On the subject of New Year’s resolutions, Sarah-Jane Outten wonders why we are expected to reinvent ourselves every 12 months. What if you like who you are already, and just want to enhance what you already have? Creating some simple habits, like the examples below, can give an injection of positivity.
Life isn’t plain sailing and in recent times feels like a pressure cooker bursting with stress; it’s important to be kind to ourselves. Introducing one or as many new habits as you can encourages you to go into the new year with resolutions that make you feel, well, strong and empowered – and that’s all that matters. New habits often highlight how great you are already – you just didn’t always see it. Here are a few of my suggestions to get you started.
Try ‘dopamine dressing’
Once all the fairy lights are packed away and party season is over, it’s easy to slip into the depths of dark winter. And this is reflected in what we choose to wear, so let’s switch it up and keep it going all year! Boost your mood with as much colour as possible – don’t worry, you don’t need to don the Technicolour Dreamcoat, just add a splash of colour in your lipstick, or with an accessory if you like. However you choose to add colour to your wardrobe, cheerful clothes lift the lowest of moods and inject a sense of fun to everyday.
Give your skin an all-year glow
A glowing complexion makes you feel and look great, so why not aim for that every day? One of the quickest ways to give your skin a boost is by adding a highlighter to your makeup routine. Even minimal makeup users can include a highlighter that will add a natural looking glow. I love Prep, Set and Glow from Iconic London: it can be used with make up or on its own. As well as illuminating the skin it hydrates it too. At £25, it’s a good buy as it lasts months.
Get active, feel energized
At this time of year it feels like we are bombarded with ways to get fit. And often it requires a lot of dedication, time and money – which isn’t sustainable, leaving us feeling worse than ever! So, my advice is to make small changes, and if they lead to bigger changes that’s great. The seven-minute workout can strengthen your heart and lungs, help you to gain muscle and give you a mental health boost. You can do it every day or a few times a week, so that short blast of exercise has long term benefits. And there’s no need to sign up for expensive gym memberships – win-win. (NB: Always consult a health professional before a new exercise regime.)
Put pen to paper
Journaling is back in a big way (although it never went away for me…) – lots of people use apps to journal, but make the most of time away from screens and go analogue. You don’t have to write pages and pages to maintain the habit of journaling; nor do you need fancy diaries, pens, and pencils. Why not try the one-line-a-day method? You can buy one-line-a-day journals, but equally, a notebook of your choice will suffice. Journaling is a mindful habit: you take a moment to think about your day.
And as it’s only one line, you really think about what the most important part of that day is; whether it’s gratitude or getting something off your chest. It’s not a huge commitment either, and oughtn’t feel like an impossible habit to maintain.
words SARAH-JANE OUTTEN
