It’s almost 2024. We’ve completed 361 days of 2023. How was the last year? For a lot of us, it was less than easy. There’s a lot going on in the world. So how can you take care of yourself and create New Year wellbeing, prioritising your mental health? You might be surprised to hear that we’re not going to recommend resolutions as the year draws to a close. Nope. We know they don’t work. The research backs that up. So we’re advocating a healthy dollop of self compassion in your approach to mental health. Ditch the negative self talk, judginess & criticism and do what is right for you this Zenuary. Let’s look at how to create change more mindfully.
End of Year Reflections
New beginnings and possibilities. A New Year is full of opportunities to shed our skin, begin again. We can say goodbye to habits that no longer serve us. Alongside that, we can create habits that work for us. We love embracing this time of year as an opportunity to do what nature does in winter, slow down and renew. It’s the perfect time to reflect on how the year was for you. Ask yourself;
- What have I achieved?
- I’m grateful for…
- The things I’m most proud of are….
- Habits, actions or relationships that you’d like to leave behind, express gratitude for what you’ve learned and let them go
- Want more prompts? The brilliant Year Compass Plan is a fantastic resource that we use at the end of each year. What’s more, there’s even space to draw your next year if that’s your thing (give it a go, you might be surprised by what emerges).
An Intentional New Year
Now it’s time to think about where you’re heading.
It’s that time of year when we think about self growth and setting goals. At Koru we think that should include your wellbeing. In fact, we’d even go as far as to say that if you neglect your wellbeing, all of those other goals somehow feel, well, a bit up hill. You’re important and so is your wellbeing. A wee bit of self care will go a long way.
Wellbeing Journalling
Forget expectations, impossible goals, ‘shoulds’ & ‘musts’ and create your own zen den to just be, to reflect upon what you truly want for the next 12 months. Setting an intention to create a little moment of zen each day in January is the perfect place to start. Grab a journal, make space and time to reflect on what you’d like to invite wellbeing into the New Year. We’ve provided a link to our Free January Toolkit to keep you on track with tried and tested, science backed practices that will reduce stress and build resilience throughout the next month. Some prompting questions that may help you are;
- What do I want to continue working on?
- Things I’d like to change
- Connections I can maintain or create are….
- I can spend time in nature by…
- 1 thing that I can do differently to support my wellbeing each day is…
- I’ll schedule 5 mins daily to check in with the Zenuary Toolkit Practice
Now you’re ready to welcome in the New Year with open arms.