The lockdowns and self-isolation caused by the pandemic created the perfect opportunity for people to start looking internally at how they go through life. This time of self-reflection has led to countless bouts of self-improvement and self-care trends. Developing healthy and productive habits for both your mind and body can significantly improve your mental and physical health and provide you with a better quality of life overall. Despite the repetitiveness of the days spent in our homes, there’s no shortage of great opportunities to continue to grow and develop as a person. All you need is the drive and commitment to stick to your plans and achieve your goals.
As we transition into the new normal, we’re again forced to adjust our habits and practices to fit into our new lifestyles. The world has begun to open up again, and the temptation to regress into old and detrimental habits can be overwhelming. However, focusing on the benefits, you’ll reap in the long run can provide you with the motivation you need to stick it out. Mindfulness, health, holistic well-being, and self-care practices manifest differently from person to person. Don’t be dissuaded from growth just because your path doesn’t coincide with the majority. The journey of self-improvement is a unique and winding road that leads to beautiful results.
Establishing Better Habits
Studies show that it takes anywhere from 18 to 246 days to establish a new habit successfully. While the 21-day routine may be the most popular, it actually takes a relatively long time to lay the foundation of a habit that’ll stick in the long run. The same time frame applies to breaking any current bad habits. It takes hard work, determination, and consistency to break old habits that no longer serve you while also replacing them with better ones. Establishing better practices also requires a lot of patience. Frequently, people will get discouraged because as hard as they try, they continue to fall into the same old patterns and repeat unwanted cycles with themselves. This is an entirely normal occurrence for a lot of people. Nothing worth having comes easy, and if you put in the work along the journey, you’ll find yourself getting to your destination anyway, regardless of any time frame.
Striving to Explore
We can all become a victim of our circumstances without even knowing it. The lockdowns caused our days to become repetitive and somewhat stifling as we adjusted to the necessary health and safety protocols. Remember that exploring new paths is just as important as improving your current path. An openness to change welcomes opportunities for growth and the discovery of new sources of happiness. It could be exploring a new hobby like reading, playing a musical instrument, or cooking. All of these feed your inner creativity while also promoting continuous learning. Exploration also relates to seeking new places and cultures.
Traveling more has been a goal for most people after being cooped up at home for so long. You could choose to immerse yourself in new cultures that’ll open your eyes to different ways of living while also meeting new people from all walks of life. You could also take this time to reconnect with nature and the great outdoors. Hiking and camping by yourself or with friends can help you socialize in a safe space that gives you a chance to get some fresh air. There are also some modern ways to experience nature, such as spending time at your local beachfront Airbnbs, visiting countryside wedding venues, or even just going to your community gardens. Reconnecting and practicing the act of grounding can significantly better your overall health.
Practicing Mindfulness
According to experts, mindfulness has key aspects, which include non-judging, patience, beginner’s mind, trust, non-striving, acceptance, and letting go. These aspects all revolve around being mindful of your thoughts and reactions, catching your internal thought process, and holding yourself accountable for your thoughts and emotion. Mindfulness has been considered an excellent form of meditation that helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression, and even pain. Though it can initially seem like a habit that’ll take up a significant amount of your energy mentally, the practice of mindfulness can result in extraordinary results in your emotional and physical well-being. Empowering and allowing yourself a lot of time to focus on your mind through meditation helps you deal with both negative and positive events in your life in a healthy manner. As humans, we tend to pay closer attention to our negative experiences and file away positive ones. In the new normal, focusing on the current and future opportunities keeps you goal-oriented and in a healthy place.
Final Thoughts
Improving our mental and physical well-being is a lifelong journey that takes time. While the results don’t appear overnight, it takes that first step towards a better direction to be the catalyst for a positive change in your life.