You can’t expect to move freely when you’re focused on your constraints. Wellness begins with a shift in equilibrium.
January is always a month about restrictions, isn’t it? For whatever reason, western culture got it in our heads that we needed to make New Year’s Resolutions that cut us off from our daily joys and comforts. We try to pat ourselves on the back by thinking of this as “discipline.”
What we need to be focusing on are our joys, our inspirations, and the things that will nurture the very best parts of ourselves.
And you know what? Despite the fact that you’re reading this in a wellness blog right now, words aren’t always the best ways to nurture ourselves. A list of rules or commands doesn’t spark our brains the way images, real-world items, and even one-word prompts can.
That’s why starting the year off by creating a vision board, a gratitude list, or other crafty, visually striking projects can inspire us toward wellness faster, and over a longer period of time, than just making resolutions to keep us constrained.
Our consciousness reminds us to walk the path. But when our goals are an ever-present and exuberant part of our subconscious, we’ll discover new energies moving us toward them.
Here’s how and why these projects can nurture wellness, kindle inspiration, and expand our joys in 2023. Read them here in black and white, and then go out there and dream in color.
Start with gratitude.
Instead of focusing on the things you think are “imperfect” about your life, make a list—or better yet, a collage or memory box—of things you’re grateful for. This is your bedrock for wellness.
Rather than punishing yourself for not adhering to your constraints, stand firmly on these blessings all year round. They’re not going anywhere. Know that you can stand tall on all the things you already have.
Create a vision board.
Yes, it’s a cliché. But a vision board is one of those things that’s cliché because
- It’s really easy.
- It’s joyful in and of itself.
- It really works.
Don’t make a list of resolutions that you have to make yourself check every morning. Create a thing of beauty containing the things you want to see more in your life.
Turn your biggest dreams into visual representations that trigger positive emotional responses. Then surround them with images of the little things that will nurture those dreams into fruition.
And remember: The smallest dreams nurture wellness, too. Every healthy, happy moment is an achievement.
Don’t know what inspires you? Put “INSPIRATION” on your board and go from there.
Remember to make your board as personal as possible. If you’re making a physical collage for your vision board (we recommend it—it’s super fun!), try using local newspapers and magazines for visuals. Then you’ll have images of things right here in Bradenton.
These images
- Are things of beauty in and of themselves.
- Remind you of the things you can be grateful for that are within arm’s reach in your life.
- Inspire you to pursue achievable, joyous things, even in the smallest ways.
(And if wellness is in your 2023 radar, may we humbly suggest that your vision board includes our phenomenal Bradenton med spa, our phenomenal medical partner Dr. Pamela Chapman, as well as The Day Spa, Bradenton’s premier women’s-only membership destination for healing and wellness services?)
Make your gratitude and/or your visions part of your day-to-day life.
Yes, these projects will do you good just to do them. But when you have a chance to interact with them every day, that’s where the real magic occurs.
Put your visions on the wall by your desk, on the door to your closet, even over the bathroom or kitchen sink.
No, you can’t go to the gym, or to the spa, or to the beach every single day of 2023. But you can dream about it. You can keep the best possible thoughts fresh and growing in your mind.
No matter what’s on your mind, your board can remind you of what’s really important.
One more thing.
Lastly, no matter how you do it, start your 2023 with this thought: When we give a little sunshine, a little warmth, a little fresh air and a little clean water to the most remarkable parts of ourselves, just imagine what will grow.
