It is the Chinese New Year (or the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival) and we are ready to celebrate the year of the Rabbit. Not only in China, but most Asian countries, with family gatherings, good food, and fireworks.
What does the year of the Rabbit have in store for us? Were you born in the year of the rabbit? Is 2023 your year?
According to the Chinese Zodiac, the Year of the Rabbit embodies a yin (passive, feminine) energy, focusing on relaxation, quietness, and contemplation. Sounds good so far. A year to perhaps take up a new exercise routine like yoga, or a meditative practice to quell anxiety? Or maybe start writing in that journal every day, like you were going to, starting January 1? Isn’t it great to get another New Year to start up again, no guilt?
This is a great opportunity to reflect, recharge and reset that button for 2023, don’t you think? Here are 15 ways to do just that:
1. Choose your word that will guide you for 2023 – hint: mine is TRANSFORM
2. Recharge your batteries. I got COVID the first week in January and that sure slowed me down. I slept a lot and I guess I needed to. Take the time to get the rest you need, step back and take a breath, and stop rushing from one activity to the next.
3. Think about how you express gratitude. Try this if you keep a gratitude journal. Make sure that when you write down you are grateful for something, you also express “why” you are grateful. Be specific. And share your gratitude, maybe by making a phone call or writing a letter to someone you love and expressing how grateful you truly are for them or something they did. Pay it forward.
4. Think about how you can be less anxious in 2023. Is it time to take a class on breathwork, meditation, or by eating a meal more mindfully? I just did a workshop on Mindful Eating last week and shared tips for enjoying a distraction-free meal. If you would like an invite to my next Mindful Eating class on Zoom, register here.
5. Improve your relationships. Do you think you could re-invigorate your relationships to your partner, your siblings, your parents, your co-workers, children, and friends with a little extra care? Are you fully present for the people you value? How do you spend time with them now? Could it be better?
6. Do you treat yourself well? Reflect on whether or not you treat yourself like a good friend, by encouraging yourself with healthy self-talk and other practices that show you value yourself. How long has it been since you got a mani-pedi?
7. And to remind yourself to be kinder to yourself, reflect on your accomplishments in this past year, the little things as well as the big stuff (not just work, either).
8. Plan something you have wanted to do, but have been nervous to try. Maybe it is going skydiving, solo travel, or speaking in front of a group on a topic you love. Either way, schedule it and make it happen this year. Enlist a friend if you have to.
9. Decide, too, on what to let go of in 2023. Do you have bad habits, too many commitments or maybe some toxic relationships that cause you more stress than they are worth? What could you let go of to create more space for the things you really enjoy?
10. Reduce decision fatigue while you are at it. Simplify your options by removing all those choices. For example, plan your meals ahead of time, instead of trying to figure that out at dinner time. If you need some help, I will gladly send you a week of meals, with shopping list and recipes. Interested, click here.
11. Since we are in the kitchen, let’s support your more healthy inclinations, by ridding it of junk food and introducing healthier choices. If you need some help with whipping the pantry in shape, download this.
Teeming Health_Clean_Out_Guide
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Download PDF • 251KB
12. Unsubscribe and unfollow. Pare down your social media feeds and remove yourself from emails that no longer serve you (mine included).
13. Declutter that inbox too. Take a half hour to delete anything you don’t need any more. Honestly, I just delete in bulk, because I know I won’t go back to it. Then organize all the rest into categories and folders to put emails in the right place when they come in. That way you can find them more readily.
14. And organize all your digital files too and don’t forget to back them up in the cloud, Dropbox, an external hard drive, or whatever works for you. You don’t want to lose all those photos in your phone, do you?
15. Decide what you will make time for. What is most important to you? Who is your priority right now? What will bring you joy?
So you see, whether it January 1 or January 22, your new year can start whenever you want it to. So let’s go!
Reset that button, and enjoy this recipe! Happy New Year (again)!
Chinese New Year Recipe: Longevity Noodles with Spicy Pork & Vegetables
Spicy Pork & Vegetable Lo Mein Recipe _ EatingWell
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Download PDF • 296KB