
Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash
Maybe 2022 has been a great year for you — one full of new experiences, personal growth, and professional success. Or maybe you missed out on one (or all!) of those goals because you were too busy making sure everyone around you had what they needed to be happy and thrive.
New Year's resolutions might be an old tradition but there's a lot to be said for taking the time to set an intention for personal growth. As you reflect on the year that's coming to a close, and think about all that a new year might bring, here are three resolutions that will guarantee you are happier and healthier this time next year.
1. Practice mindfulness
Mindfulness is the psychological state of being aware of your experience in the moment, without judgement. It's knowing who you are right now and being grateful for it without trying to change anything. As noted author and teacher Eckhart Tolle wrote, “In today’s rush, we all think too much, seek too much, want too much, and forget about the joy of just being.”
There is a vast body of research showing the benefits of mindfulness for everything from reducing stress to strengthening your immune response to becoming less emotionally reactive in negative situations. It can even help increase the speed at which your brain processes information, as well as train you to focus better on the task at hand.
2. Focus on you
It's easy to look at the news and start to wonder how 2023 could possibly be any better than 2022. Your ability to change the world around you seems nonexistent and in many cases, is exactly what it seems.
Paulo Coelho, author of the bestselling novel, The Alchemist, wrote, “When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.” It seems too simple, but making up your mind to change yourself for the better is the easiest way to feel empowered when there is chaos around you. You can't change the world, or even your small corner of it, but you are absolutely able to change yourself.
3. Detox digitally
If you've never tried to go for any length of time without accessing Facebook or your preferred social media site, you should. Even if you only manage to do it for 24 hours, it's an eye-opener to how addicted we all are to digital interaction.
For most people, a day or two without scrolling through posts feels like being suddenly marooned on a deserted island. Once that feeling passes, though, you'll find yourself picking up books that have been laying around, unread. Or you might pick up the phone and actually call that friend you haven't spoken to in a while, instead of just “liking” the photo they posted over the holidays. Odds are, you'll both feel better after that call is over.
Here's to 2023
Whatever your resolutions may be, focus on starting the year ahead with gratitude for making it this far. From all of us at Memphis Parent, here's to a new year that brings you health, happiness, and personal growth.