5 Mindful Lifestyle Changes to Make for 2023

While many of us launch into a new year feeling positive and ready to take on new challenges, for a lot of us we feel deflated and unmotivated after the Christmas excitement. Returning to work, several months left of winter and bad weather can all make us feel a little flat. While a new year doesn’t have to mean huge changes, there are ways in which you can help yourself feel more positive, at what can be a tricky time of year for many…

1. Be Kind to Yourself

There’s a reason why ‘Blue Monday’ is in the middle of January. Taking place this year on the 16th of January, Blue Monday is considered to be the most depressing day of the year. While that might sound all doom and gloom, it’s important to remember that this can be a tricky time of year for many people, and that it’s OK if you’re not feeling the ‘new year new me’ positivity.

Instead of forcing yourself to go to the gym, or worse, beating yourself up for your lack of motivation, find ways to be kind to yourself. Book a massage, or invite a friend for a cosy coffee indoors. Find some time each day to settle down on the sofa with a good book and a weighted blanket. We can all be guilty of being too harsh on ourselves, but more than ever before, it’s important to take care of your mental wellbeing.

2. Start the Day in a Positive Way

Where possible, find time to sit down and enjoy breakfast every morning. For some, this might mean getting out of bed a little earlier, which can feel a bit like a punishment, but cutting out the rush in the morning and finding some time to relax with a podcast or a book while you eat and have a coffee is a great way to set yourself up to feel more positive for the day ahead.

3. Don’t be Afraid to Take a Step Back

 When we are struggling with something, it can be all too easy to bury your head in the sand and just carry on, as a means to distract yourself so that you don’t have to face up to what you are finding difficult. While you might not feel quite ready to address what you are struggling with, remember that it’s OK to take a break and reset. This can work wonders and you might find you are able to deal with what you were finding difficult when you pause for a few minutes.

 Try breathing exercises to settle your nervous system whenever you are struggling. Melo can be a great tool to guide you through your breathing, and can support you in developing healthy habits.

4. Make Improvements to your Environment

 Today it can feel like there are so few things that we can control, and while it’s important to let go of what you can’t control, you might find you feel more at peace when you work on improving your immediate surroundings.

A calm, clutter-free space is essential to a calm mind, and this is particularly true when it comes to your work and sleep space. Consider decluttering, and even redecorating to create an environment geared towards focus and creative thinking for your work space, and calm and restful space for your bedroom. Elements like plants can be incredibly calming, as can room sprays or diffusers. If you make one investment this year, consider an Air Purifier, to create better and healthier conditions at home.

5. Consider Goals for the Year When you Feel Ready

 Many of us feel under a lot of pressure to make New Year’s Resolutions, and then feel like we have failed when we don’t achieve the goals that we set. A new year doesn’t necessarily mean we have to make lots of changes, and just because the time feels right for some, doesn’t mean that it’s the right time for you.

With everyone posting about their goals for 2023 on social media, we can feel an immense amount of pressure to do the same. Consider taking a break from social media in January, and acknowledge the fact that just because you don’t set goals now, doesn’t mean that you can’t reconsider later in the year, when you feel you have the motivation and focus to commit to achieving them.

January can be a strange time of year. If you plan to make any changes this month, make them about being kinder to yourself, looking after yourself and going at your own pace, at a time when there’s a lot of pressure and difficulties in the world.

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