It finally happened. We made it through 2016. Between a turbulent election cycle, deaths of idols, and a barrage of negative news, there is a reason that in California the most googled phrase last year was '2016 Worst Year Ever?' While my last post covered Tackling Hopelessness in the 24/7 News Cycle, today I wanted to specifically address strategies to refresh your mind and body in the new year. Relaxation and taking time to refresh your mind and body is a critical part of self care.
Here are my top 7 strategies to invigorate yourself as we start 2017:
1. Meditation
I am a large proponent of meditation. In my own life, I have found it to be tremendously helpful in order to ground myself. In fact, when I get into a tailspin of anxiety and cycling on different issues, I have found that through practicing meditation I am more readily able to stop myself in my tracks and bring myself back to the present moment. My first exposure to meditation was during a 'Mind, Self, and Society' class I took during my time at Chapman University. As a part of the class, we traveled to the Shambhala Mountain Center and spent ten days engaging in hours of deliberate meditative practice. While I fell out of it soon after returning to college, in recent months I have joined a meditation studio near my apartment. I try to attend the studio twice a week, and I have seen significant improvement in my self-awareness over the past three months. However, don't just take my word for it. There is significant scientific research about how meditation can impact not only your life, but your brain. In 2011 the Harvard Gazette reported about study where participants at the University of Massachusetts Center for Mindfulness had MRI scans of their brains taken before and after an 8-week meditation program. The secondary scans revealed "increased gray-matter density in the hippocampus, known to be important for learning and memory, and in structures associated with self-awareness, compassion, and introspection." Meditation can literally alter your brain.
2. Get an Organizational System
One of the things that is known to stress people out is clutter. Whether it is the clutter from just throwing your clothes on the couch after a long day, or years' worth of junk built up over time, having tons of stuff we don't really care about around impacts one's mental well-being. Enter Marie Kondo and 'the life-changing magic of tidying up.' Kondo has designed the KonMari method, which teaches people how to declutter their lives. As the book has sold over 3 million copies, clearly it has resonated with people around the world.
The basic idea is pretty simple: bring every item of a particular class (clothes, documents, etc) into the center of your room. Pick up each item individually and ask "Does this spark joy?" If it doesn't, let it go.
The KonMari method is specific: There is a right way and a wrong way to declutter a space. It comes with defined prompts to ask yourself, a correct order to declutter in, and folding instructions in order to maximize space and treat your clothes with respect. I recently used to KonMari method to declutter my tiny studio apartment. Stay tuned for an upcoming blog post on how it worked for me.
3. Bullet Journal
This past year, one of my coworkers introduced me to bullet journals. The thing that I love about bullet journals is that it can be entirely customized for the user. In addition to keeping daily, weekly, and monthly tasks in order, you can also customize your format to include a habit tracker, affirmations, goals, etc. The only limit is your own imagination. Below is a video from the Bullet Journal Youtube which shows how bullet journaling actually works.
This post by Boho Berry does a phenomenal job not only showing how to start a bullet journal, but how to set it up so it works for you. You can also check out her follow-up post which provides a one-month update on how the bullet journal is working. Tiny Ray of Sunshine also has a wonderful post which shows additional samples of collections which can be placed in your bullet journal.
4. Take up a new hobby
Work>dinner>Netflix>sleep>work>dinner>Netflix>sleep> and on and on in an endless cycle. Does this sound familiar to you? It certainly does to me.
I have nothing against Netflix. In fact, I have a deep attachment to my Netflix time and I love being able to discuss television and movies with my friends and family. However, I think that one of the greatest things that you can do to refresh yourself in the new year is to take up a new hobby that is just for you. For me, blogging is that necessary outlet. It could be photography, running, reading, or heck, even woodworking. By finding a hobby outside of your normal routine, you not only give yourself an outlet, but you are also encouraging your mind and body to grow in new ways. So maybe skip the Netflix binge for one hour this week and sign up for that underwater basket weaving class you have had your eye on.
5. Make a fitness goal
Topping the list of New Years Resolution lists every year is "exercise more" and "lose weight." Both of those are incredibly broad. I could run twice a month this next year and still say that I exercised more. Instead of making broad resolutions, make metrics based goals. A few weeks ago I wrote about making SMART New Year's Resolutions, aka Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Bound. As you seek to take care of your body in the new year, come up with specific goals. This can be to run once a week, sign up for a zumba class, or go hiking once a month. Whatever it is, write it down to hold yourself accountable and then get out and do it.
6. Morning pages
Morning pages are a concept that come from Julia Cameron of The Artist's Way. Every morning when you first wake up, take a journal and write three pages. These pages don't need contain a narrative story or even be sensical. The point is do stream of conscious writing. This serves as a brain dump of everything that has been cluttering your mind before you start your day. This practice is becoming increasingly popular among creatives and entrepreneurs as a way to jumpstart their morning.
7. Get outside of your comfort zone
Neale Donald Walsch once said, "Life begins at the end of your comfort zone." If you are someone who is uncomfortable by the idea of eating alone, try taking yourself on a date date in the city (I am obsessed with this piece by Caroline Cotto on The Everygirl about taking the stigma out of doing things alone). Have you always wanted to take a trip to Europe but haven't taken the plunge? Set aside some money in your bank account specifically for the purpose of travel and book a trip. Challenge yourself to new things this year that excite you.
What are your tips to refresh yourself in the new year?