Going Into the New Year With a Balanced Mindset
After the stress and chaos of the holiday season, there can be a strong desire that many people experience at the turn of the new year to bring more balance into their lives. However, achieving this balanced mindset can be more challenging than you think. It requires being intentional, setting goals for yourself and making a conscious effort to prioritize your wellness needs. While the demands of the holiday season have subsided, new pressures can take over in the form of work, family and other obligations. If you are not intentional, the same old habits can surface and leave you feeling anxious, overwhelmed and ultimately unhappy. Here are some tips for achieving balance and prioritizing wellness in the new year:
Tips for Prioritizing a Balanced Mindset and Wellness in the New Year:
Connect to your personal goals for yourself.
If you struggle with people pleasing, you may find yourself getting caught up in what everyone else expects from you, and have a hard time focusing on what you want for yourself in the new year. Try to make space to focus on what you want to achieve this year. Sometimes it can be helpful to focus on a few different goals for different aspects of your life such as work, family and (physical or emotional) health. Then, explore breaking down these goals into smaller, actionable parts so that you can start to visualize how they can be achievable for you.
Use this "slow" month to create a self-care routine.
Focus on what aspects of self-care are important to you, and how you can fit them into your current routine. Because January is often a month with limited obligations or distractions, it can be a great time to reset and hold yourself accountable to adopting a new routine. This way, your new routine will already be a habit for you when things start to get busy later in the year.
Allow yourself to take pauses.
Practice taking mental "pauses" can be a great way to work towards a clear mind. When you notice your brain is going a mile a minute, that is the perfect time to take a "pause", stop what you're doing, and take a few moments to focus on your present experience. This can be done by focusing on your breath, your current sensory experience, or different feelings in your body. Focusing on what is going on for you in the present will help interrupt anxious or stressful thought patterns and allow your mind to take a break from "doing".
Other Services at Root to Rise Therapy:
Other mental health services at Root to Rise Therapy include Therapy for Anxiety, Therapy for Perfectionism, Therapy for People-Pleasing, Cultural Identity Counseling, ADHD Therapy and Postpartum Counseling. I see clients located in Colorado, New York and New Jersey. Contact me to learn more about how I can help you overcome anxiety and reclaim your life!
