Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.
Are you all wide-eyed and dazed staring at the calendar with disbelief, stressing out about everything you were supposed to do this year!? Is the tale of 2019 one of woe and heartbreak? Do yourself and the world a favour and don’t go into the new year with a heavy heart and a mind full of anxiety and fear.
If 2019 was a bust, 2020 is going to be a fresh start. If 2019 fell short of expectations, 2020 is going to be a gorgeous stunner in the achievement stakes.
No, I am not sitting here with a crystal ball peering into the future through the mystical fog. I have no magical capabilities (or none that I feel comfortable revealing, *wink*). I am simply trying to divert your attention away from that crumpled, unrealistic sheet of 2019-resolutions and towards the glowing possibilities of the coming year. I am declaring 2020 – ‘the year of awesomeness’ on the strength of my belief that those of us truly committed to bringing our A-game into the next year need not cry over lost time.
Forgive yourself for past disappointments. You’re exactly where you’re meant to be. Show gratitude for this new beginning and commit to making it the best one yet, and if none of this works, try one of the 9 tips shared in this post.
1. No resolutions needed
2020 resolution?
Oh, Hell no! Please, don’t go making a brand new list of resolutions for this new year.
Yes, we all need a game plan for our personal life, careers, social intentions, yada, yada, but don’t you dare title that write-up/list, ‘2020 resolutions’. The very idea makes me itch!
I mean, who came up with the brilliant idea of starting the year with a fresh load of crap weighing us down? Also, have you ever noticed that the new year’s resolution list always has the most unrealistic BS on it? More often than not, it’s useless and not worth the paper it’s written on.
Here's what you do instead-
As you release all the negativity from the past, try to get clarity about your goals, needs, and ambitions. Instead of a 1-year plan, figure out where you want to end up in the next 5 years.
Related: How To Deal With Negative Thoughts?
Visualize your life and the kind of person you want to become. Then, simply decide what steps need to be taken in the immediate future to get you a little closer to the ultimate goal. That’s it! Keep it simple, seriously!
2. Disconnect and Disappear
Misery really does love company. Stress & anxiety can only get worse around others complaining about their awful year. Worse, if they want to tell you just how amazing 2019 was for them, and how they bought a new house, a new car, and an elephant named Jumbo. Cue, *eye-roll*.
So, just turn off your phone and hide. If possible, take a holiday designed to help destress – beach, spa, mountains, it all sounds great to me!
3. Acknowledge your glory
Once you’re done being furious with yourself for not getting that promotion, or planning a fancy trip, or still being single, why not spend a few minutes acknowledging all the wonderful stuff you did do this year. Don’t tell me there isn’t any. I am currently celebrating the fact that I had only 3 angry outbursts this entire year. To me, that’s huge!
As someone who has been through her fair share of mental health issues, I will give you one advice – learn to celebrate yourself! It doesn’t make you entitled. We all live in a crazy competitive, social media infested world. The truth is edited, airbrushed, and then polished with a bunch of filters. It can be very isolating when you feel like everyone else is cruising through life and still managing to score big.
The truth is something completely different. Behind every selfie, there is an insecure person who spent hours trying to look ‘effortlessly flawless’ and then, took 20 different shots before settling for one that looked just right. So, just press pause, and celebrate the fact that you’re still going. Yes, there is work to be done but it won’t be done well with a mind riddled with insecurities.
Do this –
Write down a long list of affirmations. Stand in front of the mirror and repeat every one of those affirmations out loud. Do this every day till you start to believe the words.
Related: How to use affirmations effectively?
Create Effective Affirmations
4. Hop on the gratitude wagon
CONSCIOUSLY give thanks for EVERYTHING in your life. Be grateful for every single person that cares about you, the house you live in, the clothes on your back and, If somehow you’ve managed to convince yourself that you’ve nothing to be grateful for then, be grateful that you’re still here.
