This year, I took January as a time to really slow down, rest and retreat a little from the world around me. 2020 has had an impact on us all and towards the end of last year I was really starting to feel the exhaustion and seemingly never ending cycles of lockdowns.
But, like other years, January still brought with it the ‘new year, new me’ posts on social media and the commitments to turning lives around. And unusually for me, I got caught up in it a little. I had gone through several coaching programmes in the latter part of 2020, all with the intention of launching my own business. And in December when I ‘should’ have been working on launching in the new year, all I wanted to do was curl up and go to sleep! I felt as if I was pushing myself, but my mind and body were resisting. The logical part of my brain was telling me that this was just fear of putting myself out there with no control over what others thought. But luckily, my coach at the time, sent an email of journal prompts to help with reflection over the past year.
Through the exercise, I came to realise that I needed to trust my intuition a bit more. That I needed to listen to my higher self (who is the best version of myself). So where I had been learning to create social media content and engage with followers to increase my presence, I did a U-turn and practically dropped off the face of social media, posting here and there, but with little intention. And where other coaches were promoting services and products, I started to compare myself and chastise myself for not doing more. I was caught in a cycle for about 3 weeks where I was allowing myself to rest, but then feeling guilty for doing so. It all came to a head in the first week of January where my brain decided to shut down and do only the things necessary to get me through the day.
A lot of friends and family have mentioned or spoken to me about how difficult January has seemed this year. And it’s partly because we went into another lockdown in the UK. And some of it was seeing how other nations around the world were living more ‘normal’ lives.
During January I did the bare minimum to get myself through.
I used the month to rest and recuperate. Animals don’t hibernate in winter just for fun! We could all do with a little time to step back and look after ourselves during these times.
I stepped away from the ‘New Year, New Me’ circus. I’m not a believer in New Year’s resolutions, but it didn’t stop me feeling like I had to join in. I had to mute posts or scroll on by when I saw anything related to resolutions just to keep my mental health intact.
I had a lack of motivation, even though there were goals I wanted to work on. Instead of stressing over these goals, I set myself realistic daily goals, like getting fresh air or eating a healthy meal.
I went for a walk every day. Walking always feels like medicine for the soul for me. Sitting indoors all day means we don’t get enough fresh oxygen or light during the winter months. Going for a walk during the day, even when it was 10 minutes in my lunch hour, really invigorated me, especially in the cold weather.
I purposefully watched light hearted programmes and films when watching TV. I don’t know about you but it seemed like all the streaming services were full of dark dramas and documentaries. I made sure I only watched things that made me laugh so that January didn’t seem so full of despair!
I can safely say, that January wasn’t easy this year, and I didn’t even have to deal with home-schooling, like some people did! I had a bit of a ‘forced’ break but it was something I needed. I feel much more refreshed and focused and am ready to give my business the attention it deserves, rather than doing things in a half-hearted way. And I’ve learned to trust myself more, allowing myself to rest when needed.
Harmesch x
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