After the scrumptious indulgence of Christmas Dinner, and all the leftovers are piling up in the fridge, we find ourselves in that in between phase before the next celebrations on New Year’s Eve. It can be an odd time, nursing hangovers, feeling stuffed and peering down to almost see all that food and drink visibly in our expanding bellies. Those of you who have the self-control to abstain I admire greatly.
For me food, music, the love and companionship of friends and family forms the essence of life at any time of the year. But those of us who celebrate Christmas and New Year have a good excuse to party hard! No harm in that – everything in moderation springs to mind though.
As we say goodbye to another year and welcome in a new one, many of us find ourselves reflecting on the past and making resolutions for the future. One of my favourite pastime’s is settling on the sofa once the party ends to watch Jools Hollands Hootenanny. He has such talented musicians and part of the fun is the random old stars he drags out.
The point here is I was struck by how Jools asked all of his guests without failure –
“have you been reflecting on the past and what intentions do you have for the future?”
I am beginning to learn that resolutions invariably fail. Or at least some have been broken for me and others I have kept to. We pile on too much pressure to achieve big goals. In fact, if we set realistic targets, we are more likely to achieve them. So yes, absolutely try to drink less, stop smoking, lose weight or have a healthier diet. But don’t beat yourself up if you don’t keep to it, rather celebrate each day that you do manage a small change. Another thing to consider if when looking at self-improvement are things like kindness and compassion for others. When we give and receive love, we get a little rush of endorphins and feel happy and grateful for all of the wonderful people in our lives. Gratitude practice goes a long way. If you are feeling lonely, try to reach out to others by small gestures of kindness and see how long it takes for it to be reciprocated… give it a try, you might fall in love with someone or make a new friend. It is a New Year after all, what have you got to loose.
“So, that all sounds great, but what are your New Year’s resolutions Reuben”, I hear you say: I do try to practice what I preach!
For the past few years, I have set out to do Dry January, mostly making it to the 31st day of the month, this year I am confident I will. Detox is always purifying and energising.
I am also joining my son, who became a resolute Vegetarian about a year ago, because it is cool these days and he has passionate morals in life. What a living legend that boy is. So, I am going to try one month of eating delicious vegetarian food, which I will thoroughly enjoy eating, sharing and feeling like I am being generally a bit healthier. I like to call it Vegetanuary as Veganuary is reserved for vegans
Wishing you all a wonderful year ahead, whatever it might bring.
As I say to my nearest and dearest, "Big Reuby Love".
If you enjoyed reading this blog, please do share it and leave a comment by forwarding this blog link – Happy New Year 2023.
- We are all made up of multiple and differing parts.
- Parts therapy is essentially about resolving internal conflicts within all of us. By resolving inner conflicts, clients may no longer feel ‘stuck’.
- The objective is the two parts (the motivating part and the sabotaging part) in conflict reach a positive outcome through discussion and ultimately resolution with one another.
Find out more by Contacting me on - info@nextchaptertherapies.co.uk / 07793144403 for a free consultation.
What’s New?
I think one of the biggest takeaways was despite how politically correct we you may think you are, we all have inherent unconscious bias. But by being aware of them we can change our behaviour or responses to them.
Nick created a safe space for us all to feel open enough to contribute to the days activities by speaking from the heart. It was a truly emotional and powerful day. He delivered an informative and well structured day to help all attendees find their voice and position themselves as leaders in their varying industries.
I think the above picture depicts my moments of getting involved well!
A few days ago I was contacted by Luis from public outreach department of The Mesothelioma Center (Asbestos.com). He has written the below article for anyone who may be in need of reaching out for support in this area. Read more on my BLOG
A new tool, the Alcohol Demotivator, can help you realise the negative impact of a drinking habit on finances, health, and driving risks.
The Demotivator illustrates the exact costs of ongoing alcohol consumption based on your personal intake levels:
https://www.abbeycarefoundation.com/alcohol/alcohol-demotivator/
Of course, practical tools like this can help as a deterrent from drinking too much, but if you're still struggling with alcohol, I offer personal sessions to help you uncover the root pattern behind the addiction, and work on it, at the cause.
Ring me direct on 07793 144 403 for guidance specific to your situation.
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