Our 8 Top Tips For A Fabulous 2020

After the festive period is over, it can feel like we have nothing to look forward to apart from 2 solid months of continued dark winter misery.  January is the month where everyone joins a gym, gets their stuff in order and cracks on with their resolutions, or so we are led to believe.
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The reality for many of us, is that there is nothing new about the New Year, it’s the same old stuff as last year, just a different number. But it doesn’t have to be like that, here are our 8 top tips for making 2020 the best year ever!
 

1. Go Outside
The recent sunny, frosty weather provide a welcome relief from the wet grey days that we have grown accustomed too. Exposure to daylight is good for us, it lightens our mood and it helps to regulate our sleep cycles properly.
Take five minutes out of your lunch break and go outside and get as much daylight as you can while it lasts!

​2. Plan a holiday
The very thought of a few days in the sun is enough to lift your spirits. Many of you will remember watching Judith Chalmers (Wish You Were Here?) and Cliff Mitchelmore (Holiday), which appeared on our screens as soon as the Christmas decorations were taken down! Brochures were perused, deposits paid and time off booked in the diary. The anticipation was just as exciting as the holiday itself! Even planning a weekend away, provides a lift in the spirits and doesn’t have to break the bank!

3.  Reflect and move on
Sometimes it’s easier to focus on the negative aspects of our lives than think of the positives. Negative emotions are key to our survival as they make us aware that there is a problem. The negativity associated with a health concern, or a relationship, or work, alerts us to the issues that need our attention and ultimately, we need to change.
The act of suppressing these negative thoughts and feelings not only increases our level of stress but can be bad for our physical and mental health. Research from Florida State University study showed that those who suppress emotions experience greater stress when confronted with the topic causing their negative thoughts.
Remind yourself that ‘good things’ do happen and try to create greater opportunities for these to occur this year. Look back over last year and create a list of the Top 10 things you did, then create a list of the 10 things you least enjoyed doing. Try and do more of list A and less of list B this year.
 
 
4. Exercise
Believe it or not, exercise can lift your spirits! Although it may appear cliched to start an exercise regime in January, the endorphin releases that exercise provides will lift your ood and help alleviate your post-Christmas guilt from your festive indulgences.




​5. Avoid unrealistic resolutions
 
Unrealistic resolutions set you up to fail, and make you feel even worse when you cannot fulfil them. Making resolutions to better yourself is a good thing, but make sure they’re things you can stick to. Use the month of February to re-evaluate your goals/resolutions. Once you have settled and are happy with them, break them down into smaller ‘specific’ goals that are easier to achieve

​6. Reset your axis
Comfort zones are dangerous things, as they cause us to stagnate and cease development. Try and ‘shake your snow globe’ by doing something completely different this month. Take time out, go to a movie, see a show, visit a gallery, visit somewhere new. Sometimes we appreciate the place where we live more, when friends come to visit, and we go for walks close to home. It sometimes requires an outside influence to remind us just how good life is!
 


​7.  Revisit an old love!
 
I don’t mean getting reconnected with an old flame on Friends Reunited! Sometimes life gets in the way and we have to give up certain pursuits or hobbies in order to do our job or look after the children. Just because your art teacher said you were no good at art, or you weren’t good enough to make the school team, doesn’t mean to say that you cannot enjoy those pleasures/pursuits/ experiences now!
 
8.  Sleep
 
If you are looking to make changes in your lifestyle or looking to get the optimum performance, it becomes even more important to establish and follow a routine. For instance, getting dramatically different amounts of sleep from night to night or waking up at different times is confusing for your system. If you can follow a consistent and predictable sleep routine, with regular mealtimes and consistency with your exercise plans, you will give yourself a better chance at improving your quality of life.

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