The Christmas holidays are a time of fun, excitement, and unfortunately, a lot of stress. The beginning of a new year in January is the perfect time to pause and focus on yourself. Here are a few ways to create new year’s resolutions that lead to a more relaxed you.
Quality, not Quantity
It’s not about how much you do of something, but how well you do with it. For example, instead of trying to read a giant stack of books that maybe have little meaning, or are really just fluff, try to tackle more meaningful books. Find a memoir that will inspire you. Pick up a classic that you’ve always meant to read. You could pick a book with your partner and read it together to have something to discuss at night. Or, find a book club that will help inspire debate and get your minds working. The point is that if you can invest your time wisely, you will appreciate your hard work and effort.
Invest in Friendships
The new year is a good time to think about who you want to include in your life. Perhaps there are some old friends that you keep meaning to get together with. Instead of spending time worrying about communicating with them, just go ahead and contact them. Plan a date and get together. Sometimes you need to just dive in and get stuff done so that the worry of it all isn’t on your mind anymore. Catching up with old friends can also make us realize if we actually have enough still in common to continue a friendship. There is no shame in transitioning out of a friendship. So if you get together with someone, and realize it wasn’t as good as you thought it would be, you can move on knowing that you can now focus on other relationships.
Alone Time
We often spend too much of our time hurrying around from one even to the next. The result is an over-planned life that doesn’t let us breathe very much. It’s ok to have down time. Saturday mornings don’t have to be spent running errands. They can instead by pajama days. Take advantage of rainy days and stay inside with a good book or watch a movie you’ve been meaning to get around to. It’s ok to allow yourself to breathe.
Schedule Appointments
One important new year’s resolution is to take care of your own health. Take an afternoon and schedule all those appointments you’ve been putting off. Schedule your dentist cleaning and book your eye exam. Also include whole body treatments that allow you to relax, purify your mind, and make you more comfortable in your own skin. Don’t waste time thinking about making these phone calls. Just do them so that your mind can be a calmer, more organized place.