My Only Resolution
For 2019
I'm currently writing this post in the Christmas/New Year limbo after eating far too much delicious cheese and also being lucky enough to enjoy quality time with friends and family. I'm not even entirely sure what day it is today but I do know I had the most wonderful Christmas holidays this year and that's all down to one reason - I took time off work.
I like to be honest about my struggle with my work/life balance and also my inability to take time away from work during the holidays as I know so many of you feel the same too. Christmas 2018 was a little different than normal as I finally bit the bullet and took the time away from work and social media that I've known I've needed for so long.
I started thinking about every exciting step, project and vacation 2019 holds for me and Inthefrow and it led me to a simple revelation. I love plans, I love goals and I've been known to make some resolutions for the New Year too but this year I have just one I'd like to try and keep to - to prioritise self care.
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I think it's sometimes easy to think of self care as simply taking a bath and watching an episode of something you love, to wind down after a busy work day. I know it's something I certainly love to do when things start to get to me but I think we sometimes forget there are so many more ways of showing yourself a little adoration. Not only is it easy to forget just how many ways there are to indulge in a little self care but more often than not we seem to also forget just how far into our lives a little self care can reach. The knock on effects of every bit of self care I'd like to show myself this year encompass more than just a refresh when life gets a little to heavy, infact I think there's four parts I need to consider going into 2019.
PART ONE - PHYSICAL
Part one of my self care resolution is spending the time on the little things that make a big difference to how I feel about myself physically. It's about spending that 15 minutes every evening, to apply the skincare that I know leaves my skin looking and feeling great and it's about taking a long hot bath to relax my muscles after a day chained to my desk or running around meetings in London. It's also about taking myself to the gym reguarly and exercising in a way I know benefits my body and eating everything in moderation no matter if that's my favourite avocado on toast or my favourite Borough 22 doughnuts. It's about taking the time to respect my physical body in the ways I love to, knowing the knock on effects the time taken to physically look after myself has on my mental health too.
PART TWO - MENTAL
Part two of my self care resolution is to take care of my mental health just as much as my physical health. Just because we can't 'see' our mental heath taking a hit, doesn't mean we should ignore the signs altogether. It's about knowing when you need to take some time to yourself to recharge your brain and it's about knowing when you need to spend time with people you love to inspire you, to encourage you and to lift you up when you need it most. It's also about reaching out when things get on top of you and it's about ensuring you take the time to give yourself a daily routine that includes enough sleep, a list of what you're grateful for and to listen to what your body needs. Probably the hardest part for me as I know taking care of my mental health has a knock on effect on every other part of my life.
PART THREE - PERSONAL
Part three is taking the time to embrace my personal life and not take for granted that time with those I love will just happen. I plan out everything in my career to the 'nth' degree and so I should take time to be just as organised in my personal life. It's about planning time with loved ones so that those special memories can actually be made and it's about ensuring that I stick to those important. It's also about recognising that my personal life can no longer take a back seat to my career and it's about embracing what a positive impact my personal life can have on every other part of my 2019. Continuing to develop a healthy work/life balance is definitely a key part of my self care resolution for the year to come.
PART FOUR - PROFESSIONAL
Part four is not allowing my career to envelop every second of my day and recognising that stepping away from my work occasionally is actually more beneficial than I realise. It's about knowing that I cannot do my best work at 11pm in the evening when I've already been working since 6am and it's about realising when I ask my team for help it's a positive step forward for my career. It's also about celebrating my achievements in the moment to ensure I congratulate myself on a job well done and it's about striving to be better version of myself without sacrificing other aspects of my life. All the parts of my life and the parts of my self care resolution are intertwined and the knock on effects can be huge. 2019 is about learning that those knock on effects can be wholeheartedly positive when I and you work hard on prioritising the parts of our lives that mean the most to us.
I'd love to know if you're thinking about any resolutions, promises or simply changes for this year or if there's anything that made an impact on you in 2018, that you're looking forward to continuing in 2019. I always feel that the New Year is a wonderful opportunity for a fresh start so long as we don't put too much pressure on ourselves to change too much.
Happy New Year guys and thanks for an amazing 2018 x
