Only the VERY best wishes for 2024 from all of us here at A Wellness Revolution..!
Many of us are busy with New Year’s resolutions and promises to ourselves about things we plan to do differently this year. An often-popular theme is taking better care of our health and I’m sure that this year is no exception. Promises of going to the gym more consistently, joining a class, or even another attempt at making meditation a daily practice are common place.
I am personally feeling a greater need to spend more time outdoors. I spent the final few months of last year doing a great deal of work behind my computer – indoors! I know that being in nature is good for me; I also know that I often feel better afterwards, not just physically but emotionally and mentally as well. I notice that my skin gains a healthier glow, I have more energy in general, and my moods seem more balanced and stable. All in all, I am already well aware of the benefits of spending more time outside – so why don’t I do it?
It’s so strange to me that we don’t always do what we KNOW is good for us. We don’t seem to prioritise ourselves enough! Why is that? A lifetime of putting others first? Not believing or feeling like we’re worth it? Or are we just lazy at heart?
I think many of us have become anesthetised to a lot of things over the years. We are bombarded with constant messaging and advertising about what we ‘should’ be doing; what we should be eating, what kind of exercises we should be doing, who we should be ‘following’, what we should be thinking, what we’re allowed to say, etc… the list is endless and, to be honest, I’m tired. I’ve begun to tune it out as a way of simply staying sane. I’ve stopped listening… – to the doomsday news, what’s being said/done on Instagram, Facebook, etc… Perhaps this is why I’m noticing a strong need within myself to be outside in nature, where no-one is talking ‘at me’. I don’t have to run along the trails in the forest or listen to a podcast while power-walking my way through the heather. I’m allowed to do nothing but simply ‘be’; to walk, breathe, take in the beauty, and enjoy nature as it was intended – quietly.
So here it is – my resolution for 2024: I’m going to promise myself the treat of prioritising ME! To go outdoors and embrace the beauty of nature regularly – no fuss, no bother – just a self-indulgent simple pleasure ALL of my OWN..!!!!
