Start The New Year Stress Free
It's a new year. A fresh start. An opportunity to try something new, say yes, and live life with a little more ease and intention-and hopefully less stress!
Are you ready for the year ahead? If not, this post is for you. We've covered some of our favorite ways to stay stress free in the New Year - from giving your mother-in-law the boot to keeping an ecological awareness in every decision you make. Now it's time for action! Take some time today to plan out when you'll do this stuff so that there's enough time for everything before 2020 hits (we don't want any surprises!).
Here are some ideas to help you stay on track, stress free:
Spend time with friends and family. This is the top tip we give our hectic clients. If you don't already have a "me" time or enjoy entertaining in general, experience it! First timers can create a fun evening just by planning a party. Have a tasting party where everyone brings samples of their favorite foods to share (this is how we did it!) or plan an outing to get the gang together for coffee (this works great for "gossip" sessions). Plan an entire day at a new restaurant where everyone brings their own food (see our post on finding healthy restaurants in DC). Skip the daily grind and live in the moment (and practice gratitude).
For instance, join a gym and go on some yoga or nature walks. Schedule socials at your favorite bar (and make sure you RSVP!). There are so many ways to take a day off!
Stay away from technology for a few days. If you own an iPhone, break it for the first day of the year (it's more than likely that it's your lifeline). This is especially true if you're like me and don't get enough sleep because you're always checking Facebook or Twitter.
It's not that cell phones aren't a great way to stay connected with friends, family, and coworkers-they are exactly what they need to be. But they come with a cost-overuse. Take a day off and check in with the people that you care about and encourage everyone to do the same.
Find ways to be more productive during your work day. One way is to track your time. Most people have no idea how much time they actually spend at work each day, but doing so can help them be more productive in the time that they have available.
Scheduled breaks are also vital for increased productivity because it allows for workers to rest and re-energize without feeling guilty about it (and without being rude).
Invite family and friends for lunch or dinner. This is a great way to get out of the house in order to be more productive, but don't forget to have your family time with them!
Find ways to give more. As we mentioned before, every action comes with a positive or negative result. Giving helps everyone involved, including your wallet. Find ways that you can give back in the community (whether it's volunteering, donating to charity, or buying things from local businesses).
Take some of those minutes that you would normally waste scrolling through Facebook and type up an email instead (or send an email!). Take some notes during your commute (and actually write them down). There's so much that we can do to be more productive!
Try a new habit. Habits are a great way to build a fresh start if you're not used to exercising or if eating out is the norm for you. Try walking for 10 minutes every morning or try a one day fast from meat. It doesn't take long before these habits become second nature. Keeping your stress level low, however, might take some extra time and patience!
Develop an eco-conscious awareness of your actions (and encourage others). This is a great way to get closer as a family and develop new skills in order to help the Earth right along with you.
Check out our other posts on ways to stay stress free:
Being Happy: 10 Ways to Stress Less in 2010 [ARTICLE END]
My mother-in-law joined me for a day of shopping, Christmas parties, lunch, and more shopping. She does mean well, but I don't know how much I can take her this holiday season. So, why not the new year ?
This is an excellent idea and one that you should follow. Find some good time when you can spend quality time with the in-law family member and discuss why you feel stressed with that person. Perhaps they don't mean to create a stressful situation for you but it's still important to explain your side of the issue.
This is important because it's all about being able to communicate effectively with the person that you might think is annoying you.
If the situation hasn't already improved, then you should try harder. Point out weaknesses in their decisions and offer some suggestions to help improve your circumstances even more.
This way, you can develop an understanding of what it means to be a family member and have a dialogue with each other. Try to negotiate as much as possible on both sides and make sure that the issues can be resolved during this time of year.
If not, this might become uncomfortable for you and so might the conversation at a future time. Make sure that you're clear on these points and discuss them well in advance so that you can avoid unpleasantness.
If the conversation does become an issue, then it's best to bring it up at a family meeting rather than having a private discussion with your mother-in-law. This will help to solve the problem quickly because there will be more family members involved in the process.
Separate the problems from the people that created them and make sure that you're prepared with solutions. If after talking through issues with your mother-in-law, this doesn't seem to have worked, then you should look for other ways to resolve the problem.
It's always best to talk with family members in a constructive way rather than having an argument. It's difficult enough to have these events, but when the outcome is a bad one, you might miss the time that you have spent together.
If your mother-in-law is someone that you can't do without at Thanksgiving or Christmas, then here are some things that you can do to make sure that this person doesn't create any more stress for you:
- Research how to say no. This can help if you're invited for dinner and your mother-in-law is making too much food (so there won't be leftovers). You can also say no if you're expected to bring the food.
- Know that you're doing something for your own health. If you can make time for yourself and take a break from these people, then there's a good chance that your in-laws will understand and respect it (at least for this one day).
- Examine your feelings about the person and make sure that you're fair in your judgements. Remember that this person isn't aware of what is stressing you out so be open to their side of the story before making any judgements.
- Don't expect too much because it's not possible to be completely organized.
Conclusion
Try to welcome the new year with a positive attitude and let this time of year help you become healthier and more productive.
Being Happy: 10 Ways to Stress Less in 2010 [ARTICLE END]
This article was provided by The American College of Lifestyle Medicine. Dr. Kate said, "The lifestyle medicine doctors who practice at ACLM are physicians who have taken a special interest in the relationship between health and diet, in addition to medicine-based therapies for common illnesses such as diabetes, obesity and chronic pain." These doctors are board-certified specialists in their fields, who share the same passion for helping patients live healthier lives. http://www.acclm.