A New Year With Small Changes
Creating Small Changes to help guide you in creating a year with ease and fulfilment.
It is a brand new year, which means it is full of new possibilities. The holiday season is coming to a close and life is finally taking a moment to slow down, but for some reason, we are not. The new year always brings a shift in energy, a need to be more productive, to make plans, to set challenges, and to push yourself even after the busy and bustling holiday season. We have been doing some thinking at Brandy Maddison Events, and we want this year to not be about focusing on feeling like you have to change, but rather using little tools that help you feel good.
We have been through, a few, difficult years now. I get it, it's hard to look forward to the new year, and dream of new possibilities when we keep getting knocked down. So this year, instead of creating grand New Year resolutions that leave us feeling disappointed when we don’t reach them, let's try making small changes that add to our daily life and bring us a little more peace of mind. Here are some helpful tools to try in the new year, but don’t pressure yourself into starting something that does not align with you. We have included an Intention Setting Guide and Affirmation Guide below for you to download as use!
Journaling
Journaling is a great wellness practice, and probably one of my personal favourites. Writing for 10 min a day is a small change you can add to your daily routine, or even weekly. Journaling requires no commitment, write what you want when you feel called to. You can use a journal to brain dump everything from your day. Many people also use it for reflective thinking and internal searching. A journal can be a place to release a lot of those pent-up thoughts in your head. Journaling is also a creative outlet, let your journal be a reflection of you and where you want to be going.
Gratitude
Gratitude is the practice of being thankful for what you have in your life. Incorporating gratitude into your daily routine is as simple as writing down three or more things you are thankful or grateful for from your day. Often the first thing I am thankful for is my cup of coffee in the morning. I'm grateful for it because it is a small simple piece of my day that is entirely for me, the ten minutes I spend drinking my coffee in the morning before I start work before I scroll through social media is simple, quiet, and peaceful. Finding moments in your day to be thankful for, can start off difficult, but the more you find to be thankful for in your life, the easier it becomes. Gratitude for your life around you builds appreciation for all that you have.
Changing Your Space
You don’t have to move to a different country, a different city, or even to a different home to change your space. Changing your space invites fresh new feelings into your home. Changing your space to invite in the new year can help you feel like you have a fresh start without creating drastic change. Changing your space can look like rearranging your furniture, or swapping out your decor for a new look. A simple change like this one can bring your space into alignment with where you are currently in your life.
Movement
Daily movement is not only great for your physical health but also your mental health. A little movement for your body during the day refreshes your brain and releases endorphins, which we all love and need. Daily movement doesn’t have to be strenuous or take up a lot of time. If you’re busy with work all day, take a coffee break and stretch at your desk. Try low-impact workouts like pilates or yoga. There are great resources online for short low-impact movements that don’t take a lot out of your day but still get you moving. There are lots of different ways to keep your body moving, a favourite of mine is simply going outside for a short walk to enjoy the fresh air.
Daily Check In’s
Daily check-ins, we often check in with our friends and family members to see how they are doing, yet we rarely take the time to check in with ourselves. Taking the time to check in with yourself is important to understand how you are feeling in the present moment. It takes slowing down and looking inward to understand where you are. You can start by checking in with how you are feeling. It can be simple like asking yourself, did I drink water today? Or you can search deeper and ask yourself why are my energy levels low, where am I giving more than I need to? Take the time to evaluate how you are feeling and appreciate all that you do. It’s important to take of yourself now and always.
Resolutions often are difficult to keep. We often focus too much on changing the outside, without looking inside ourselves. Change happens within ourselves, and it starts with small changes like the ones listed above. Small changes that help you feel better every day are important in the long run. Let's leave the traditional new year resolution behind in 2021, and start making long-lasting small changes towards a better 2022.
-J