We see it every year. The “New Year, New You” messaging: covering the magazines at every grocery checkout lane, filling our inboxes with promotional emails, and splattered across our social media feeds. It is hard to miss (or avoid) from December 1 to February 1.
The new year is a time where we tell ourselves “this year I am really going to get it together”, and often those words are synonymous with a fantasy of changing our bodies in some way. We may dream that losing weight, bulking up, or “getting more toned” will bring us the confidence and happiness that we have been desperately searching for. What we forget to remember in that fantasy is that thinness does not equal happiness and the perfect body does not mean the perfect life.
Meaning, connection, and enjoyable experiences attract positivity, happiness, and confidence into our lives. So instead of choosing a New Year’s resolution focused on changing your body this year, why not focus on taking positive action of another form?
Here are some ideas:
Try a new hobby
Volunteer for a cause you care about
Help campaign for a 2020 candidate you support
Revive an old friendship
Take a trip to somewhere you have been wanting to visit
Meet your neighbors
Decrease your screen time
Ask your crush out on a date (or if you are attached, schedule a regular date night with your significant other)
Spend more time in nature
Complete a home project
Happy New Year Y’all! May 2020 bring you true connection and joy.