Happy New Year, GirlDreamers.
We are hoping for a happy and prosperous year here at GirlDreamer and are sure you are hoping that 2022 is an incredible year for you too.
We want to achieve more things, make healthier choices, be happier people and ultimately have a better year than the last.
Naturally, we want more for ourselves and from our year. Part of this means making changes. We will naturally make different choices and have periods of growth with the hope of achieving more and being more.
Experiencing periods of growth and transformation and wanting to make changes is incredibly normal. Particularly during the new year. Navigating these times can be challenging, long and uncomfortable. The difficulty and awkwardness of navigating these periods can be anxiety-inducing and debilitating, leaving you confused and overwhelmed.
In beginning a new period of growth, we feel a shift. We examine ourselves, our lives and our goals. We reassess who we are, where we are and who we want to be. In facilitating these periods of growth, you may pick up new habits, implement lifestyle changes, switch up your routine and set new goals to achieve what you want and to become who you want to be.
With the seemingly never-ending pandemic, more of us have experienced periods of transformation more frequently than ever before. Through navigating the new normal, we were able to identify new goals, create new plans, get new jobs, and develop new friendships and relationships. As a result, some of us are now in a completely different space compared to where we were when the pandemic began.
It is normal to find these times testing. The uncertainty and difficulty of periods of growth can be unsettling especially when so many changes happen in such a short space of time.
The sudden newness in routine can make any changes hard to sustain and leave you feeling stressed trying to manage it all. It is easy to feel overwhelmed and can make you feel confused and demotivated. As a result, this may make it hard to focus positively on the changes you are making. And more importantly, why you are making those changes.
Promoting your wellbeing and wellness during these periods is essential in ensuring you do not feel overwhelmed and discouraged. Prioritising yourself and your joy will ensure you continue to make changes that are positive to you and your journey.
During these periods of growth, some practices and habits can be beneficial in alleviating the stress and pressures these times can bring.
Find Happiness In Many Things
Happiness is internal. You chose to be happy, and then magically you are.
Could you imagine if that was true? How easy life could be?
As adults living in the real world, we know how untrue this is. Our happiness is dependent on so many things and can be impacted so easily. Sustaining our happiness is hard, especially when it is bound to factors that are ultimately out of our control.
So, we should seek to find happiness in as many things as possible and as frequently as we can.
Find happiness where it can be consistent and sustained. This could be in your morning walk, your coffee ritual, your favourite show or your time spent alone. Finding joy in many things will help ensure you feel happier and more positive as a whole. It will leave you feeling brighter and more joyous. And so will motivate and encourage you to take further steps to nurture and maintain this happiness.
Focus on the Positive
It is easy to dwell on the bad things we have experienced and allow that to dictate how we move forward in our lives. The best thing you can do is remind yourself of the positive things. The happiness you have had, the moments that brought you joy and the people who help you enjoy life.
Whenever you find yourself focusing on negative experiences, remember that you moved past them and were able to find joy and be happy again. Focusing on the positive allows you to be open in finding more. It builds your confidence and encourages you to trust your instincts. Being positive even when it is so hard to be, motivates you to fuel your joy and find more.
Focusing on the positive doesn’t mean that you don’t experience your feelings or disregard the cruelty of life. It means that you take a different approach. You understand that things can and will happen that are built for your destruction. But you take a different approach that helps you navigate the darkness and come out knowing and wanting more.
Establish Boundaries
Boundaries encourage you to foster healthier habits, choices and relationships. Creating healthy boundaries is necessary for establishing successful relationships with friends, family and even yourself.
We are constantly told to think of others. But this can be to your detriment. It can derail progress and positive changes you have made.
Boundaries allow you to be selfish. They ensure you prioritise yourself and your goals.
Boundaries encourage you to think of what is best for you and for what you want. They allow you to say no. To act in a way that prioritises your wellbeing.
Remember Your Goals
In moments of hardship and uncertainty, it can be hard to remember why you are taking the steps and making the changes that you are. Working consistently to improve yourself can be a long and gruelling process that can leave you overwhelmed.
For motivation and encouragement, remind yourself of what your goals are. Remember why it is that you are working so hard. And what it is that you want to achieve. When you are feeling low, a vision board or a list of your goals will help encourage you. Reminding yourself of what you want to achieve will allow you to visualise it more clearly and thus motivate you to take the steps you need to.
We implore you to prioritise yourself this year. Work to find and fuel your peace, joy, growth and happiness.
We hope that you have an amazing year and that 2022 is your best yet.
