3 Small New Year's Resolutions with a Big Impact

New year’s resolutions are difficult to keep and often leave many of us feeling as if we are setting ourselves up for disappointment or failure. This is NOT how we want to head into a new year, season, moment etc… Here are easy, action items that will improve your quality of life. 

Stop letting the entire world in your bedroom.

How?

Don’t sleep with your phone in your room.

• Dig out or buy yourself and alarm clock.
• Make a charging station for your phone and all devices in the kitchen or living room or anywhere that isn’t your bedroom. This will keep you from checking social media, email, the news, or texts first thing before going to bed or waking up. You can own your morning without letting an outside source put you in a bad mood.
• We all likely heard how the blue light can interfere with our sleep patterns and cause us to think we are more “awake” when it’s time to be winding down.
• Use the time to connect with your partner without the distraction of your phone. 

Schedule a date with yourself.

Put 30 to 60 minutes a week in your schedule to do something that brings you joy. A week.  You can do this.  Can't find an hour?  Give yourself two half hours.

• Take a bath and read a book. Knit, take a dance class, paint, draw, go for a walk outside.
• Do something consistently that you are doing for no other reason than for the enjoyment of it.
• The routine break from your long list of “have to's” will act as a stress reducer and keep you ready for all life will throw at you. 

Start a morning ritual.

Depending on the age of your kids this will look very different. Those with newborns are not going to do the same thing as those with kids who can sleep through the night and dress themselves in the morning. The idea here is to get your day set up to a great start.

• This may be a quick run around your neighborhood, or may be reading with a cup of coffee for 30 minutes before your family gets up.
• It could just be getting up, showered and dressed before your family wakes up.
• Whatever is going to get your day off on the right foot so you are ready for everything the day may bring. 

None of these are not huge changes on their own, but the consistency of these small practices will have a big impact on your ability to show up for those around you.

Happy new year! 

Dede Lewis is a magnificent mother of two, has been part of Mom's the Word since 2013 (before she had those two kids), and can be found in our SF location on Mondays and Tuesdays, alternate Sundays and Wednesdays, and on occasion in Palo Alto.