I love publishing this newsletter. I spend the month gathering content, taking suggestions from you and putting together information to help you and your family on your path to wellness. This monthly column is to let you know I am here with you! I'm a mom with young children and a crazy schedule; I don't get enough sleep and have trouble eating well. We are in this together and, as a team, we can improve our lives, our families, and our communities.
I have a love/hate relationship with New Year's resolutions.
I fully believe the new year puts us in the perfect mindset to set new goals, accept new challenges, and look to make improvements in our lives. There are a few times a year this happens: Not only do we set resolutions in the new year, but many of us also have the urge to clean in the spring and hunker down in the winter. These are great times to make changes in our habits!
But here's what I hate... and I don't use that word lightly. We are so quick to focus on things we hate about ourselves. I use that word because it's how we talk about ourselves. We hate our bodies. We hate how disorganized we are. We hate our messy houses. We hate that we don't get enough sleep. We hate how we eat. We hate that we don't work out enough.
When did we become so mean to ourselves?
Let's talk about the same goals using different language because words mean everything. Hateful language never helps get things done. It brings us down. It's discouraging. It's demeaning. It's not the way to accomplish anything. Let's transform our language:
- Instead of I hate my body, say I have more energy when I exercise regularly.
- Instead of I hate how I eat, say I feel better mentally and physically when I make smarter food choices.
- Instead of I hate how messy our house is, say I feel less stress when our belongings are organized.
- Instead of I hate how I can't get things done, say life is easier when I make a to-do list and focus on one thing at a time.
- Instead of I hate that I don't get enough sleep, say I feel amazing when I take the time to go to bed earlier.
Vow that this year you will use kind language with yourself and about others. How about that for a New Year's Resolution? I bet you accomplish more than you can believe!
More resolution resources:
- Finding Yourself: Parents: Find Something You Love and Make it Yours Again
- Making Friends: Dig Deeper to Create Adult Friendships that Matter
- Self-Care: Getting a Handle on My Anxiety
- Find Your Village: It Takes a Village to Raise a Good Parent
- Food Planning: Dump the Junk: How to Pack a Nutritious Lunchbox
- Family Time: What's Your Family's "Thing?"
- Love Yourself, Despite Everything: A Letter from the Managing Editor: "Free Yourself to Be Yourself"
- Healthy Daily Habits: Healthy Habits For a Lifetime
- Get Out With Friends: Why I Hike with My Girlfriends
I leave you with a quote from one of my favorite guys and my motto for myself, my family, my friends, and my community...
"Love is bigger than anything in its way." -Bono
Welcome to 2019 and a new frame of mind. This is the year we learn to love ourselves. It's gonna take practice, but you've got this. I'm glad you're here with me!
All my love to you,
Jenny
