New Year, New Me
With the start to a new year, many of us create a set of fresh goals for ourselves to accomplish. You wouldn’t be alone if one of your new year’s resolutions included a healthier approach to life. After living through a global pandemic for 2 years now, it’s important to practice healthy habits physically, mentally and emotionally.
Our physical health is heavily impacted by our diet. An important thing to remember is that everything in moderation is key. Extreme life changes don’t happen overnight, and they definitely don’t stand the test of time if drastic changes are made. Start by drinking water more often than other beverages. Physical health also includes exercise. This doesn’t have to mean going to the gym every day of the week, but making small changes/goals for yourself. Maybe take a walk outside and enjoy some fresh air. Not only is this beneficial for your physical health, but mentally and spiritually as well. Nature has a way of calming the mind, body, and soul. Take a deep breath and break from sitting at home or in your office. Lastly a good night’s sleep is a simple and effective way to assure your body is resting. In a world of constant interaction with people, a restful night of sleep rejuvenates our bodies mentally and physically.
As we transition to being mindful of our Mental health, keep in mind many ways we care for ourselves can overlap. As mentioned previously, sleep is a physical way to care for our bodies but it can also improve our mental state of mind. There’s nothing better than a peaceful night’s sleep, right? Mentally we need a break from life. Another form of mental self-care could be taking a break from social media. Many of us have multiple accounts, whether its facebook, twitter, instagram, snapchat, and most recently tiktok. These applications deplete our time and energy, and can take a toll mentally. By hitting pause from any of these platforms we create a purposeful and productive time of rejuvenation. Perhaps rather than endlessly scrolling on our phones, we could use that extra time to journal our thoughts with pen and paper to give us a new perspective.
Lastly, its important to take care of ourselves spiritually. Often times people associate Prayer as the main spiritual practice. Something about releasing worries, fears, and burdens is cathartic. Meditation also has a powerful impact on our overall mental/spiritual health. Closing your eyes, taking a few deep breaths and focusing on mindfulness is a healthy practice. Journaling is another habit that can significantly improve both mental and spiritual health. Reflecting on the day and life’s blessings and stressors is a practice that can be applied internally, externally, indoors, outdoors, it can bring a sense of peace. Isn’t that something we all could use a little more of?
Overall, we need to remember that self-care includes various aspects: physical, mental, and spiritual care. Many of these practices are multi-purposeful and can be simple life changes that significantly improve your well-being once put into practice. 2022 is just getting started, let’s make some healthy habits for a new year and a new you!
Written by: Chaplain Frances Manikowski