The past two years have definitely been challenging in so many ways that we could have never expected. And if there’s one thing that we’ve learned, it’s that a lot of things that happen to us and the people we love, unfortunately, are out of our control. That’s why, in 2022, now’s the time to cultivate an inner-peace, sense of happiness, and space of content to help us keep what we do have control of (our environment, our mindsets, our attitudes, etc) in the best place possible, and ultimately cultivate our happiest, healthiest year yet.
1. Remember, good and bad moments come in a cycle of ebb and flow
With tumultuous times to look back on, it’s important to remember going forward that good and bad things come and go in cycles of ebb and flow. Nothing good lasts forever and nothing bad lasts forever. Both are consistent components of life, and you need one to truly appreciate the other. The best thing that we can learn to do is to be present, thankful and enjoy the good times when they arrive. And accept, be present, and ask ourselves what we can learn from the bad times when they arrive as well.
When you practice this mental and emotional exercise, you start to view the events of life as not happening to you but happening for you. Although every hurdle may not be easy to deal with, you begin to see them as opportunities for growth and self development.
2. Emotions are temporary
When bad things happen to us, the first thing that we usually do is react with emotion. We may begin to feel frustrated, discouraged, disappointed, or even hopeless. That moment is the perfect time to remember that emotions are temporary and those feelings, no matter how permanent they may feel, will also pass. This doesn’t mean to disregard your feelings and try to brush them off, or act as if they don’t exist or they’re not important. This really means to allow yourself the space and time to feel what you’re feeling, acknowledge and feel it fully, but remember there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel.
Doing this allows you to show up for yourself, and gives you the space to feel what you need to then let it go. It doesn’t mean that the problem itself is solved, but it allows you to express yourself, show up for yourself with support, and that in time goes a long way.
3. Take the time to learn your love language and how you can fulfill it for yourself
When we speak about love languages, it's often in relation to our partners or closest friends. When we speak about self care, it's often about the physical practices that we can do to remedy our bodies. But have you ever asked yourself what self care could you do to remedy your mind and emotions? Have you ever asked yourself what is your love language, and how can you provide it for yourself?
Now, more than ever, is so crucial for us to begin to identify how we can better love and nurture ourselves. With the constant stresses of everyday life, it’s important to remember that you are your number one priority, and only you are truly responsible to identify what it is that you need, and provide that to yourself.
This year, try to make time every week to do something that will nurture yourself. Whether that is journaling, going to therapy, eating healthy, taking yourself on a solo-date, showering yourself with words of affirmation, or buying yourself gifts; one of the best things we can do is make time to truly practice self love for ourselves.
4. Challenge yourself to step away from social media more often
Social media has become such a huge part of our life, so much so that the first thing the majority of us do when we wake up in the morning is grab our phones to open Instagram or Twitter. Then we inevitably go down the rabbit hole of our timelines scrolling, and unconsciously compare ourselves to others and what they may be doing, or what they have in comparison to ourselves. It’s something that we all do repeatedly, everyday of our lives, to be exact.
When we spend so much time online consuming what others are doing, it allows us to become distorted in how we see ourselves, and even what we think our interests and likes are. And the worst part is we don’t even realize it. This year, challenge yourself to step away from social media more often. Replace your scrolling with activities you actually enjoy – and if you’re not sure what activities you actually enjoy, take the time to discover them. Take the time to get in touch with yourself and your natural interests.
5. Reach out to friends and family more often
With everyone having a presence on social media, it can often give us the impression that we’re staying in touch with family and friends, when we’re actually not. Pick up the phone and call that cousin or aunt that you haven’t spoken to in a while, or send a text if you’d rather. It’s almost guaranteed that you’ll end up feeling good for reaching out and nurturing a meaningful relationship.