This past year tested us in more ways than we can count—yet we endured. Let’s begin 2021 with a fresh mindset and a renewed commitment to health and well-being! Keep these tips in mind as you start the New Year.
Empower yourself! Reflect back on all you’ve been through and think about how your experiences have made you a stronger, better person. Taking time to do so can boost your confidence and empower you to take on 2021’s opportunities—and challenges—head-on.
Reset your priorities this year. Saying “no” to non-essential tasks frees up time for more restorative activities, like reading, catching up with friends and spending time on your hobbies.
Think of each new day as an opportunity to start fresh, live healthier and be the best version of you. Hit a few bumps at work? Got off track with your exercise goal? Ate more sweets than you wanted? Good news—you get another opportunity to try again tomorrow.
Participate in activities to benefit YOUR physical, mental and emotional well-being so you can put your best self forward. Planning regular “me time” can improve your resilience and help address any stress you may be feeling before it becomes overwhelming.
Talk to yourself as you would a loved one. Give yourself the same love and respect you share with others. When things go wrong or don’t happen exactly as planned, avoid talking negatively or criticizing yourself. If you find this hard to do, every time you put yourself down, compliment yourself twice immediately after.
Surround yourself with others who encourage you to grow. Focus on healthy relationships with people who make a positive contribution to your life—for example, those who let you be yourself.
Perform small random acts of kindness every day. No grand gestures needed—just small, simple and spontaneous, like surprising a friend with a compliment via text, emailing a coworker and Cc-ing your supervisor with a kudos for something they helped you with, or reading an extra book or two to your child before bed can make you feel good, and the recipient of your kindness feel even better!
Put down your phone and experience the beauty of life firsthand. Balance your desire to take photos, videos and update your social media with actually savoring moments and documenting them in your memory. Doing so has far more lasting positive effects on your well-being than the temporary rush of excitement from a few likes and comments.
Love yourself—no matter what! Keep an inventory of all of the things you love about yourself. Reflect on it often for an instant mood booster or when you’re experiencing a challenging time.
Remember that many things are simply beyond your control. When possible, try to reframe certain troublesome defeats as opportunities to learn and grow.
And don’t forget, no matter how rainy life gets, always look for the rainbow to help you learn and grow. Rather than letting a troublesome situation defeat you, use it as motivation to triumph and become a stronger person!
If you’re feeling depressed or have suffered a loss, seek help. You’re not alone! Talk to your health practitioner or a licensed counselor about getting support.
