This time of year, many of us are full of hope and motivated to make changes for the better. Don’t let winter doldrums snow on your parade. Finding simple ways to stay inspired can help you keep a positive outlook when you feel yourself losing focus. If you hope for a year of great things to happen, but aren’t sure where to start, start small. Try picking out a couple of ideas on this list to add some extra health and joy to your life, and you’ll be off to a good start.
Refresh your look
You know how a new haircut can make us feel amazing? That’s what I mean. Add a little confidence to your step and help defeat the fog of winter by putting extra care into your morning get-ready routine. Even if going to the office these days means sitting in your home office, this is worth doing. (Bye-bye, ragged sweatpants and stretched-out T-shirt!) Fine-tuning your self-care can work wonders for your mood and outlook. So wear clothes and accessories that make you feel good. Try a new hairstyle. Be creative with your look in the morning, and that creativity may carry you throughout the day.
Refresh your surroundings
You may feel so good after you’ve cleaned up your look that you want to clean the house! Okay, maybe not deep-clean it, but at least declutter it a bit and add a few new accessories. Just like your look, your home is an expression of you and all of the things you care about. Clutter around us can make our brains feel cluttered, so it’s worth clearing your home and office of stuff that isn’t useful or meaningful in some way. Then, add some new wall art or a strategic pop of color to your walls. Rearrange your furniture. Get some new pillows for your sofa.
Same goes for your office. Figure out what kind of environment works best for you to be productive. Eliminate distractions. Find efficient new ways to organize your office supplies. Make sure your desk and chair are comfy and ergonomically correct. Add accessories that are soothing and inspiring, like a cool lamp, a fountain, etc.
Try something new
You know that thing that you’ve always wanted to try, but have never had the time/guts/motivation to look into doing? Or that thing that lights you up? This can be the year to expand your horizons and pick up a new interest or learn about something that fascinates you. Maybe it’s skiing or snowshoeing, meditation or yoga, a new type of workout, jewelry-making, photography, or learning about another culture. Learning new things keeps your mind and body active.
As far as new types of exercise go, don’t assume that an unfamiliar activity will be too difficult or risky, at least without investigating first. The best activities for you are those that bring you joy and health benefits simultaneously. Group fitness classes can help you feel out a particular workout. Find a class with an instructor that offers modifications for the moves. If you’re an exercise-at-home person, as many of us are nowadays, here are two that are short, effective and to-the-point:
At-home resistance band workout
Simple 20-Minute Quarantine workout
If you’re having difficulty staying motivated to exercise, check out these 5 Simple Exercise Motivation Tricks.
Read a book
Dive deeper into your new interests by reading about them. Or, read a novel. The key is to read about something that lights you up, whether it’s a fascinating subject or an intriguing story. Reading is relaxing, it’s easy to do, and it’s inexpensive. When’s the last time you’ve walked into your local library? Discover a book that you’re too obsessed with to put down. Pour a warm drink and find a comfy spot to chill and read.
Freshen your food
Your body’s health has a huge effect on everything else in your life, and it may be screaming out for some TLC. Take a good look at what you’ve been eating. Is your diet filled with boxed and bagged foods? Do you down soda or sugary coffee drinks too often? As a main staple in your diet, this stuff can leave your mind, body and spirit depleted and at more of a risk for illness and metabolic diseases.
You probably know that eating fresh, whole foods foods is the way to go. Whole foods are any foods that are eaten the way they were made in nature, with as little processing as possible. They can include seeds, nuts, legumes, whole grains, eggs, some meat, and pretty much any fruit or veggie. Try to include at least a small amount of fruit or veggie with every meal. It’s not as difficult as you think. After a while you may even grow to crave them.
Revamp your routine
If you often feel sluggish, irritated, and overall uninspired, your daily routine could be to blame. Are you going to bed too late and not sleeping much? Take out a piece of paper and write down your routine—Is there enough relaxation time in there? Too much time obsessing over stuff on your phone?
Mindfulness researchers at Harvard have seen that consistent meditation helped people sleep better, feel less stressed, and experience fewer symptoms of depression. Meditation can also help you get to know yourself better and help you deal with difficult emotions. You can download cool apps like Calm and Headspace to get started easily. You can also check out these simple little things to improve mental health, which includes a sample meditation.
Maybe you’re committed to activities you don’t really care about but “feel” like you have to do. Or conversely, maybe you’d benefit from becoming more involved in things like community volunteering, which studies show can lift your mood. If you’re honest with yourself about your habits and make small, gradual changes to your schedule over the long haul, you may notice a huge difference in the way you feel.
Step into your power.
During the height of COVID-19, we often felt powerless about what was happening around us. While there are many things we can’t change, there are plenty of things we can.
This can be your time to do that thing that’s swirling around in your mind that you haven’t quite gained the gumption to do. It can be your time to finally let something go. It can be your time to speak up, put yourself out there or stop caring about what others think of you. It can be your time to gain new support and friendship from like-minded, inspired people just like you, or to befriend someone who you wouldn’t ordinarily talk to. It can be your time to advocate for something you’re passionate about. How do you want to grow? Be your authentic self, be proud of it, and shine your light in your own unique way.
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