The New Year is about new beginnings, new goals, and this year a new you. So where do you begin? With New Year resolutions?
Fun Fact: Most people will forget them before the next Marvel movie is out. But this time you don’t have to be a part of that tribe!!
So here’s the thing:
Most resolutions are physical acts like hitting the gym, cutting down on the coffee/sugar/second helpings, etc. but what most people neglect is mental health. People quit most of their resolutions because they lack the mental strength to continue an activity for long.
So this year how about going inwards and working on your mental health? There is so much we can do this year for ourselves that can positively impact our lives.
So let’s get started with our New Year intentions.
Join a Free workshop on Yoga, Meditation and Breath
Meditate – do nothing!
You read it right! Meditation is the delicate art of doing nothing. You actually cannot ‘do’ a meditation. It will happen on its own if you just sit down quietly and let go of all the effort to meditate. Beginners need some help and here is an amazing guided meditation for you by the greatest spiritual teacher of our times- Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar who helped the world over the difficult lockdown times with his guided meditations. So find your quiet corner, plug in your ear pods, and meditate to these guided meditations that you can bookmark.
Be nice but learn to say NO
Saying ‘yes’ to everyone may make you the best person around but at what cost? Sometimes it’s okay to say NO when you genuinely don’t have the bandwidth to help. It will stop people from treating you like a foot mat. It will draw a respectful line and people will appreciate you for your honesty.
The first time will be the toughest. But remember darr ke aage jeet hai.
Judge less, understand more
Mera kutta kutta, tumhara kutta Tommy. This one line says it all. If I make a mistake it's all right but if someone else does the same then he is doing it intentionally. Why this hypocrisy? Stop judging others and looking for intentions behind people’s actions. You don’t need this unnecessary drama in your life.
Be grateful
It is human nature to want what we don’t have – the latest iPhone, a Tesla car - but it’s good to be grateful for what you already have. Abundance grows with gratitude. When there is gratitude there will never be a lack of anything in life. So start right today. Be grateful for this beautiful day, for being alive and kicking, and for the plate of aloo paranthas in front of you.
Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn
You can’t win all your battles, can you? You learn from the ones you’ve not won. But be open to learning. Life has a way of rubbing your nose into the ground but you just have to get up, shake the dust off and begin again.
Take any superhero. They don’t give up no matter the challenges they face. When life knocks them down they always find a way to get back up and keep fighting. One might say that is their true superpower.
Stop the FOMO
You missed out on a few events and your friends flooded Instagram with their ‘having-a-blast’ pics and you felt left out and down in the dumps. But don’t you remember that amazing retreat you went to and came back bright-eyed and bushy-tailed? Ah! Smiling, aren’t you? Whatever you did get to experience was truly fantastic. And tomorrow is another day and new experiences will come your way. So get set to live life king-size!
Eat and be content
Let’s do this at a practical level before I say anything.
Put off the TV and keep your cell phone away. Sit down at the dining table and serve yourself as much as you wish to eat. Focus completely on your food. Savor every bite. Be aware of the taste of every morsel. Chew well and let your taste buds burst with delight.
When you’re halfway through the meal just sit back and check this out. Don’t you feel full already? Aren’t you feeling contented? There’s still food on your plate but don’t you feel you’ve eaten? Now how did that happen?
Here’s the truth:
Do you see this image? The amount of food that those hands can hold between them is all your body actually needs. But most of us eat according to our moods, with the TV on or our heads stuck in our phones. Our body tells us that it is full but the signals don’t register. Now you know why.
So eat well and be content.
Did you notice how simple portion control is?
Know the powerful breathing techniques and wisdom that will transform your life at The Art of Living Online Meditation and Breath Workshop.
Life is a beautiful mystery. Just live it. Trying to understand this mystery is confusing. When we live the mystery totally, joy dawns. - Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Following a daily routine, quality sleep and meditating daily can improve mental health outcomes.
5 ways to improve your mental health:
1. Practice Yoga & Meditation regularly
2. Give yourself 'me' time
3. Nurture positive emotions: Be more grateful, don't hold grudges
4. Avoid processed food and refined grains
5. Ensure you get quality 8 hours of sleep.
When you are calm, steady and emotionally soft inside, you have a positive mental health. When the mind is stiff and emotions are rough, you are not emotionally healthy.
Stress and poor mental health affect every sphere of your life, be it professional, relationships, family, physical health and your own well-being. That is why tending to your mental health is very important.
Avoid a bad routine with irregular food and sleep timings. Stop substance use - it messes up your mental health in the long run. Tend to Vitamin deficiencies in your body with wholesome food. Learn to forgive and let go easily.
Meditate daily - research shows that meditation improves concentration and moods.