You have the gift of time! This is not the end of your story. Every second is an opportunity to make a difference. Here’s a suggestion –
Take deep breaths until you feel a shift in your body. Now, express gratitude for every single thing in your life. A few minutes spent giving thanks can keep you riding a happy high for several hours. If done every day, this exercise will make you a happier person. More importantly, it will cleanse your energy and bring more good things into your life.
4. Keep it moving
I challenge you to find a single person who doesn’t feel good after a workout. It is biologically impossible unless you’ve found a way to block those pesky endorphins. So, whenever you’re down in the doldrums, just get up and move!
Elevate your mood and feel good about yourself with an hour of exercise or funky dance moves.
5. Make it festive
Spread some joy around the house by putting up decorations. Being in a happy environment can really lift your spirits. So, add some colourful, tinkling, joyful decorations. Do it the way you would if you were a 5 year old. No perfection needed. Just Fun!
6. Some TLC
Have you ever regretted a massage before? No, right? I am a germaphobe but with a brief mental talk, even I manage to enjoy it as long as it’s done right.
So, here’s what you do –
As soon as stress pushes you into chewing your nails and pulling out your eyelashes (it’s a real thing!), book yourself a nice spa appointment. Keep a feel-good film and a pack of chocolates handy. A nice read in the bathtub, maybe? A self-care basket with all the rescue goodies you could possibly need. If nothing comes to mind, just cuddle up to a loved one or a stranger – totally your choice.
Related: The Best Self-Care Products For A Healthier Mind & Body
7. Spread the love
When your own life sucks, shift the focus to someone else. Go out and spread some love. Do some volunteer work. Help someone else in need. This will help you snap out of the pity mode or the guilt spiral, and it will make you happy to make a difference.
8. Mindful me!
Instead of building new resolutions, add something truly helpful to your life that will have both present and future benefits. Mindfulness is a wonderful way to quieten the noise in your head. It focuses all the disruptive energy and turns it into strength. Coupled with breathing and gratitude exercises, mindfulness can impact your life in wonderful ways.
In the end, all you need to remember is that despite the hostility we sense around us, our creator is a kind one. We are always given the opportunity to correct our mistakes and pursue our purpose. So, if there are things left unsaid or undone, you have a whole new year ahead of you to do them.
A BRAND NEW YEAR! A fresh start! That, my friend, is a cause for celebration. So, chin up Buttercup! Your miracle is on its way. In the meantime, keep your thoughts happy & hopeful & don’t forget to celebrate!
11 comments
This was a fun and thoughtful post, thanks! I’m a big one for goal setting and used to do rubbish bs new year’s ones that went nowhere, now I have a dorky spreadsheet of goals for a year with measurable little steps, so I know that even if I don’t get to the end point I hoped, I’m so much further along than if I’d done nothing at all!
That is a brilliant way to go about goal setting! Something that shows us tangible progress is always good for our morale and it keeps us from giving up. I am glad you found the post useful 🙂 Thanks for reading and commenting.
Starting the new year is gonna be challenging for many people. However your tips are really helpful. I wrote a piece on how to get through the December holidays healthy.
https://www.youmustgethealthy.com/2018/11/health-tips-december-holidays.html
I am glad you found the tips useful & I’ll definitely read the post you’ve shared 🙂
Completely agree with no resolutions thing. It always causes us so much stress and guilt when it doesn’t go as planned. Just daily taking action towards our long-term goals is enough, in my opinion.
Absolutely! Resolutions always turn out to be somewhat unrealistic. It’s always better to have a long term plan that you can chip away at steadily. Thanks for reading & commenting 🙂
I love love love it! And yes! No more resolutions. Only long term plans of making everyday beautiful. ?
Love the self-care basket idea. I have my own that I created that helps me out so much!
Self-care baskets can be great. It’s like a quick, always-available, rescue kit.
I agree on the resolutions. I am working hard on appreciating what I have – and being very in the moment. I’m finding when I just stop and look around and take stock of what a great life I have, it truly helps. We need to stop and savor the little things!
Agreed! We are always in such a rush, planning the next big thing that we often forget to appreciate what we already have!