January was the free trial, the subscription starts in February

With every new year we delude ourselves with what great things we can do staring in January. We pledge new year resolutions that never stick.

We drop our guard and indulge in the festive time with the thoughts of what is to come. Don’t get me wrong, everyone deserves an extra piece of Christmas cake, but what is it about the new year that has that new you vibe.

2019 was not a great year for me, as I can gather not for most people. My year ended with something I never thought could happen to me. Sure it happened to other people and in South Africa this is a huge issue, but never me…… well here I am…retrenched. If you are not sure what that means, basically, the business you work for has reached a certain point where the struggle is too real and they need to cut some loose ends…in this case I was the closest end to grab. So there I sat in November, the cheerful festive period upon us, and I do not have a job to return to in the new year.

Even though this sucks…and there is a certain level of stress and anxiety attached… I realized that I have been stuck in a situation for so long with so many bad habits that I could not see the way out. I felt like maybe.. the divine has intervened (though in an unconventional method) and this was perhaps what I needed.

So, I enjoyed the family festivities putting the nagging voice away for December.

Here we are… January…the fresh start. The nagging voice has returned. What now? What will you do? How will you survive? Is this my fault? Scrolling through endless job listings, updating my profiles and breaking the news to my closets friends (watching the pity in their eyes) I decided that is not the party I want to be invited to.

I reached into my soul and thought to myself, what have I been missing?, as I sent an SOS out into the cosmos.

A few days later, when my fate has sunk in, a little voice in my head said…make a list. What would make me happy in 2020? The real clean slate.

I thought long about this (while I mindlessly doodled on the side of the page)….. 1. Why not Yoga? LETS DO THIS! I have always wanted to it. Something about listening to your body “the breath” and feeling every inch of you stretch out to the sky is actually so calming and great for your body and self awareness. I started a 30 day Yoga challenge on YouTube – Yoga With Adriene check it out here if you want to give it a go starting at day 0 → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWBfQjuwp4E . I have really found this to be a great experience in the comfort of my own home.

2. More Fruit (Being Summer here makes this allot easier). I know this is cliche but finding and consuming all kinds of fresh fruit is the best thing to nourish your body. Great for snack time, breakfast or even lunch I have found a new love for fruit, exploring the different tastes and finding what I enjoy. Even trying different techniques like freezing and making smoothies.

3. Spiritual time. Who ever you subscribe to, taking the time to connect with your beliefs is so important. I must admit I have been slacking and I have noticed how this effects me in my day to day. I found a book gifted to me in 2018…..still unused. Each page has a point of reflection, a piece of scripture and a prayer. It also has a handy coloring section # adulting. Using this or any other form of daily activity in faith, is great for grounding you when starting the day or ending it.

4. Reminders, stay connected. Setting up simple reminders on your phone is a great way to ensure you take that action or do that thing. A great example is another item on my list – more tea! At 2pm the alarm will go off and remind me to make a cup of tea. To take 5 min out of what ever I am doing and take a moment for myself. Good for the body, mind and soul.

Going through my list I realized all these items has a strong connection to self care. Anxiety and depression is not in the shadows anymore. There is nothing wrong with taking that moment for yourself. The better you care for yourself the better you care for others. The stigma around woman being perfect and happy and taking care of others before themselves has become so great we cannot tunnel out. It is not selfish to spend time on yourself, to take that bath, to read that book, heck to shave your legs. This is OK. Taking care of yourself mentally and physically is so important. If all you can do is get out of bed today, GREAT, tick it off your list and pat yourself on the back, you have achieved something today.

As my trial comes to an end, I can say this. Wow! I have never realized what a difference this can make. Sure I have more time than most right now, however you can incorporate one or more of these things in any schedule. It might just be one easy task, it does not have to be recurring, but the action of slowing down, listening to what you need and making sense of all the thoughts in your head will do you wonders.

Well here we go, as we head into February I recommend for you all to start your trial of what feels right for you and head into your subscription of self care and a happier, healthier you!