7 Ways to Welcome the New Year with Mindful Self-Care

Between car troubles and a small flood in our playroom, this year got off to a rocky start. Two weeks of hoped productivity were gone along with some of the motivating New Year buzz.

On my first work day back, I had a more difficult time focusing. I felt overwhelmed and mildly defeated. I was tired from all the flood laundry and from being away from home for so long.

While it felt like my neglected to-do list was growing by the moment, I recognized within a few hours that this first day back wasn’t going to be as productive as I’d hoped.

I needed to take a little time for myself.

Some productive rest, a little reflection. I needed to breathe before I could act.

I needed mindful self-care.

Usually, this is something I realize much later, when I’m feeling burnt out and struggling. But, I recognized it (and acted on it) early in the day. So, I took the time to take care of myself. To prioritize myself over my to-do list.

I took a much needed nap, in a kid-free and silent house.

It was about as luxurious as it gets.

And, while I didn’t get through my list (nowhere near it!), the overwhelm had lessened and I was able to prioritize my list with clarity and get a few things done.

It was the reminder I needed to commit to mindful self-care this year. And not just when I’m overwhelmed. Regularly.

Want a few prompts to help you welcome the year with mindful self-care? Sign up here:

7 Ways Ways Welcome the New Year with Mindful Self-Care:

Aside from napping 😉 and focusing on my words of the year (breath, gratitude, and positivity), I am going to welcome the new year with the following:

1. Reflect

When I started writing this post (and thinking about intentionally working regular self-care into my routine), I thought about last year. Reflecting on the past for just a few minutes gives us the clarity. We recognize our weaknesses and potential areas for growth.

Taking a few minutes to reflect also helps us more intentionally create our future. After a few moments of quiet, ask yourself:

What did I do to care for myself?
What could I have done better?
What could I have done to handle stress better?
Did I make progress on some of my weaknesses (I personally considered my reactionary nature, my anxiety, my anger)?
Where could I use more improvement?
What mindset shifts could I make to improve this year? (Here’s where positivity and gratitude come in for me.)
How can I embody my values more this year?

2. Celebrate

This is also a time to celebrate the growth, shifts, and wins from last year. As mamas, we often get caught up in the “should haves” and guilt. We don’t spend enough time recognizing our victories. Reflect on your wins from the previous year. Write them down if you need extra encouragement.

Then, keep up this practice of celebrating yourself. You deserve it.

Celebrating our wins gives us confidence and motivation to keep improving. Even the smallest victory is encouraging. And when our little ones are still little, often the smallest amount of progress is enormous.

3. Affirmations and Self-Talk

Once you’ve celebrated, take some of those wins and create an affirmation or mantra out of them.

When things go badly (they will), when you’ve handled something poorly (you’re human, right?), rather than criticizing, consider a rephrase. Something like, “well, I didn’t handle that as well as I would have liked. I will do better next time.” Or, “It has been a tough day. My reaction was more about the day than me. I am a calm and peaceful parent.”

4. Rest

Prioritizing self-care includes our sleep patterns and down-time. I’ll say it again,

Rest is productive.

Changing our mindset around rest and sleep can help us become more productive by avoiding burnout, overwhelm and exhaustion. I know that after a short midday nap, I am much more able to focus and make decisions, ultimately getting more done, than if I power through, exhausted.

Sleep helps us focus, contributes to our emotional well being, increases our physical health and brain function. And, we are so much less likely to snap or become impatient with our little ones if we’ve gotten enough sleep.

I have not prioritized my own sleep and have really let go of any good habits around getting to sleep on time and limiting my screen time before bed. This is one thing that I plan to work on now. If you’re struggling with energy levels and irritability (🙋🏻‍♀️), join me in setting up these important self-care habits.

5. Boundaries

I work at home. So, boundaries are often blurred. I fold a load of laundry to procrastinate making a call I don’t want to deal with and then, need to make that call in the evening when my kids are home. Setting up boundaries to fully focus on work and then put it away when the kids are home is a priority for me this year.

Boundaries in our personal lives are also an important piece of mindful self-care. Creating a No List, knowing when good enough is good enough, saying no to friends, family, and extras when we don’t have time for it are all important in taking care of ourselves.

And, remember,

“No” is a complete sentence.

You don’t have to explain yourself to anyone else.

6. Simplify

The new year is a perfect time to clear any messiness (physical, digital, and emotional) and reset.

Remove distracting objects, work to replace the negative thoughts, delete old files, clear your calendar.

Clutter does nothing except cause anxiety, overstimulate our brains, and reduce clarity. An annual reset can do wonders for our health, our progress toward our goals, and positivity.

Creating systems and flow can also help simplify your life. Think about what you can delegate, do less frequently, or skip all together. Think about what you can plan, automate, or outsource.

If you need a little help in this area, take a look at Simplify Your Space or 101+ Ways to Simplify Your Life.

7. Prioritize Yourself

In the year ahead, I plan to prioritize myself. I hope you’ll join me.

Setting aside time for yourself each day. Guilt-free alone time is one of the best things we can give ourselves, even if it is just a few minutes each morning before the kids wake up.

Creating small, daily self-care rituals can feel luxurious and has the potential to fill an empty bucket. A five minute mini facial or scalp massage, a few quiet moments with a hot cup of tea (or wine 🍷, cheers!) to close the day, a phone call with a dear friend, your favorite show. Whatever it is, do what you can to schedule a daily ritual that is just for you. Make a habit of it. Put it in your calendar if you must.

I’d love to hear what you are planning to do bring mindful self-care into your life. Reach out: hello at raisingslow dot com. Let’s make 2023 a year that we put ourselves first!