Entering the new year has led me to really reflect on where I want to focus my energy, in order to get the most “bang for buck”. As I’m sure a lot of you are, I’ve been creating my vision boards and sorting through what I want to carry with me, and consequently leave behind. Let’s start with the wins.
No.1 finding balance with my diet
I used to find myself possessing an ‘all or nothing’ mindset in multiple areas of my life, one of them being my diet. Meticulously tracking Mon-Fri and letting loose on the weekends. Looking back, the subconscious restriction is what was triggering the successive binge. Putting and end to tracking calories has been one of the most freeing things I’ve done. It took me so long to become ‘in tune’ with my body and it’s cues (something I am still learning), but I love the journey so far. Becoming gluten-free has been a complete lifestyle shift, but it has been a great thing in forcing me to try new recipes and venture out of my typical habits.
No.2 stress free savings
For ages I was wanting to get on top of my finances, but the lot of it was so overwhelming that I didn’t know where to begin. The thing is, there is no correct way to start, even if it’s something small, it’s still a step in the right direction. Figuring out what my expenses are and how much I need a week has made me a lot less stressed. For example, leading up to my placement blocks I would put aside money each week knowing that it would allow me to rest during periods of minimal income. Popping in a recurring pay-day reminder with a list of what accounts to transfer to and how much makes the process so easy that there’s no excuse not to.
no.3 hellooo social butterfly
As much as I adore a cosy night in, it has come to my attention that an essential part of our health and wellbeing comes from connection, community and socialisation. I became all too comfortable with staying in and enjoying ‘me-time’ that I forgot how enjoyable a night out can be with the right people. I go on about how I want to meet new people, but how am I supposed to if I don’t give the universe any opportunities for me to do so? I’ve been saying yes to all the plans I can. If I’m free, I’m there, and it has not disappointed.
Now, let’s move on to the ins…
No.1 not everything is worth a stress response
If you’re stuck on HealthTok like I am, chances are you’ve heard of ‘nervous system regulation’. If you haven’t, it is basically your body’s ability to shift between “alert” and “calm” states at the right times. In my previous post, I discuss the hormone cortisol, which plays a large factor in your body’s stress response. As a knowingly anxious girly, I find myself getting worked up over things that simply aren’t worth it.
Your stress response, controlled by your sympathetic nervous system, is beneficial for keeping you safe during times your body senses you’re in danger. So why am I experiencing it on a casual Tuesday morning at home? The thing is, your brain can’t tell the difference between real and imagined threats. I may be safe at home, but if my mind is wondering elsewhere about all these things I need to do, and what could happen if I don’t, then it’s a recipe for stress.
Which leads me to my focus of the year; stress less. Things I have researched to help me regulate my nervous system more effectively include:
- Deep breathing when I find myself getting worked up, this signals to your brain to calm down
- Gentle movement like stretching at the end of the day to wind down without stimulation from screens
- Prioritising sleep to give my body enough time to reset for the next day
- Limiting overstimulation from devices, continuous scrolling can lead to hyper-arousal, and overload our brain’s attention spans. This is certainly a work in progress for me, phone addiction is real (sadly)
- Journalling to take the mental load out of my head and onto some paper, things can seem a lot less overwhelming when you lay it out in front of you
- Regular exercise is a personal fav to release stress, I have shifted my mindset to moving in a way that leaves me feeling better than I walked in, opposed to punishing myself for the sake of aesthetics. Pilates have also been a great additive to begin my work mornings
no.2 kickstart the creativity
With phone addiction on the increase, especially within younger people (myself included), I continue to notice how little time I spend on creative or educational hobbies I used to enjoy. Reading, writing, researching new topics and learning new skills were not only a great way to fill my time, but also a way to form new experiences and interests that provide variation in everyday life. Research has shown that lack of variation in our routine makes time feel like it “speeds up” (Taylor, 2024). Without new and distinct information, our brain lumps similar days together, making it often feel like a blur. We’re all fading into the same people. Same viral hobbies, diets and clothes. This is the time to get back into my hobbies that make me, me.
No.3 mirror mirror on the wall
Something that has stuck with me to this day, is a video I once saw (how ironic), speaking about how we were never meant to see ourselves as much as we currently do. Between mirrors, social media, and video conferences, we are significantly increasing our self-awareness of our appearance. I’m sure there can be benefits to this, but for the most part, it can opposingly increase our self-criticism. With acne being an insecurity of mine, it also happens to be the first thing i’m checking when I look in the mirror. Not only does this have me feeling worse, but it also leads me down the rabbit hole of skin picking. So, it’s time to part ways with the magnified mirrors and the unnecessary “mirror-checking”. Bringing awareness to every so-called ‘imperfection’ is only going to make the temptation to “fix it” stronger, and like before, why cause myself so much unnecessary stress with no necessary reason. Let’s keep the mirrors for getting stuff out of our teeth am I right
Feel free to comment below your own wins and ins of the year, I’d love to hear them
Leave a Reply