Did you go off the rails during the holidays? Maybe you drank a little too much, ate a little too much and didn’t sleep a whole lot? We’ve all been there (trust me!), but there’s no reason to beat yourself up now that the ball has dropped. It’s absolutely possible to make a fresh start for the New Year.
January can be just as stressful as the holidays because we put so much pressure on ourselves to start the year off being productive, uber positive and committed. But that sounds so exhausting, doesn’t it?
So, to help you ease back into your work and life, I’ve pulled my Top 5 tips to regroup and get back on track, without having a meltdown.
1) Give Yourself Some Grace
Let’s break it down: the new year is not really a nature-based system. That’s why they call it the Circle of Life, there’s no distinct beginning or end. Which means… December is just another month. And like all human beings, sometimes you have a good month, and other months are total duds. 🙂
It’s just the way the Christmas cookie crumbles. (Also, last time I checked, there were no awards for “perfect holiday where I did everything right”.)
So, being hard on yourself is not going to change anything that may have happened in the past. In fact, negative self-talk will only make you feel worse. I don’t care what anyone says, in the long run, no one makes positive changes in their life as a result of belittling.
So this is me telling you, “You’re off the hook!” Let go of any judgment you have about how you should have behaved over the holidays. This is about starting fresh, after all! And if you need a little help cleansing the remaining criticism and doubt from your mindset, check out this Judgment Detox.
2) Reconnect With What’s Important To You
Now that you’ve sent that Inner Critic packing, the next step to a fresh start is to set some intentions for the new year. Not a list of resolutions but clarity around what is important to you. So you can keep them in mind throughout the year.
There are so many different ways you can recenter and realign with your “why”. Any activity that calms your mind, invigorates your spirit and reminds you of what you are most passionate about will work, but here are a few simple ideas to get you started.
- Grounding exercises like yoga and meditation
- Journaling
- Arts and crafts
- Listening to music
- Trying something brand new you’ve always wanted to do
- Connecting with friends and family
3) Create Space (Literally) For Change
I’m a firm believer that what’s going on in your home is just as important for your mental health as what’s in your head. If your physical environment is cluttered, dirty or not well taken care of, it’s only a matter of time before it begins to affect your creative flow.
So, before starting fresh with new goals, take some time to freshen up your office and home. Take some time to purge your home, take your old stuff and give it to charity. Add some inspiring art or bring nature inside with fresh flowers or a houseplant. Remove as many distractions as you can too, so you can devote that time to what matters most to you.
4) Reframe How You Reward Yourself
Imagine you just finished a stressful week. If you’re an actor, you had a few last-minute self-tapes pop up, right in the middle of filming something on set with all the Covid protocols. If you’re in another creative area, you sped from meeting to meeting, trying to fit your other projects and obligations in between.
Bottom line: you are tired. But you also feel like you accomplished something.
What do you do to celebrate that feeling?
If your answer is sugary goodies, greasy comfort food, too much alcohol, spending too much money or staying up all night, because you “deserve a little treat”, I want you to rethink whether that’s really a reward. A reward should be something that makes your body and mind feel better, not worse. And while you may get a temporary buzz from indulging, we all know it doesn’t last.
5) Go Slow in January!
And last but not least, I want to remind you that we are in fact in WINTER! That means slowing down, easing in—not running off to the races. So please don’t beat yourself up because you feel like you’re behind already!
How about being in sync with the seasons? Maybe sleeping more. Getting in touch with who you are. Listening to your own inner wisdom. Go slow and get in the flow!
You don’t need to buy into the New Year, New You sh#t. You don’t need to be new. Just rest, renew, reset.
How do you make a fresh start for the New Year? What are you concentrating on in 2022? Let me know in the comments below.
LOVE + clarity,
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