New Year. More You.
Celebrating with new traditions while creating intentions for the year ahead
Happy unusual holiday season!
As I celebrated many loved ones’ birthdays in the first part of December, I noticed how cool it was to have a birthday at the year’s end, especially the end of the cursed 2020. I’ve never been one to make New Year’s resolutions, but I love looking ahead and setting intentions on my birthday to start my personal new year. However, this year, which we can not wait to end, is the perfect year to set resolutions, especially ones aimed at becoming healthier and supporting our immune function. Let us celebrate closing out 2020 and look ahead toward a healthier future for ourselves and the planet. It’s everyone’s birthday!
Thoughts on becoming stronger
What does health mean to you? We all have our own ideas of what ultimate wellness looks like. Even so, I’d like to outline the pillars which truly define health for everyone along with some ideas for amplifying each area. Though a healthy diet is important, other aspects of our lifestyle feed us just as much as good food. Nourish your immune system in a personalized way through proper diet and lifestyle factors that pertain to you. Everything put together equals a functioning immune system and happy you.
Discovering what you’d like new or refreshed about your health is just the beginning. As your health coach, we work together to find attainable and actionable steps that will help you get there. Not only reaching your goals but also figuring out how to overcome roadblocks along the way.
Pillars of health and immunity with ideas for intention setting
1. Eat Healthy.
Think about what can you ADD to your diet that is nourishing.
Drink more water, eat whole wheat organic pasta and bread instead of refined white, remind yourself of the dirty dozen and clean fifteen when you are shopping, learn how to read labels, add in one new vegetable per week… What stands out to you?
Take small steps towards healthy eating, and remember that it’s ok to make mistakes.
Supplement Vitamin D or have your vitamin levels tested. Speak to your primary care physician about adding supplements to your regime.
Include more fiber; fruit, veggies, legumes, and healthy grains.
Limit sugar and alcohol. Replace any of these with one healthy item. Eat fruit for dessert or get a fancy herbal non-caffeinated tea to drink at night instead of booze.
Eliminate one processed food and replace it with a whole food. For example, instead of snacking on chips and hummus try snacking on carrots and hummus.
2. Sleep well. Aim for 7-9 hours per night.
Think about your nighttime routine. Is there something you’d like to alter or add? Include a nighttime 5-minute meditation or journal entry while winding down?
Buy new cozy pillows or sheets for more comfort.
Aim to eat dinner one hour earlier in preparation for winding down sooner.
Invest in sleep aid if necessary. CBD, melatonin, magnesium, or a calming essential oil blend. Speak to your primary care physician about adding supplements to your regime.
Shoot for limiting your beverage intake after 6 pm so that you aren’t woken up in the middle of the night to pee.
3. Move more or discover which type of exercise suits you best during the pandemic.
What do you like about exercise? Is it sweating from a hard workout or the relaxation and release from being outside?
Ask your friends for their new favorite workout videos on YouTube.
Explore new ways of moving... stretching, dancing, a hard cleaning routine, Pilates, HIIT, gentle yoga, walking, jogging, lifting weights, bike riding, what else?
4. Adopt mindfulness for stress relief or any other act that reduces stress.
Try meditation! My recent fav meditation is an 8-count breath for 5 minutes. Get comfy, and focus on your breathing. Inhale count 1, exhale count 2, etc. until 8. Then repeat the 8-count breath for 5 minutes.
Pause more often. Embrace your slow periods.
Incorporate a breathing technique into your WFH day. Either before you read emails or set an alarm for every hour or so.
Embrace silent moments and sit still to be aware of your senses.
Other ideas for stress relief: Listen to music or a podcast, go for a walk, space out while making dinner, call a friend, what else?
5. Connect to nature in any way you can.
Notice what type of trees and plants are growing where you live, even if in a city.
Research native plant species for your neighborhood.
Buy a new plant for your house to bring the outside in.
Locate the nearest local farms. See if they offer produce drop-offs or sell at a market near you.
Donate to the National Parks or the Environmental Working Group.
Limit your intake of toxins and chemicals. Check out the Environmental Working Group for what they are doing to replenish our soil and educate the masses.
6. Uncover a seriousness about self-care.
Look inward to find what lights you up per unconditional love for yourself. Take time to give yourself what this is.
Contemplate what brings you joy, an inward sense of happiness. Replicate this to show yourself love.
Give yourself scalp or facial massages morning or night.
Recognize how you can take a few moments for yourself throughout the day.
Be attentive to what is arising within you, and place that above everything else... What is happening in your innermost self is worthy of your entire love; somehow you must find a way to work at it.
Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet
Client Testimonial: “Working with Gina, I aimed for the basics— better meals, more water, more movement. All of those things I’ve achieved. Arguably the deeper impact is how I’ve grown closer to myself within the holy trinity, so to speak, of mind, body and spirit. I’ve leaned into what self-care means for me, which we’ve tailored together, and wellness is no longer intimidating, but ever-evolving and present. It’s changed my life.”
Holidays during the pandemic
In spending the holiday season in a contrasting way to what you are used to, I’ve thought about some things that could help our mental health through the remaining days of the year.
Go all out on your holiday decorations. Add plenty of holiday lights indoors for a romantic feel.
Or, don’t put up any holiday decorations and honor your need to rebel.
Take a bundled-up walk outside as a family to avoid staying inside. Or, if the weather is nice enough, eat your meals outside.
Attempt to make your favorite family meal to have leftovers for a week. You can even freeze some to have down the line! Schedule a Zoom call with the fam while you’re cooking.
Start new traditions. I always like to say, “You can celebrate a birthday (or holiday) any day!” If you’re not celebrating the holidays as you usually would this year, start something new for yourself.
Use the New Year celebration for a time to reflect on the past 12 months. What have you learned or gained throughout this wild year? What would you like to take with you moving forward?
If you are at home alone away from loved ones, give yourself some time to think about what brings you joy. Plan to take part in these activities and other self-care acts in place of celebrating the holiday with family. Implement a sense of ease and comfort into the day.
This Instagram post stopped me in my tracks, and I feel the need to share it with everyone I know:
From @3rdritual:
“ ‘The secret art of inviting happiness and the miraculous medicine of all diseases:
Just for today, do not anger. Do not worry and be filled with gratitude. Devote yourself to your work. Be kind to people. Every morning and evening, join your hands in prayer.’
-Dr. Usui Mikao. Image: Energy Ecstasy and Your Seven Vital Chakras, 1983.”
