Mindful Resolutions for a Happier New Year
Many people set New Year’s resolutions for
themselves in the hopes of improving their habits and self-esteem in the year
to come. Setting mindful resolutions is a great starting point to provide
yourself more structure and personal awareness in the new year, which can help
lower stress, improve mental health, and allow you to be the best version of
yourself that you can be!
Most New Year’s resolutions deal with things like weight loss,
cutting out bad habits such as smoking or biting your nails, or reaching a goal
you have strived towards but haven’t been able to reach. The idea of adding
mindful resolutions might not occur to some, because it can be hard to measure
progress like you would with losing weight or saving money. Making it a point to incorporate
mindful habits into your daily routines might even seem silly. Studies say that
stepping back and taking a mindful approach is beneficial to not only your
well-being, but the well-being
of those around you.
The essence of mindfulness is to observe your
thoughts instead of getting caught up in them. Doing so can help you see things
more clearly and be more compassionate towards yourself and others, especially
when things go poorly. Although simply stated, it can be difficult
to just observe your mind without becoming entranced and following each thought
down the rabbit hole. By incorporating a handful of mindfulness techniques into
your everyday routine, you may see notable changes in your happiness, your level of
stress, and your ability to respond to difficult situations in the year to
come.
Breathing
Techniques
Breathing is something so fundamental that we
hardly ever think about it unless something is wrong. Even though breathing is
necessary to stay alive, we seldom consider how
we are breathing and its effects on our general well-being. There are a number
of different breathing techniques you can incorporate to lower your heart rate,
calm your mind, and reduce panic or stress.
●
Box breathing: Box breathing is a popular
technique endorsed by the U.S. Navy Seals to help improve mental focus and
promote a feeling of calm. Sometimes referred to as the 4-4-4 method, in box
breathing, you will inhale for a count of four seconds, hold your breath for a
count of four seconds, and exhale for a count of four seconds. Repeat this for
a few minutes at a time and you should notice a growing feeling of stillness.
●
4-7-8: The 4-7-8 method is derived from an
ancient technique of breath regulation called pranayama. In this method, you
will inhale for a count of four, hold for a count of seven, and exhale slowly
for a count of eight. This practice of breathing can also lower your blood
pressure, reduce anxiety and depression, and improve sleeping.
Breathing exercises can be done basically
anywhere, at any time. The general idea is to slow your breath down and to
narrow your awareness to only the sensations associated with breathing. Adding
this to your daily routine in 2022 can keep you more calm and
change how you respond to stressful situations.
Meditation
People often interpret the idea of meditation as something otherworldly, or
something they aspire to do one day, but aren’t capable of. Meditation is a
technique used to train one’s awareness by focusing on one thing: usually the
breath, a mantra, or an idea. It can be incredibly difficult to remain in one
spot focusing on one thing for a set amount of time, but studies suggest the
benefits of a regular meditation routine outweigh the tediousness.
There are countless different meditation
techniques, but they all point towards the same objective: interrupting the
endless thought-flow in the mind. Generally, in meditation, you will find a
comfortable sitting position and bring your attention to your breath or an
idea. Whatever your focal point is, the purpose of meditation is to stay
focused there. Your mind will inevitably wander off, but the essence of
meditation is to gently bring it back to your focal point, every time.
If you are having trouble staying focused, try
finding a guided meditation to walk you through the process. Regularly
practicing meditation can help your attention span, relieve your anxiety and
depression, improve your self-esteem, and even help break longstanding
addictions.
Gratitude
A more abstract mindful resolution you can
make is to further incorporate gratitude into your life. Sometimes when we are
in a rut, it can be easy to count all the ways we have been unlucky in life.
But when things are going well, we often fail to count our blessings in the
same way. Focusing on gratitude, whether our spirits are high or low, is a
small change in perspective with substantial results.
Make it a point before you go to bed every
night to count the things you are grateful for that day. Some days this will be
easy, and other days this will be hard, but you will quickly learn that you can
always find something to hold
gratitude for, even on your worst days. By practicing gratitude, over time you
will find yourself better appreciating the things that you previously took for
granted: a glass of cold water, a birdsong outside your window, a friend.
By incorporating gratitude into your daily
routine, you may feel a sense of fulfillment even if things aren’t going your
way.
Forgiveness
Letting go of old baggage is a popular New
Year’s resolution idea and for good reason. Many people spend a good percentage
of their lives holding grudges against other people or harboring a strong sense
of regret or guilt for themselves long after an incident takes place. The new
year is a great opportunity for you to decide that past mistakes are in the
past, and the slate can be wiped clean for the new year.
Incorporating mindfulness into your daily
routine can have great benefits on your everyday life, but like all New Year’s
resolutions, it can be hard to keep it up all year. Check out these tips on how
to keep up with your New Year’s resolutions by clicking the button below!
