After the Christmas fun, food and maybe fights have passed, it’s that time again. A new year, a blank slate, a fresh start. Perhaps 2024 could be the year to try some new goals? We’re sharing a list of ideas to boost your wellbeing and help make next year the best it can be.
However if you’re still very much in hibernation mode and needing some more time out, thats also fine!
Ideas for wellbeing in 2024
Health
1. Go on a walk every day: Walking has all sorts of wellbeing benefits linked to it, so set your own realistic goals and try to increase just a little each time.
2. Make a weekly meal plan: Decide what you’re going to eat each day in advance. It helps cut down on food waste and also means you can plan lots of healthy meals.
3. Make sleep a priority: Set yourself a new routine for sleep – you might be amazed at the difference regular, good quality sleep can make.
Social
1. Enjoy regular meals with loved ones: Invite friends or family around for dinner once a week and sit around the dinner table together to catch up.
2. Reach out to old friends: have you lost touch with friends from years gone by? Perhaps you can look them up on Facebook, send them a letter or give them a call to reconnect.
3. Meet new people: It can be intimidating, but meeting new people and forging new friendships can lead to increased happiness.
Personal development
1. Read more: You might already be a keen reader, but there’s always more literature to discover – usually read thrillers? Try a mystery instead.
2. Learn an instrument: This could be the year to learn the flute, violin or piano. Set aside time each week to practice and you’ll be a master before you know it.
3. Learn a language: Whether it’s Spanish, French or Italian, learning a language is a fantastic way to stretch your mind muscles!
Fun
1. Join a club: What are your interests? Why not join with others in enjoying it? Look at your local community centre and make some new friends along the way. Or try one of our classes?
2. Travel more: Pick a new area of the country (or even the continent) to visit each season – this could be as simple as a walk along a new coastline in summer, or a long weekend in Prague in winter.
3. Host a tea party: When the weather starts to improve, why not invite some friends around and arrange an afternoon tea party? Centrepieces, bunting, cakes and tea galore!
Self care
1. Look out for glimmers: Glimmers are essentially the opposite of triggers. They’re little things that bring us comfort and soothe our nervous systems. They tell our brain and body that we are safe and it’s OK. We can all benefit from spotting glimmers, particularly as we have a natural tendency to look for and remember the bad.
2. Commit to a daily meditation practice: Decades of research show concrete benefits of a daily meditation practice, ranging from a better gut microbiome to becoming calmer and concentrating more easily.
3. Test out the six healing sounds: According to the ancient art of qigong, there are six sounds help to relax our minds and bodies. These are: Ssssss, Chooooo, Whooooo, Sshhhhh, Haaaaa and Heeeeee. Take a seat, inhale, and when you exhale, make one of these sounds. Work your way through all six and see how much more chilled out you feel. Better still, if you haven’t yet done so, try a sound bath!
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