Most of us can agree that the vibes have been whack for the past year. Maybe you've set all your intentions and goals to move forward, but you're still feeling heavy from the past. Maybe you've just had an experience with something or someone you're ready to shake now. Whatever it is, these are some of my favorite ways to let all that stuff go and reset.
Keep these tips around!
1. Literally shake it off.
From here on out, set aside some daily time (even a simple song's-length) to turn on some good music and shake your body. All animals in the animal kingdom physically shake trauma from their bodies after a tense event (think dogs, monkeys, gazelles - you name it), which is why our tendency is to shudder at uncomfortable thoughts, sights or situations. Follow that urge (or get ahead of it!) and shake, shake, shake into the new year.
Try "Shake It Out" by Florence and the Machine to really get in the mood here.
2. Sign up for a breathwork class.
Check out your favorite online meditation or yoga studio, run a quick google search for "breathwork teachers" and schedule a Zoom session. Breathwork is a meditative exercise where we use our breath to influence our minds, emotions and even spirit. It can be intense, but it can boost immunity, help process emotions, heal emotional pain and trauma and increase clarity of mind. Yogis have been practicing it for thousands of years for a reset and a power-boost unparalleled to anything else. When you finish, you may just feel like a brand new human being. Try working one on one remotely with my teacher Stephanie Carson: www.mysoulsanity.com.
3. Meditate to appreciate.
Sitting in meditation allows everything to slow, still and calm. It creates a relationship to yourself and the outside world that stands in the witness-position, versus the victim of the story. This kind of outlook can be accessed through even just five-minutes per day of a guided meditation. There's a meditation for flipping nearly every script you're living by and I've made it my intention to provide free ones on YouTube for all kinds of feelings. Feeling angry? Here's a meditation to cool you down. Overthinking? I got you. Brand new? Here's a breakdown. There's no excuse for not making this part of your daily routine. Watch your life fill with so much more positivity. Work with me 1:1 to find a specific modality of meditation that works best for you.
4. Live by a positive affirmation.
New year's intentions may be challenging to come up with when the future's so blurry. This is why I highly recommend you work with a positive affirmation. The University of Pennsylvania, UCLA and the University of Michigan all conducted a study on affirmations and confirmed how positive they are for self-image and motivation. Ask yourself: "what kind of mindset would carry me through 2021 no matter what happens?" You can even start with one word (ie: strong, confident, positive, giving, calm) and make it into an "I am" statement such as, "I am strong." Make this positive affirmation your password, phone passcode, a sticky note on your mirror, a doodle on your notebook - anything that keeps you connected and keeps you going.
