Welcome to 2014!
It’s been quiet from my end since just before Christmas, so I am extremely grateful that you are still here following me and reading this post. Today I want to share my 3 tips for a Stress Free New Year, but first I wanted to share a little about my absence from posts of late.
Every year at Christmas my husband, 2 gorgeous cherubs and I take on the roads. Our families live in opposite directions, mine on the South Coast 1.5 hours drive south from us and my in-laws on the Central Coast 1.5 hours drive north from us. Each year we rotate which family we spend Christmas Day with, then on Boxing Day, we drive to the other end of the Coast to be with the other family. It is exhausting but it’s only once a year and family are our everything so it’s worth it.
Then after 2 solid days of driving, we jump in the car on the 27th and drive again – this time for longer (between 6 & 9 hours) for our annual family Christmas Holiday. For the last 5 years we have travelled to beautiful Crescent Head, NSW where just about every day starts out as glorious as you see in these photos.One word – Paradise! Crescent Head is the kind of place that generations of families make as their annual holiday destination. So much so that we keep thinking every.single.year “we really should buy a place here so when our kids have kids, they can all come here.” One day soon, we will do it!
This is pretty much how we spend our days. Playing at the beach. Nanna Napping and reading books in the middle of the day. Then more outdoor time at the beach, park, skate ramp. Walking everywhere. It’s total unwind time with very little time for electronic connection. Email, face book, blogging are all thought about but not top of the pops.
Of course, I have felt guilty for not connecting with you but the truth is this. We all need unwind time. Time to just stop. But with the new year here, I thought now is the time to write. I now feel I have something meaningful to share with you.
Do you stress about what the new year holds?
Do you write yourself a set of goals for the new year?
Do you reflect on the year gone?
Are you setting yourself up to beat yourself up?
I ask all these questions now, because my darling husband has been like a bear with a sore head today. I could see what was going on. The torment of what he can do differently in 2014. There’s so much to get done in 2014. Where did 2013 go? Did he do enough in 2013? All this torture just because the 1st of January was looming.
So after some deep and meaningful chats with him, I want to share my 3 key tips for a stress free new year.
- Show Gratitude to 2013
Regardless of what happened in 2013, you are here alive and ready to start a new year. Now that is something to be truly grateful for. - Acknowledge It’s Just Another New Day
So much significance is made of the 1st January and we make it so serious as a result. Anything serious is stressful. My suggestion is to just accept and acknowledge that 1st January is just another new day. Every new day you have the opportunity to create something new and wonderful. Why wait until the 1st January every year? - Create Only Possibilities for 2014
Goals are great but if we stress about everything we have to do and then if we don’t achieve them, we are disappointed in ourselves. So my suggestion is to set yourself some possibilities instead. What’s the difference? Well with goals, we create an expectation for ourself that we will achieve something. If we don’t achieve what we expect, we feel as though we have failed and get disappointed. Disappointment leads to anxiousness and stress. When you create a possibility, it is just that. A possibility that what you want to happen might happen. When we set a goal, we do not take into account a whole host of factors outside our control which may prevent us from achieving that goal. When setting a possibility, does this mean you do not try as hard as when you set a goal? Not at all. A possibility brings a level of freedom from stress because with a possibility you acknowledge it may happen and it may not happen. How freeing is that?
I hope you find these 3 tips for a stress free new year helpful.
Here are my possibilities for this year.
– to be a fantastic mother and wife everyday by being loving, caring, supportive and fun
– to be of service to The Root Cause community by providing information I have researched which can help you make better lifestyle and food choices
– to be physically, mentally and financially abundant every day by practicing self care
I’d love to you to share your possibilities in the comments below or if you prefer by writing to me at belinda@therootcause.com.au.