How to Have a Healthy Start to the Year
I don’t believe in New Year’s Resolutions. I know that’s sort of trendy right now, but it’s been years since I made a resolution. It’s partly because it seems so cliche — it’s what everyone expects you to do. It’s a nice conversation starter among friends at this time of year; so British to have a concrete subject to cling on to when you see someone or talk to them on the phone.
But it’s also because I spent years promising myself that I would lose weight this year, definitely. It was usually weight loss. Later on, as I became more aware of what governs weight loss it was ‘be healthier’, pretending that I’d grown as a person, that it was no longer about weight loss. I’d cope for about two weeks resisting the pastries, the lattes, the office biscuits. And then my willpower would break and it was easier to cave in, and decide to start again in February. Then over Lent. Then before summer. Then after summer. Then just before Christmas. And before I knew it was was a whole new year again — time for new resolutions (aka repeating the cycle).
It was tiring.
So now I do things differently. For a start, I don’t go for nebulous goals like weight loss and be healthier. They’re too large, too vague, too focused on a specific end result. Instead I take a 3-step approach which focuses on celebrating the past year and looking ahead to the next year with excitement.
Step 1. Look back on the year gone by
I start by looking back on the year just gone and listing out what I’m really proud of. All the things I’ve achieved, and really celebrate them. I don’t allow any negative words in there (no ‘don’ts’, ‘didn’ts, ‘couldn’ts’). This year my list (with a focus on my health) looks a little like this:
I spent half the year growing a baby — what an amazing thing the body can do!
I’ve not weighed myself all year, and with that my focus has truly, finally shifted away from obsessing about what the scales say (the only exception to this is when I was weighed for my first pregnancy appointment with the GP and then the midwife — and how I felt then confirmed the fact that what the scales says nothing about the way I feel!)
I’ve shifted my focus away from meat on a daily basis, enjoying good quality meat dishes a few times a week, but also not being fanatic about it
I’ve stopped obsessing about carbs, calories, grains, gluten, dairy, soaking, sprouting, fermenting…(insert other new obsession here) and instead enjoy all food (especially the last minute Sunday night pizza orders)
I’ve spent time with the people I love and developed a wonderful relationship with my nephews
I’ve invested money in my physical and mental health — regular massages, reflexology, osteopathy, hiring a doula and hypnobirthing teacher
I’ve been to seven countries this year, enjoying time away with my husband
There’s much more of course, but I don’t want to bore you with all this talk about me.
Step 2. Learn from last year
I then think about what last year has taught me. Again, there’s no negatives here, no ‘I wish I had…’. Just curiously thinking about what I’ve learnt. This is important because it helps inform the next step, which is all about how I want to feel by the end of the next year. From a health perspective, I think about how it felt when I consistently ate well, and how I felt when I didn’t. That doesn’t mean I look at things with regret — sometimes when I didn’t eat well it was still a joyous moment — and that’s an important lesson, too. (For more on the social and cultural aspect of eating, see this previous blog post). Once I have my list, I work out what the single, common lesson learnt was. For this year, it’s all about how my body, mindset and focus shifts and changes when growing a baby. For the first time in my life, I’ve invested in my health in a way that I would never have done if I didn’t have this one focus.
Step 3. How do I want to feel this time next year?
Finally, I have a think about going through these steps this time next year and see what I would want to celebrate, what I want to have learnt, how I want to feel. I focus on the celebration and the feeling I want to have at the end of the year. In doing this, I get to work out what my goals for the year ahead might be. By focusing on and visualising the person I want to be rather than the process, I have a really tangible point of reference to aim towards. It becomes less about a single, nebulous goal and more about personal development. I recognise that the resolutions I used to make are too short term, too focused on a vague outcome without much thought about what happens after that goal has been achieved. This year, in recognising that the only way I would finally place full importance on my health was when I was responsible for growing a baby, I would like to continue to channel that after he’s born. I know the baby can only be as happy and healthy as I am, and so continuing that regiment of self-care through investing in my health — both in money and time — I can be the best mother I can. Because ultimately, at the end of next year, I want to feel that I’ve been an amazing mum, that my baby has everything he needs, that I’ve done the best I can. And I know the best way I can do that is by ensuring that I’ve slept as well as I can, eaten as well as I can, moved as well as I can and kept my mental health steady and balanced.
So what do you think? Will you make the same tired resolutions this year? Or will you try this three-step process to focus on how you can use the year gone by to inform how the next year will go?
~
I’ve developed a seven-day mini course where I go through how you can ensure your pregnancy is the healthy one I know you want it to be. In seven days you’ll have more energy, feel less lethargic and tired, feel steadier and more stable in your moods, and most importantly have the confidence to nourish yourself and your bump the best way you can. You can sign up for the course here, and look forward to a healthier, more energised pregnancy in just a week’s time!
This post originally appeared on medium.com