Motivated to Chill
Resolution: Relax
It’s the New Year, and you have choices. One is to hit the ground running and motivate hard. Or, you could hop off the resolution bandwagon and just… relax. (It’s deep winter, after all.) If the latter sounds good to you, we’ve got some suggestions for inspired hibernation and high-function postponement of the pressure to perform.
Gentle Detox
No need to go crazy on the cleansing and diets (your body wants deeper cleansing in Spring and Autumn anyway!). Rather, you could simply choose to clean things up a little bit and give your body a gentle break from the holiday treat-fest. Eliminating sugar, alcohol, caffeine, and dairy is plenty. Or you could simply start each morning with a warm cup of lemon water. Or pick one less-than-healthy indulgence to let go of for the month. You could also keep all the vices and simply add a couple of healthy, plant-based home-cooked meals into the mix each week. It doesn’t need to be radical for your body to feel the benefit.
Visualizations > Resolutions
Before your woowoo alert gets too loud, you should know that many athletes visualize as part of their training. Seeing yourself doing something in your mind’s eye is a rehearsal for the real thing. Rather than beginning with big action steps, spend a few minutes each day this January visualizing yourself doing/having/creating what you want to accomplish this year, then go get it!
Phone it in (When Possible)
Rhythmically speaking, January is still a good time to rest (or go on vacation if possible). Unfortunately, the cultural norm is to go hard with enthusiasm summoned from deep, deep within. It’s exhausting just to think about. No one’s advocating true slackerdom here. We’re just saying, slow your roll. Streamline your responsibilities where you can. The week after the holidays is no time to leave it all out on the field. You’ve got 51 weeks left to shine like the star you are. Set the example and be gentle with yourself this month.
Get Outside
January is dark and cold and the post-holiday let-down is real. The best antidote for this is nature. Bundle up and take walks or hikes, or cross-country ski. If it’s really too cold to go out, then move your body indoors. If going to the gym feels sketchy, dance in your living room or take an online yoga class. Keep moving and breathing and sweating, that’s what’s important.
We could go on about all the ways to keep things chill this month, but it’s January and we have a nap to take. Happy first Sustainable Self-Care Sunday of 2022!