Every year we start out saying the same thing: “this year I’ll be so healthy” or “I’m limiting social media this year.” While people’s perfect resolutions may end up happening, for the majority of us, resolutions are often given up early into the year. This leaves us feeling guilty for not completing all of these goals in a certain time frame. Over Christmas break, I saw some TikToks discussing how people are focusing on New Year’s Affirmations and I couldn’t be more on board with this trend.
The meaning of a New Year’s Affirmation is essentially motives and aspirations to follow in the New Year. It places less pressure on the whole idea of resolutions, and is instead focused on trying to gradually incorporate new habits or routines. Over the past year, I’ve grown to become an avid Pinterest user and believe it gives inspiration in different areas from fashion to food. This year I’ve decided to make a vision board and have even made it my laptop background to remind myself of my goals. Here are some goals I have for 2023:
Physical Health:
One of my top goals is to get to a good place physically. For a majority of my life, I’ve struggled with my body image and hope to find a happy medium with eating habits and exercise. I’ve grown to enjoy cooking when I’m home and want to become better at eating more intuitively. In 2022, I tried new workouts such as hot yoga and spin that reminded me that working out doesn’t have to feel like a chore and can be fun. I’ve also become a big fan of walking outside and listening to Podcasts which helps to increase my energy and alleviate some stresses and anxieties I may be feeling. Spending this time outside is a great way to get some fresh air and helps me appreciate nature in ways I might have not before.
Mental health:
Mental health is so important to improve self love habits. I believe it’s important to do things you love at least once a day. This year, I’m trying to do something for myself at least once a day. Even if it’s as simple as eating my favorite snack or listening to my favorite song on the way to class; finding those moments of happiness can boost my mood throughout the day.
Reading:
Another goal I have for myself is to read more. I tend to find myself scrolling on my phone before bed, which is a habit I want to break. Whenever I read books I enjoy, I find myself relieving stress and believe it can be a relaxing activity. Last year, I had a goal to read 15 books, which I quickly realized was an unrealistic task. Throughout high school, I only read books that were required for school and felt like I wasn’t reading any books for personal joy. This year, I gave myself a goal of reading 5 books throughout the year as a way to ease into reading and help expand on my love for it.
Living in the moment:
One quote I have on my vision board is “Don’t worry too much. Everything will fall into place.” This is a quote I’m planning to live by this year because I often am impatient with how I live my life. Being a freshman in college, I expected everything to happen the second I got here: always being busy, making immediate friends, and having everything figured out. Realizing that all these things don’t happen overnight was something that was hard to learn. However, I’ve come to recognize that good things take time and have been teaching myself to believe that things work out as they are meant to. I want to be more present this year instead of worrying about every little thing and appreciate all that is around me.
I hope this inspired anyone who’s reading to take a moment to reflect on their 2023 New Year’s affirmations. Most importantly give yourself some love and remind yourself that any sort of progress is progress :)
XO Annie