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Once Christmas is over and done with and the New Year or the beginning of January can often be a time of reflection. A time where you start to think about what you want for the next twelve months ahead. Many people will have over-indulged during the festive period. It might be they eat too much, or they drink too many drinks or even things like staying up late or going out more often. These indulgences can lead us on to think about how we can change our lives for the better, feel differently and end up making it the best yet. But how can you do that? What areas of your life should you change? Here are some suggestions to consider.
Is it time to change your eating habits?
The festive period and winter, in general, can often see us reaching for all of the comfort food. We want to feel warm, cosy and full, which can lead us to feel content and happy. But, if you do overindulge when it comes to the food you eat, then you may be thinking that you now want to get into shape and feel better on the inside. Your diet can have much to do with that, so you may be thinking that now might be the time to start making some changes. A lot of people begin the year on a diet, but taking on something like a detox or doing without certain foods can mean that awhile you get instant results, you won’t be able to sustain it. Or that you find that the diet starts to give you side effects in other ways. The best advice would be to look at your diet and try and find a balance. Nourish your body with food and the good stuff, but also remember that a good balance of all the food groups is an idea. The weight may not come off straight away, but a gradual process is far healthier, and you will find you feel better in other ways such as more energy etc.
Do you want to exercise?
Exercise can often be another popular thing to do at the beginning of the year. Many people like to set themselves challenges and resolutions where they may want to achieve certain things such as running distances or overcoming a physical challenge. Getting fitter and exercising is never going to be a bad thing for you. Combining it with a balanced diet you can start to see a difference in weight, as well as how you feel on the inside. However, at this time of year, it can be one of the hardest things to stick to. The temptation to stay warm indoors, to just get cosy by the fire and enjoy the TV specials is far more appealing than heading to the gym, going out for a run, or turning up to an exercise class. The best advice again would be to start off small and build it up gradually. Putting less pressure on yourself will help you stick with it.
Is it time to get rid of the vices holding you back?
We all have bad vices, don’t we? There can be some of us who have a habit of smoking, some of us drink a little too much or feel dependant on it, and some of us turn to drugs and substance abuse. It happens. So the new year may be the ideal time for your to wipe the skater clean of those bad habits and addictions and start to invest in yourself once more. It may be attending cocaine rehab for your drug addiction; it might be alcoholic anonymous for your drinking habits, it could be the doctors to get some help and support for giving up smoking. There are many ways you can do it, and making the decision to take it on is often the biggest and hardest step to make.
Your mindset needs work
Are you thinking positively? Do you have an ideal outlook on life? Are you happy and content in yourself? Many of us take for granted our minds and how we think, but often those very thoughts can be what dictates to us and how we live our lives. Thinking negatively can often mean that you have a low mood, feel depressed or anxious and generally don’t feel happy in yourself. This can lead on to other things happening in your life, which again cause you to think negatively, and as you can see it can become a vicious circle. Using the new year as a chance to start fresh is a great time to focus on your mindset. Actively thinking positively, looking for the silver lining, and generally feeling happy and grateful in your life. At first, it can feel a little forced, but over time these new habits will develop, and you will start to feel happier in yourself.
Setting yourself monthly challenges
Many people start off the year wanting to make all of the changes at once, and this can be overwhelming, causing you to give up. Son why not see the next twelve months as a chance to make changes throughout the year. Set yourself monthly challenges. It could be to wake up earlier every day for a month, which could then be easily formed as a habit. It could be to give up caffeine for a month, to see that you don’t always need to rely on that coffee. Going to bed earlier, practicing meditation each day, exercising, journaling, there are so many types of challenges you could set that it could be a year of rediscovery.
Do the next twelve months involve travelling?
Maybe you like the idea of traveling more in the new year. A lot of people set themselves bucket lists for the year or for the summer and yours could easily involve travel. Maybe you have no holidays booked yet, so January could be a time to plan trips to look forward to. You could challenge yourself to see a new place each month, either abroad or in the country you live in.
Setting yourself a yearly bucket list
On the subject of bucket lists maybe you want to set aside some time to write one for the year. It doesn’t always need to involve travel, and it could be anything you want to do during the next twelve months. Maybe you want to learn something. Perhaps take on a challenge or achieve something.
Is it time for a career change?
The career can often be something people want to focus on in the new year. It could be a change of career, where studying is involved, gaining qualifications or being proactive for promotions. It could be starting your own business and making the steps necessary to make this a reality. There are so many things you could do with your career, and the new year is often the chance to set yourself a target to achieve the change you are looking for.
Making big changes
Finally, it might be the time to start thinking about the big changes that you want to make in your life in the next twelve months. Maybe this is the year you get married. Perhaps you have decided you want to start a family. It could be that you are making big changes and moving somewhere new, or to a new country. Taking the time to plan for the big changes helps you to make it more exciting and part of the journey of the next twelve months.
Let’s make 2019 the best year yet.
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