New Year, New You: The Secret to Really Improving Your Life this Year
“There is nothing magical about the flip of the calendar, but it represents a clean break, a new hope, and a blank canvas.”― Jason Soroski
As the new year begins, many of us will have felt the pressure to set resolutions and create personal growth plans. Many of us will have signed up for new gyms, committed to a new diet plan or crafted some other plans to improve our health and wellbeing over the coming year. Whilst this can be an amazing time to re-set, re-prioritise and focus on self-improvement - for many it can also be a time of overwhelm and pressure.
It can be helpful to approach any goals that you are setting with kindness and balance.
As humans we tend to tend to love extreme goal setting. Rather than just decide to go to the gym once or twice a week (when we have not been going at all) - we vow to go 3 times a day. Rather than just decide to add more nourishing food to our diet (when we have been living off take-aways), we commit to an extreme low carb regime of less that 30g of carbs a day plus home-cooking all meals. Whilst these goals may stick for a while, we will often find them to be unsustainable long-term.
So the secret to really improving your life, health and wellbeing this year can come from taking a more balanced approach to your New Year's Resolutions. It may sound boring but often the most powerful shifts come from the small changes that you can sustain, rather than the big gestures that soon fade away.
Here are some practical ways to embrace self-care and start to nurture your wellbeing this January:
Set Holistic Goals Focus on resolutions that enhance your overall well-being. Rather than just prioritising one area of your life e.g. following a very restrictive diet at the expense of your social life, or focusing on one work project at the expense of your family-life.. try to think about how you can balance your life in a more rounded way. What would bring you joy in your relationships, professional life, passions as well as further your health and wellbeing e.g. perhaps focusing on getting more sleep is more helpful to your overall life than trying to cut out take aways etc.
Cultivate Your Environment Surround yourself with influences that uplift and inspire you. This might mean following social media accounts that promote self-compassion and joy rather than six-packs and juice cleanses, or creating a physical space that feels restorative and calming. It can also mean actively choosing to spend time with those people that make you feel good about yourself and that live a lifestyle aligned with the one you aspire to.
Reframe Food and Movement Approach food as a source of nourishment and enjoyment rather than stress or restriction. Similarly, explore movement that feels good for your body, whether that’s dancing, pilates or a gentle walk. You are much more likely to stick to something if it feels fun and is something you are looking forward to. It can also be helpful to set flexible and balanced goals for yourself around food and movement rather than very rigid rules that will be difficult to stick to long-term.
Practice self-compassion Whilst you may not love where you are right now when it comes to your health and wellbeing or your body - being harsh on yourself won't help you to feel better or to stick to your goals. Instead, practising self compassion can gently help you to make more loving and nourishing choices for yourself and your body. If loving your body feels challenging at the moment, aim for body neutrality instead. Appreciate your body for what it allows you to do and how it supports your daily life.
Seek Support When Needed We are much more likely to stick to a goal when we have a support system in place. It can be helpful to lean on friends, family, or a therapist when you need encouragement or guidance.
At The Food Therapy Clinic, we love to help people make sustainable changes to their health, wellbeing and relationship with food. Our team of compassionate professionals provides evidence-based support and resources to help you prioritise your well-being and achieve your health-related goals. If you’re feeling overwhelmed this January, know that you’re not alone. You deserve respect, care, and a supportive environment to grow.
Get In Touch
The start of a new year is an opportunity to reflect and grow, but it doesn’t have to come with pressure and the punishment of restrictive diets and tough exercise regimes. By embracing self-compassion and setting balanced goals, you can focus on what truly matters: your health, happiness, and fulfillment long-term.
If you or someone you know needs support with your relationship with food, please reach out to us. You can email info@thefoodtherapyclinic.com to book in a free consultation.
“May the New Year bring you new strength, new hope and new dreams.” ― Lailah Gifty Akita
Comments