Posted 1 year ago
Happy New Year! 2023
Happy New Year! One New Year’s tradition that I have practiced for the last two years that brings gratitude and peace is finding my top three photos of the previous year. We often focus on the last few months of the year for the mood, feeling or mindset of the whole year. Take out your phone and open up your phone album. Go back to January 1, 2022. Scroll through the whole year of pictures in your phone and find your favorite three pictures of 2022. Spend some time reflecting on those moments and what brings you joy in thinking of it. Was it who you were with? Where you were? Or what you were doing? Share these with a friend or family member and have them share with you.
The past few years have shown us some challenges, but as we kick off 2023, take a moment to think about how you are going to approach this year. What personal and professional goals do you have for yourself? Are there changes you are going to make to your health and wellbeing in 2023? Is there a travel destination that is calling your name and it is time to start going to that place rather than just dream of it?
Here are a few inspirational quotes about the New Year that you may want to consider, starting first with one of my favorites.
“Every year you make a resolution to change yourself. This year, make a resolution to be yourself,” Author unknown
“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year,” Ralph Waldo Emerson
“New Year = A New Life! Decide today who you will become, what you will give, how you will live,” Anthony Robbins
“No matter how hard the past, you can always begin again,” Buddha
Webster’s dictionary defines a resolution as … a firm decision to do or not to do something. Words that are used in combination with resolution most often are intention, decision, aspiration, determination, and purpose. What will your resolution for 2023 be? Think beyond the norms and really focus on yourself. If you need some inspiration, here are a few resolutions you could aspire to achieve in the coming year.
Work out to feel better, not be thinner. Instead of obsessing over your weight in numbers, discover how amazing you can feel by being more active, how your energy increases and even how your anxiety can decrease.
Practice an act of kindness each day. The world needs this! Kindness does not have to cost you a penny. It can be as simple as opening the door for someone, smiling, saying thank you or leaving a post it note with message of gratitude on a coworker’s desk.
Do something good for your soul. Travel some place you have never been and explore a new culture, taste new food, or listen to music you have never experienced. If you cannot travel far, there are 91 cities on record in Arizona. Pick one you have never been to and go for lunch.
There is research that says clutter and disorganization can cause stress in your life. Too much stress in our lives is not healthy. Pick a room in your home and clear the clutter.
Last but definitely not least, practice self-care. We give so much of ourselves and our energy to others without taking the time to heal, replace what is lost, and love who we are. Self-care is not selfish. As a social worker, I often tell others that if I had a prescription pad, I would write one for a minimum of 15 minutes of self-care and relaxation each day. How you revitalize and recharge is unique to what you and your body needs. YouTube has Zen channels with noise. Turn off the reality TV and listen to the soothing sounds of nature or the ocean. Try one of Ironwood’s Tai Chi, watercolor painting, or Chair Yoga classes online. We have a whole library on YouTube of wellness offerings. Find a new hobby or activity to reduce stress an anxiety.
How ever you choose to kick off this New Year, we wish you the best and are here to support you!