After living through the disaster that was the year 2020, I think one thing all of us crave more than anything is a fresh start. 2021 has become the new hope we’ve all desperately pleaded for and it has finally arrived.
But new year’s resolutions can be so overwhelming sometimes, right? I mean, I lost count of how many times last year I would cry myself to sleep thinking about how “little” I was achieving in comparison to other people. As I continuously scrolled through social media within the walls of my home that covid-19 had enclosed me in indefinitely, I couldn’t help but feel that small twinge of jealousy that tugged at a corner of my heart.
So what did I do? I did what I thought would calm my anxiety: I drowned myself in a sea of work, new projects and a growing to-do list that seemed to have no end.
Ironic, right?
I’m 100% sure that we can all relate to that feeling of insufficiency, like we feel guilty for relaxing or taking our time on what we’re most passionate about. The world seems to revolve at such a high speed that we’re left breathless in the wake of ambition that seems forced upon us by our peers, strangers, social media and society.
In this new year, I think it’s time we focus on the important things: mental health, genuine happiness, accomplishing goals at our own pace.
I’m going to give you guys some examples of things to proudly put on your resolutions list without feeling too pressured and just enjoying life.
Be more present
Yeah, I know, this goal sounds so simple that you might think: “Jewel, I’m always present. I can’t be in two places at once (ba-dum-tss)”. Well sure, you can be physically present when you’re at family gatherings via Zoom calls or when you’re on a date with your partner or best friend.
But is your mind there? Are you conscious of what’s going on around you or are you distracted by the notifications buzzing on your phone?
I downloaded this cool app called Flora (you can find it in the app store for free!) which is essentially an app that can help you not get distracted by your phone so often and you can grow a tree once the timer goes off. I have found that apps like Flora to be excellent tools to make sure we don’t use our phones in situations where we don’t need to and we can enjoy the simple things in life.
We can be so emotionally invested in what shows up on our social media feed and not by the wonderful things that occur in our lives on a daily basis. Make it your goal this year to enjoy those moments and stay present.
Embrace your body
Phew, this one’s a hard one, at least for me. Sure, loving our bodies unconditionally is easy in theory but not always in practice. Social media platforms like Tik Tok and Instagram can sometimes make us feel like we aren’t are beautiful as we once thought we were.
FALSE.
The presence of someone else’s beauty is not the absence of your own.
Anonymous
Your goal this year is that whenever a negative thought about your body comes into your mind, you think of at least three positive things about your body.
We sometimes forget that our body quite literally keeps us alive. Our body does so much for us on a daily basis that we’re not even conscious of it and we have the audacity to not be grateful for all it does for us? No way, that ends this year.
Wake up every morning, look at yourself in the mirror and say, “wow, thank you body for your beauty and mesmerizing capability of keeping me alive”. I swear, you will feel so much more empowered with every day that goes by.
It’s not going to be easy, not going to lie, but it’s gonna be oh so worth it. I believe in you!
Another way to appreciate your body is by nurturing it. This entails many different things such as:
- Establish a simple -yet effective- morning and evening skin care routine (make sure to read the ingredients of the products you use to make sure you’re not applying anything harmful to your skin).
- Develop healthier eating habits. Feed your body with a well balanced diet. Eat your veggies, fruits and allow yourself a cheat day. (Don’t starve yourself from your cravings! Indulge in them but always at a reasonable amount.)
- Drink water, babe. Drop the soda lol. Hydrate your body!
- Get a good amount of rest so that your body can regenerate all the energy it’s burned up throughout the day (plus, your mind can use a refresh as well).
- Exercise your body so that you can use those awesome muscles and make sure you do at least a lil’ bit of physical activity (a short walk can do wonders. Doesn’t have to be anything too major!)
Read books that inform and empower you
I remember when I was in middle school and my classmates would feel like reading was such a chore but I have always felt a great appreciation for literature. It is empowering, insightful and can offer you a new perspective on things you have maybe never thought of a different way before.
Because of everything that’s going on in the world and how the rising generations are on a constant battle against ignorance, it’s now more important than ever when we need to seek guidance from books written by experts and/or people with platforms that can talk about the facts about certain topics and their experiences related to said topics.
Books offer us an opportunity to find a healthy escape from our reality and submerge ourselves into intellectual conversations that will help us find fulfillment.
But don’t read just to read. Absorb the information and figure out how to apply it to your life. Try to read at least 5 books this year that inspire you to become a better person, whether that’s in the fiction genre or books about politics and/or society. Just find a way to grow through literature!
Invest in self-care
Investing in self-care doesn’t necessarily mean you have to buy products from expensive skin care brands or whatever. Let’s just say one day you’re taking an afternoon drive around your neighborhood and you find this quiet little flower selling the cutest succulents (or whatever plant you like) and you feel this rush of dopamine run through you and you just need to buy that plant or you’ll die lol.
Treat yourself! Little things like that can lift your spirits and make life just a little bit more bearable. Treating yourself to things you love every once in a while is a form of self-care and should not be treated as something “silly”.
Treat yourself to a Self-care day at LEAST once a month. That could mean you take the day off to do whatever you want that’s not work related, take a long shower (those delicious showers where you shave, exfoliate, wash your hair, all that stuff) and binge watch your favorite TV show in your favorite pajamas. As long as you focus on your mental health and well-being, that’s all that matters.
Make a habit of putting yourself first!
I know it’s been sooo long since I’ve posted on this blog but this last semester of college has been so full of work and I had so much on my plate that the few moments I had to rest were literally the moments when I would curl up on my couch and sob because I was so utterly exhausted.
With that being said, although this resolutions list is small, it’s meaningful and comes from a special place in my heart that truly wishes for all of us to have an amazing year full of peace, growth and love. You can add as many things you want to the list, just make sure they’re healthy, realistic and give you room to grow and be happy.
Trust me, everything that I mentioned here, I plan to apply to my life, so I hope you do too!
If you’ve read this far, thank you so much. Happy New Year!
xx Jewel
Drops of Honey 