Now that the excitement has settled for another Christmas/New Year period, it’s time to set your new intentions for YOUR new year!!
Forget dramatic or overly ambitious, just simple and sweet…It’s not about grand gestures or ascertaining a certain level of achievement, but rather the [blank] involved with actually [blank].
Here are a few ideas for setting your new year new intentions…
Keep a daily journal
Keeping a daily journal is not only healing but it also brings you into a state of mindfulness. A journal is both a therapist and friend for those hard to manage moments of chaos and offers a safe place to release negative feelings, hurts and disappointments while giving way to dreams and aspirations.
A creative portal if you will where you connect with your inner life, solve problems and get creative. You can treat it like a mind dump of thoughts or inspire an incubator of ideas as you tap into your imagination and let the words flow onto paper… However, you choose to use it, you’re basically giving yourself permission to write yourself into history.
Spend time with your little one(s) out in nature…
Whether it’s going for an evening walk before dinner or planning a picnic in the park once a month, spending time with your little ones out in nature is good for you and for your soul. It reconnects you with the seasons while disconnecting from your devices and the world…
Gather a nature collection with your little ones. Collect and paint leaves or stones. Create a fairy or dinosaur garden together. You can even bring the outdoors in and have a nature corner inside. And make sure you plan a picnic in the park at least once a month where you can cloud watch or read a book under a tree together.
Make time for yourself…
“I don’t have time.” “The kids needs me.” “I wish I had more time for myself but…”
How many times do you put yourself last? Whether you’re mum or dad… at the end of the day, a child needs a both a healthy and happy parent BUT if you’re not looking after YOU than no one else will. And you’ll only have yourself to blame. So set aside the guilt, clear some time by reevaluating your priorities (and the family schedule)… and practice saying “No” more often. Then try to do one thing for yourself every day…
- light a candle daily
- take 15 mins when everyone else has gone to bed to enjoy a quiet cup of tea (or glass of wine)…and read.
- make a wish list of the things you would like to do in your “Me Time”.
- play your favourite CD…and no not from your phone or iPod… an actual CD as loud as you want!
It’s hard to break away from responsibilities as a parent, but you’re still a person too. It’s ok to indulge in a little pampering or a hobby, play a sport, read or make a date night with your friends.
Take a moment to meditate or practice mindfulness…
2017 is the year to be in the now. Be present in every moment of your life and your children’s. And if you’re not sure how then maybe one of your new intentions could be to meditate or practice mindfulness. And yes, there is a difference.
Meditation is a state of awareness — a state of profound deep peace reached when the mind is calm and silent yet completely alert. Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us. The Mindful website has handy tips on how to get started.
Mindfulness isn’t meditation BUT rather it comes about through meditation… or practising mindful moments like pausing and taking a breath when the phone rings instead of rushing to answer it, which we’re all guilty of doing.
So take a moment to reflect on 2016, were there moments where you know you weren’t present? Did the last 12 months pass you by? Set a new intention to be present in 2017.
Enjoy the little things…with your little one(s)
This magical thing called life often gets in the way of taking an extra minute to enjoy those precious moments like watching your children sleep, soaking in the roar of the waves at the beach or even something as simple as jumping on the trampoline with our kids. Allow yourself to enjoy these little moments in life and give yourself permission to just be in the moment and make memories.
- soak in a bubble bath with your little ones while blowing bubbles
- run under the sprinkler together…
- say yes to something that is often off limits and do it with them
- stomp through puddles together
- stay up late to watch a full moon (the next one is 12 January)…
This year doesn’t have to be the same as the last. In fact, it’s already different by you reading this article. You can make time for moments of mindfulness… to soak in those precious moments before they pass you by… and to be in the moment just for YOU.
So what are you new intentions for this new year?