Put Your Best Foot Forward: Welcoming 2022 with mindful resolutions!

Put Your Best Foot Forward: Welcoming 2022 with mindful resolutions!

2022 begins for us full of hope for a better, safer tomorrow. While 2021 left us reeling in panic with our minds wrapped around multiple tasks to end and resolution lists to prepare, we at aanswr have decided to approach every situation with mindfulness & care. Do you feel overwhelmed when there’s too much to do? Too many social occasions to plan, friends to meet & work to complete?

Perhaps the holidays leave you in further panic with gifting troubles? Which presents to buy & what to pack for the next trip? It is normal for our minds to run helter skelter because we tend to be tired at the end of the year with all the planning & executing. To help you leave 2021 behind and begin 2022 on a more patient and resilient note, here are a few tips on how to make the most of mindfulness in every situation! 

Focus on your breathing

Whether it's as you wake up in the morning, or while having your coffees & teas, or simply in a strenuous situation, your mind can help you ease up, if you pay attention. Close your eyes, clear your mind by focusing on your breathing attentively. Slow, controlled breathing with deeper breaths help ease your mind of tension & stress which helps you think clearly. 

Read a few lines of a good book as you wake up

A good book can be some happy fiction, positive self-help or reading about a successful person’s journey. Whatever your mind prefers, we recommend reading a few pages of a good book as you wake up to begin your day on a good note with good thoughts. A book that is easy to read takes your mind away from the tedious task of planning your to-do’s right after waking up. It helps you slowly charge your mind for the day. 

Journaling for a healthy you

Journaling is an activity that serves as a vent for you. Write down in a book all your thoughts and ideas to offload your mind. Journaling is typically to be done as you wake up in the morning in order to clear your mind for a fresh day. But if you aren’t able to, take a break in the afternoon and try to pen down your thoughts, ideas & feelings. You are sure to feel lighter for a better day ahead! 

Approach meal-times mindfully

Eating is an activity we indulge in for our health & nutrition. It is the one time of the day we can focus on nothing but the food in front of us. Avoid using your devices or discussing strenuous topics at meal-times. Engage in healthy conversation, focus on the ingredients in your meal. Pay attention to the tastes & textures of your food, understand your hunger & the way you approach a meal. 

Meditate, even if for a few minutes

For your body & mind to be totally in sync, it is always important to chalk out some time to meditate in the day. The more you connect with your body, the freer you feel. To make this experience better, we recommend lighting a candle, putting on some calming music & choosing early in the morning or some time in the evening right after work to meditate. If you find yourself distracted, there are podcasts and guided meditations on the internet that one can follow. It’s always good to begin somewhere, so why not 2022?

Maintain a healthy exercise routine

A healthy gut is a healthy you. A simple exercise routine involves making sure to spend 45-60 minutes in the day playing a sport, taking a brisk walk or simply at the gym working out with a trainer. Exercising regularly helps you feel lighter, more motivated & renewed everyday. 

Spend time in nature

The outdoors full of greenery & fresh air, be it a forest, a lake or simply at the beach is the perfect way to relax, rejuvenate and feel refreshed every few days. Make sure to chalk out some time during the week or every two weeks to spend a day in nature; feel light, energised & fresh. 

So while you set down your gifting lists (even for yourself) or plan your resolutions, remember to take a break and focus on yourself. After all, every year is about growing & evolving, and we must learn to live a healthy life; physically & mentally. Enter 2022 as a mindful you with your heart open to give & receive loads of love!