Hi friends! I know it’s been a long time since I have been posting regularly but after my long hiatus I am BACK and ready to throw more nutrition nerdiness, recipes, and lifestyle tips your way! Here’s to hoping someone in addition to mama Biebs is still actually reading. If not, HI MOM!
As you know, I’m not a fan of New Years resolutions. I think if you need to change something in your life you need to change it NOW. Not Monday, not next month, not just because it is January 1st. BUT I know many of you love the idea of starting the new year fresh, setting goals, and putting your mind to accomplishing them and I think that is great. I am sure you have been bombarded with New Years Resolution messages telling you how important it is to eat less, eat clean, exercise more, new year new you, blah blah blah. All of this is bullshit. Skinny and exercising daily doesn’t necessarily make you healthy. It’s definitely important to eat a balanced diet and exercise regularly but health is so much more than that. This year I challenge you to focus on something that does not include trying to control your eating habits. See below for some of my suggestions!
Clear the Air
You know when the light comes through a window in your house and illuminates all of the dust in the stream of light? Guess what? Your entire room is that dusty, not just the place the light is hitting. Gross, right? Your house could be full of a whole host of things that are irritating your nasal passages and air ways. I’m talking pet dander, pollen, mold spores, dust mites, food odors, cigarette particles, flu virus, bacteria, pollution from cars, etc. All of this has actually been shown to increase the systemic inflammatory marker in your body C-reactive protein. So what do you do? Open a window, especially if you are living in a more rural area. This will help to circulate air better and move out any of the dust that has been building up in your rooms over the winter. Next, try regularly diffusing essential oils like Thieves or Purification to clear odors (message me to sign up!). Finally, buy a HEPA filter to remove particles and clear anything that has been building up.
Clean up your social media
Instagram is my favorite social media because it is full of weird nature pictures, awe-inspiring travel photos, positive quotes, and most importantly lots and lots of puppies. But even instagram can be full of photos that make you compare yourself to others and wonder what the heck you are doing with your life. Make any social media site you are part of a positive thing by removing any accounts that make you judge yourself or feel bad. You don’t need that shit in your life.
Try a new activity
Do you ever feel like you are living in a real life version of Groundhog Day? Get up, go to work, come home, do laundry, watch Netflix, shower, rinse, repeat. I find that sometimes happens to me especially in the winter when I’m not out hiking as much as I would like to be. Trying new activities actually requires some courage. You have to overcome that fear of feeling stupid or looking foolish and sometimes it means being vulnerable. When you actually do try that new thing you get such of feeling of accomplishment both from exhibiting that courage but also the rush of whatever you just learned. This could mean trying a new activity, restaurant, or hobby. You could meet new friends and learn something that will make you a more well rounded person. Try meetup.com or your local community classroom. If you are from Rochester check out the Rochester Brainery.
Learn Something New
Along with trying new activities, learning something new also helps you grow as a person. Learning something new could mean a new skill at work (could lead to a promotion), learning how to change the oil in your car (hello extra cash for vacation), learning how to fight with your spouse in a more constructive way (less conflict, better connection), or watching a documentary about sustainability (treat the planet with more respect). Learning energizes you, keeps you from bored, and forces you to grow as a person.
Go see a therapist
I don’t care if you are the gymmiest of gym bros, the kind of girl that cries over a commercial, the tough girl, or the sensitive guy, everyone needs to see a therapist. We’re all screwed up on some level and rather than running from yourself it’s important to face your struggles and get to the root cause of them. Maybe your past is making you gravitate to people who aren’t helpful to have in your life. Maybe you’re trying to control your weight or food intake because it helps to numb out the other things you’re struggling with, or maybe you just want to have a better understanding of yourself so you can use your strengths to further your career or ambition. I’m an advocate for therapy for everyone. If you’ve been debating this one start the year by diving in.
Capitalize on your strengths
Check out the Via Institute on Character to discover what your character strengths are and see how you can build on them to be the best version of you.
Slow down
There are so many of us that wear working 60 hours a week as a badge of honor. “How are you?” is almost ubiquitously answered with “good, busy!” nowadays. I get it, we’re all busy and we’re all trying our damnedest to get somewhere whether it is in our career, relationships, or child raising. But you could spend your life working tirelessly at your job to die of a heart attack at 40 without ever have traveled the way you wanted to. It’s okay to take a break, take a vacation, and soak in what is in front of you- right now. You don’t have to be the best at school, your job, or as a parent to deserve peace. Work on improving your mindfulness and learn to feel satisfaction in those little moments and give yourself a break for sitting on the couch a little.
Make your bedroom a sleep haven
I don’t know many adults that get the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep daily and it is one of those things that is slowly killing our health and putting us in an early grave. Get blinds and blackout curtains, make sure the temperature in your room is cool, minimize noise, and shut off screens at least 2 hours before bed to improve melatonin secretion. Bonus points for diffusing lavender essential oil.
Find your own beet
Food pun ALWAYS intended. You are your own unique little snowflake and no one is quite like you. Don’t squash your own uniqueness by trying to mimic someone else. Go into this year owning your own shit, being goofy, and not caring what other people think.
