As we wrap up the first week of the New Year, many of us find ourselves in one of two camps:

• Feeling a little exhausted by our Herculean efforts to perfectly execute our new goals.
• Feeling a little discouraged by our underwhelming progress towards said goals we promised we would finally start doing.

Whichever camp you find yourself pitching your tent in, there is a concept that can help us get on more even ground which is…. mindfulness! Not to be confused with “mind FULLness”. Mindfulness is “a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations” (Oxford Languages).

Wait, what?… It sounds kind of complicated I know. Here is a little video to lift your spirits and get you motivated to start over if the first week of the New Year did not go as planned! Let’s be mindful and change our mindset.

Stop Sabotaging Yourself | Debi Silber | TEDxFultonStreet – YouTube – Debi Silber MS, RD, WHC, FDN, CEO of Lifestyle Fitness, Inc.

Don’t get me wrong It’s good and healthy to have a lot going on in our lives, to make goals, to even fail at achieving those goals a couple times, but we will keep failing if we don’t learn how to manage everything without getting vertigo. Are we ready to add the next dimension to our foundationalself-improvement project?

Let’s do it!

1. Consistent meditation time. You don’t need a gong, incense, or a water fountain to start practicing mindfulness. But if it works, why not!

Many people:

• Connect with nature by sitting on the grass.
• Sip a hot or cold drink on a park bench.
• Some sit bare bottomed in their garden (true story).
• Seek mindfulness daily, others weekly.
• Listen to inspirational podcasts.
• Some might listen to calming, inspiring music or create art.
• Simply seek quiet solitude.
• Others (yours truly) jot down their thoughts in a notebook or journal.

What sounds good to you? What is going to really connect you to your own thoughts?

2. Social media fast? We all need it occasionally. I have two quotes:

– “We live in a world where there is more and more information, and less and lessmeaning” -Jean Baudillard, French Sociologist. 

– “So many people are struggling to create happiness while their brain is inundatedby noise. If your brain is receiving too much information, it automatically thinksyou’re under threat and scans the world for the negative first. Because the brainis limited, whatever you attend to first becomes your reality.” -Shawn Achor, American Author

Whether this fast be for a couple hours or a couple days or even if you limit your usage, it does make a difference mentally. Break free from the control of your device.

3. Move. Wait, don’t call U-Haul…no cardboard or packing tape necessary. I am talking about the dreadful body motion that we all know we need but for some reason it is the hardest habit to create. Physical activity, even light activity, is directly correlated to relieve stress and anxiety, as well as improved memory and mental acuity. So, take a walk, work in your garden, go for a hike, fly a kite! Start as small as you need and be consistent.

4. Talk to someone. Let’s face it: we all have baggage. Sometimes it’s helpful to talk to someone. Small things, big things, stressful things, ALL the things. Talk. The sharing of life experiences and struggles can be very cathartic for all parties involved. Sometimes we just need to be heard. Talk to a friend or loved one you trust about your thoughts and feelings. Are your problems too serious or complicated a burden for a normal conversation? Find a therapist or community outreach program and meet with them as often as you need to heal or get that one thing that has been eating at you off your chest. As we embark down the path of mindfulness this week, let’s be sincere in our efforts yet grace-full of ourselves. We seek improvement, not perfection. With that, I’d like to close with a poem:

“If you can start the day without caffeine,If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it,If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,If you can conquer tension without medical help,If you can relax without alcohol,If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,…Then You Are Probably ………..The Family Dog!”(Author Unknown)

Have a great week everyone ?