January 2023 Newsletter
A new year is upon us and new opportunities await us to make this our best year yet! Let’s face it, this alone is overwhelming enough without adding all the other stressors that the month of January brings.
After the upheaval of 2020 and 2021, there is no one I know that breezed into 2022 on a full tank. Most of us dragged ourselves into 2022 still carrying shock, trauma, grief and disbelief into a tornado speed of a year. Feeling the added pressure, stress and anxiety to catch up on all levels – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
We hit the ground running, in hopes that the busier we were, we would somehow erase the nightmares we had endured the previous two years. Thus, ignoring our body’s, mind’s and soul’s calls to slow down and process our new reality.
If you weren’t fortunate enough to down tools during the festive season you will more than likely begin the new year basically running on fumes.
If you did take a “break” you would have tried to jam pack as much fun and activities as possible that you weren’t able to do in the previous two years. And so began the marathons of packing, traveling, Christmas shopping, cooking up a storm for the family, fitting in as much fun, sun, beach and adventure as we could into each day to fully indulge in the festive spirit.
Now we find ourselves in a new year, with new hopes, new dreams and new expectations, not only in our personal lives but for our families too! It is no wonder the global stress statistics are through the roof!
So how do we turn things around and make this our best year yet, without overwhelming ourselves further? Here are a few tips to help you make this happen:
Breathe
Practice the art of breathing. Take a few minutes to focus on your breathing, taking deep breaths from your abdomen, doing this for at least 5 minutes at a time. This enables your brain to release feel good hormones like serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin and endorphins, all of which have a natural calming, balancing effect on your mind and body.
Focus on the present
Slow down and make the time to focus on being fully present in the moment, taking the time to focus on what you see, hear, smell and feel around you. This helps to keep you in the present where hope exists, and not only focussed on the future where fear resides.
Let the sunshine in
If you’re unable to get outside often during the day, keep your windows and curtains open during the daylight hours. The sun provides us with natural Vitamin D, enhancing the “happy” hormones.
Finding balance
Making time to rest, play and work helps to eliminate stress and bring balance to our everyday lives.
Relax and get enough sleep
Activities that relax the body such as hot baths, massages, and yoga can release trauma trapped in the body. Experts recommend seven to eight hours of good quality sleep every night in order for the body to replenish and revitalize itself for the following day.
Eat healthy balanced meals
What you eat can have a direct influence on how you feel mentally, physically and emotionally. Find and stick to a healthy meal plan to incorporate all food groups for a healthy balance.
Change your state
Find an activity every day that helps bring you to a state of calm, peace and tranquillity. Doing this daily for at least 20 minutes a day assists the brain to focus on and grow positive and healthy neuropathways.
Set realistic goals
When planning your new years resolutions or setting your goals for the year ahead, make sure you break down the tasks into simple doable steps so you don’t overwhelm yourself and set yourself up for failure from the get go.
3 key ingredients to ensuring your goals are achievable:
Focus and discipline
Focus on your future self. If you want to be healthy, focus on what your future self looks like healthy, and that will delay instant gratification behaviour. Discipline is the start to forming a habit, for example to be healthy one might have to exercise at least 3 times a week. Once you start with the discipline of exercising 3 times a week, a habit will then be formed which will then aid your future goal of being healthy.
Emotional connection
Get emotionally connected with your goal. One way to do this is to create a vision board which you can spend time seeing your future self, feeling how much energy you have and enjoying your favourite activities to the fullest.
Repetition and journalling
The more often you do something, for example, exercise, the more the brain’s neurons bond together. The brain likes repetition which eventually forms a habit.
Journal your journey to achieving your goals. One cannot manage a goal without being able to measure the progress made and a journal will keep you on track to make sure you are taking the daily correct steps in achieving your goals.
In Conclusion
The key to living a balanced life is to remember to stay in the present moment, as this helps us to keep perspective and stay grounded. Don’t ignore or push away any feelings and emotions that surface in fear of them being too overwhelming. When we sit with an emotion and allow ourselves to look at it for what it really is, we are able to release it and let it go.
If you are still not able to cope with the pressures and stress of life around you, we invite to join us on our upcoming Fear, Stress and Anxiety workshop commencing this coming 4th February 2023. This workshop will empower you take control of your thoughts, emotions and actions in the future.
We would like to wish you a prosperous, exciting and exhilarating 2023, filled with joy, magic and adventure. We are readily available and just a call away to empower you to reach your full potential and look forward to assisting you in living your best life yet.
The Azura Body Mind Soul team
Every year you make a resolution to change yourself. This year, make a resolution to be yourself.
