January is here yet again and although the commonly used term “2018 is my year” has been ubiquitous throughout social media posts and verbal conversations alike, most people are typically feeling low, anxious and fed up. The January Blues is a true ailment and it explains why New Year’s Resolutions generally involve some sort of health or fitness regime. However let’s be honest with ourselves, just because it’s a New Year does not mean that all of a sudden your life is going to drastically change and you will miraculously find yourself with heaps of free time and energy and money to take up all these New Year’s resolutions and see them through until the end of time. Alternatively have a look at this list of amazing ways to get healthier and happier in 2018 that don’t require all of the above.
Start Practising Desk Mindfulness in 2018
Meditation and other forms of relaxation and deep thought are great ways to help reduce anxiety, stress and to encourage people to lead kinder more positive lives. In an ideal world we would all have at the very least 20-30 minutes every day to sit down and meditate. Unfortunately 2018 on planet earth is not an ideal world (in more ways than one) so we have to make do with what time we have available to us. Desk Mindfulness is a short moment taken to check in with yourself. Stop typing or whatever regular activity you have at work and focus on your breathing. Just a few minutes should do the trick to help you clear your mind. Feel better? I thought so.
Allocate Some Time to Home Spa Treatments
Your version of spa treatments can differ from other peoples and how thorough you are with this step is up to you. The idea is to dedicate some time at least once a week (or it could be every day) to treatments or rituals that are based around spa treatments. This could be as simple as your skin routine of cleansing your face. On the other hand it could include a full body scrub and moisturise. For the busier people you could change it up every week with a different focus. One week hair, the next skin and the following week could be feet. The overall aim is to up your spa game and treat yourself to some luxury body care and relaxation. Light a candle, turn your phone to airplane mode and stick on some soothing music to really feel like you are at a spa retreat. You will be amazed at how much of a difference even 30 minutes of me time a week could improve your mood (and your pores).
Be Grateful
There are a lot of stresses in modern life. There are the stresses that affect us personally that can differ from person to person such as financial worries or family issues or even health problems. There are also the bigger issues that may not affect your everyday life but you might spend time worrying about them such as the knock on effects of Brexit or the uncertainty of the future as a result of Global Warming. No matter what your worries are you should make this a turning point in your life to try and not let these things rule your life. Although your worries may be valid and you deserve to acknowledge your feelings, try not to bring them up at every chance you get. There are also many positive things in your life, big and small and you should try to acknowledge these aspects as well. One of the best ways to start to welcome positivity into your life is to begin each day by making a list of things you are grateful for.