This time of year we need to STOP. Slow down and allow ourselves to rest. Take our cues from nature of what is expected at us right now. This is not the time to start a crazy new diet or workout program. It is the time to recover, heal and sleep.
What is winter for?
Read on below to see my suggestion for making sure that your New Year’s Goals actually align with success and how to make them happen.
It’s a time to slow down. In my online program, Boost your Health, I outline monthly or quarterly goals that you can work towards in improving yourself. It doesn’t make sense to have the same goal year round, rather is makes sense to work with the energy of nature and the Earth. Some ideas are:
- Seasonal Goals:
- Winter:
- work on your sleep environment and routine.
- Set a bedtime routine, like you would for a child, a similar time each night.
- No screens for 2 hours before bed.
- Make your bedroom a soothing relaxing, dark and cool (less than 70*) environment.
- Spring:
- work on hydration and movement goals
- Now is the time to start a workout routine- aim for movement 70 days per day, with 5 with higher intensity and weights
- Make drinking water a daily habit, plan for 1/2 your body weight in ounces per day.
- Summer:
- work on cooking, grounding and eating cleaner
- Start by visiting your local farmers market to get some clean, real,local food and then learn how to cook it
- Or grow some of your own! Even a small herb garden can help take your meals up a noch and Inside Out’s sister company, Sage Garden Co can help you design and use your new garden. Check out our offerings: Sage Garden Company
- Get outside with bare feet on the Earth once per day to help your body ground to the Earth.
- Fall:
- work on meditation, reading (an actual book) and better screen time boundaries
- Start a meditation pratice, starting with 5 minutes a day and working up
- Read more books on a variety of interests
- Set up actual screen time boundaries, such as nothing until after 9 am, no screens during dinner hour, etc.
- Winter:
Each season you really focus on and solidify these new habits and then you take them with you into the next season building on what you already strengthened. Research says it takes 21 days of doing something to help it become habit. These seasons are on average 90 days so you are really working to make these new habits become your lifestyle. Imagine by the end of the year how much you were able to make health a true part of your lifestyle and how you were able to really make some big changes that felt small over the course of 365 days.
