Ways to work toward a new, improved me for 2019

Photo: Creative Commons

by Tina Cole-Mullins

As the calendar turns the page to the new year, it’s time to make a fresh start. This will be the year we begin living a happier, healthier life. We’ve set some resolutions to guide our way and decided what to stop doing over the next 12 months.

But instead of giving up something, which feels negative, why not try reprogramming our minds to start something positive? The mind resists the word no, so we may find positive reprogramming more effective. 

Mindfulness

Being mindful in the moment not only helps us find a center and balance in every day life, but also helps connect us to the bigger picture and sense of self. Meditation and yoga may come to mind, but we can incorporate these three other, less challenging, forms of mindfulness into everyday life: 

• Wake 10 minutes earlier each day. Have a “me spot” where we can apply those extra minutes to taking inventory of our lives. Set our goals, assess the goals or explore new ones. Most of all, we can be thankful and find at least one new thing each day to be grateful for.

• Meditation or yoga. If we are one of those fortunate enough to find mindfulness in these ways, we may join one of the classes at the Stockbridge Wellness Center. The January 2019 calendar is online at stockbridgewellness.org.

• Take a walk. Be in the moment and take in all of nature’s beauty. Stockbridge hosts one of the two trail heads for the Lakeland Trail and State Park. Lakeland Trail is a multiuse trail re-purposed from an abandoned railroad that runs 20 miles via Stockbridge to Hamburg, Mich.

Body

Losing weight and stopping smoking are the top New Year’s resolutions, and the first to fall by the wayside. Instead of setting a resolution to stop smoking, we can set a goal to smoke two or three fewer cigarettes each day. Once we have succeeded at the goal, let’s set a new one to smoke even less each day.

Rather than making a resolution to lose a specific number of pounds, how about choosing a goal of living a healthier lifestyle? Let’s try going to bed 20 minutes earlier. Our body will have more time to rest and rejuvenate, and we’ll be able to wake up that 10 minutes earlier to work on our mindfulness.

• Join the Stockbridge Wellness Center. Membership allows access to all 5 Healthy Towns Foundation wellness centers in Dexter, Manchester, Chelsea and an aquatic center. Amenities include strength training equipment, cardio equipment, group exercise classes and free weights. We also can get a medical fitness assessment and a professional to help develop our personalized fitness program. Join in January and receive half-off dues for the month and February.

• Let’s book an appointment to have a massage and/or our hair cut or styled. Women, let’s have our nails done. Lots of local options await.

Soul

We need to make time to develop our inner selves and live with contentment and in peace.

• Smile more. It feels great, and a smile is contagious.

• In addition to the gratitude we seek in mindfulness, we should be humble and seek pleasure in the simple things.

• Live our passion. Do more of what we love.

• Volunteer. Our community has many opportunities to give back. We can work with students by contacting a school. Or reach out to older adults at the Tri-County Meals on Wheels Senior Luncheon at the Town Hall at noon Fridays. Check out this edition’s special “Community Resources” section and make contact. 

• Connect online. Those of us who find it difficult to schedule specific times to volunteer may join one of the local online communities offering various ways to give back. See Facebook for Wake Up Stockbridge & Surrounding Communities, Munith/Stockbridge Pay it Forward or Friends of the Munith Lions.

• Feed our soul. Comfort food goes a long way. 

Whatever our New Year’s resolutions, let us remember to care for our mind, body and soul. Let us set goals based on what we plan to gain, rather than what we hope to lose, and most importantly, set our sights on helping ourselves and others throughout the coming months.