Kickstart 2022 The Right Way

Every new year brings new opportunities to reset intentions and improve yourself. Lose weight. Exercise more. Limit social media. Save more. Stop gossiping. Spend time with loved ones.

Resolutions almost feel like a grand gesture to wipe away the previous year’s mistakes and omissions clean, only to fall into the same old, tired habits in a few weeks once the dazzle of the new year has passed.

Instead of looking for “surefire ways to stick to your New Year’s resolutions”, here are four ways to kickstart 2022 the right way and make it your healthiest and happiest year yet.

1. Put your health first

   You’ve heard this before: your physical and mental health is important and should never be ignored. 2021 was another stressful year for everyone and you may be struggling in ways that appear normal but are actually detrimental to you.
   
   Rather than blanketing your health under bland resolutions like “stress less” or “eat healthily”, make time to assess your health mentally and physically. Schedule an appointment for a medical and normalise speaking to your mental health professional even if all you need is an unbiased third party to help you organise your thoughts and emotions or provide a different perspective on things.
   

2. Refresh your day

   A healthy daily routine improves your productivity and mood throughout the day. It also helps to keep you focused and grounded. If you already have a daily routine, avoid just “making it through the day” by prioritising yourself. Evaluate what you need to do throughout the day and eliminate what doesn’t actively benefit you.
   
   This also includes your surroundings. Physical clutter also affects your productivity, mood, and daily habits. Whether you Mari Kondo your space or not, adjusting it to fit your routine can boost your well-being by making it easier to move through the day.
   

3. Compliment yourself

   Practising gratitude and mindfulness is really about appreciating who you are, what you have, and loved ones around you at the moment. It’s about being grounded in reality rather than getting lost in what-ifs. Celebrate the new year (and every day therein) by appreciating yourself.
   
   Here’s a challenge for you: Stand in front of your mirror and compliment yourself. Compliment your body for being beautiful, even if it isn’t the “right shape”. Compliment your mind for helping you navigate through the past couple of years. Compliment yourself for being brave enough to stand in front of a mirror and say good things about yourself. Go ahead, try it. Try it every day for a week. And then more.
   

4. Give yourself permission to rest

   It’s time to tone down the hustle culture and step away from the computer. The past two years have been anything but easy. Rest and relaxation are just as important to your overall health as productivity and goal-setting.
   
   Be mindful about not overexerting yourself or you might find yourself stretched too thin. Whether you hop right back in the bed to get some much-needed sleep, or binge your favourite TV show or Netflix movie, give yourself some time to decompress to focus on yourself. Having this downtime will help you be your best physically, and most importantly, mentally.