand in itself, the schedule and pace is typically an exhausting one; we don’t need to add another to-do to the list. Before we can really and wholly apply ourselves to that healthier lifestyle we want, to add that new, intense workout routine to that list of new years goals to be achieved, we have to make sure we’re actually replenished back to wholeness.
I love the idea of resolutions and goals to set yourself because it gives you something new to do and learn that might lead to success.
As it goes for any time of the year, I find it especially true at the beginning.
An athlete doesn’t enter into a competition without first preparing, physically and mentally. A baby doesn’t enter this bright and busy world without first being cocooned in a place that nourishes from the very core. And for us, for those precious dreams, big ideas, and the vision that is birthed in you; you will be at your best to reach maximum potential when you’re taking those first baby steps from a place of nourished wholeness.
How do I nourish myself?
Do what replenishes you. Here are a few ideas to help you get started (and it’s NOT about starting another new thing or adding to your to-do list, it’s about being okay with slowing down and nourishing yourself according to the season you’re in!).
- Connect with friends over things you enjoy, or spend real time with family (void of devices).
- Read what inspires you.
- Prayer (I find my time alone in prayer or worship to be some of the most replenishing and refocusing).
- Eat foods that fuel your body and begin to turn from processed foods.
- Move with care. Instead of delving right into an intense, sprinting routine, begin and stretch your way into movement that protects your body.
- Surround with comfort. Familiar with the term Hygge? Winter is the perfect time to hygge your home.
- Find routines that help, not hinder, your mornings.
- Keep water at the ready (dehydration is one of the main causes of bodily symptoms, including pain and fatigue).
PS. Loving this list from Frosted Blog all about the best books to read to be happier!
New Years Goals – Smile More.
Thanks to endorphins from smiling, actually using those muscles that turn your frown upside down will elevate your mood. Thus, smiling more will absolutely lead to a happier year.
Even when it’s a forced smile, there are benefits to it, but as with all things in life, the more authentic, the better.
Ready to try it on for size? Right where you are, go ahead and give a grin. My bet is that you felt silly enough making yourself smile, that it turned into a real smile, giggle or even laugh.
It’s healing right?
In fact, it actually is. Not only do those endorphin-releasing smiles boost your mood, they also boost your immune system and lower blood pressure. Research shows that even in stressful situations, those that smile have lower heart rates than those with gloomy demeanors.
I find that when I feel confident about my smile, it’s easier for me to smile more often! To make sure I’m putting my best-smile-forward this year, I’m making sure I’ve got a healthy one. New Years goals or resolutions, for most of us, include some form of “be healthier.”
Crest is joining in the “healthy” resolutions with the launch of new Crest® Gum DetoxifyTM toothpaste with Activated Foam technology that reaches below the gum line, to improve gum health and neutralize harmful bacteria, giving us healthier gums!
Plus? Smiles are totally contagious… so the more I smile, the more others will around me and the happier, healthier we’ll all be.
New Years Goals – Give Yourself Grace.
I think the biggest thing we can do for ourselves, and especially when we’re turning over a new calendar page and starting to write a new chapter into our lives, is to offer grace. And thanks.
You see, I know you. I see you. I see the sleepless nights while you rock your babe and make business decisions and toss a load of laundry into the dryer because it was long forgotten since that morning. So much happened in a span of twelve hours since hitting start on the wash cycle and the button to run the dry cycle, and yet it feels as though there is so much more to do. Like we’ve already forgotten the good that happened.
I see the tears you cried when you “just couldn’t”. When a bill arrived that wasn’t expected, or a teacher asked for more of your time, or an unexpected ER visit or any-other-thing changed your plans, again.
We can feel like the work we do is thankless, like the hours we pour out are mostly in secret… in the dark of night as we stay up later than our household (or what feels like the rest of the world) or rise before it.
All of it, the time, the dreams, the tears, the joy, the sacrifice; it’s all part of a big beautiful story. Your big, beautiful story.
Like the hours of labor we face many times quietly and in secret, wondering if the time is near or if it’s too early, before the big labor and a new story of love is released.
There will be days we labor in secret, in the walls of our home, in the late night hours, and there will be times we hit the mark and times we fail. But the thing is, it’s not a thankless job, unless we ourselves hold back on the grace. And thanks.
A simple line in Luke shows how we’re not alone in these feelings, a simple pause in a grand story of birth and new beginnings.
“Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself.“
And so, before the craziness of the year ahead hits: let’s pause. Let’s allow space for treasuring and holding dear. Let’s offer grace when we aim high and end low, and thanks… both to ourselves and to others.
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