5 Mindful New Years Resolutions For A Calmer, Clearer, More Peaceful Year

Here comes the new year! We’re sharing mindful new years resolutions from Author and Mindfulness Expert Julie Potiker that will help you experience a calmer, clearer, and more peaceful year ahead.

Mindful new years resolutions

Ahhhh is it really the new year already?! I feel like the months have flown by, and I hope to make the coming year one of the best yet. No more of the standard new year’s resolutions, “I want to lose weight” or “I want to save more money” – not if you don’t have a plan or a clear intention. These tips for creating mindful new years resolutions require you to really think about, and OWN those resolutions, no matter what life throws at you!

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness noun

1: the quality or state of being mindful

2: the practice of maintaining a nonjudgmental state of heightened or complete awareness of one’s thoughts, emotions, or experiences on a moment-to-moment basis. Also : such a state of awareness (source)

Why is mindfulness so important?

Learning to think ahead and deal with common stressors that many of us face is extremely important, and can eliminate so much anger, frustration, and pain. Going into the new year on a positive note is very important to me, and setting clear, mindful goals can help forge a positive path. As you set your own goals, intentions, and double up on your dreams, remember to think, breathe, be mindful, and aware of the fact that all of the things you say, think, and feel shape your actions and their outcomes. There are many ways to practice mindfulness, read on to hear 5 mindful new years resolutions that you can try this time around, written by Mindfulness Expert Julie Potiker.

5 Mindful New Years Resolutions For Calmer, Clearer, and More Peaceful Year

1. Take In the Good: In 2019, turn your focus toward experiencing the fullness of every beautiful, joyful, silly, fun, or wonderful experience you have. Savor the positive mental state for a few moments to create new neural bridges; what fires together, wires together! By letting the good feelings land, you are pushing the mental state into a neural trait, resulting in a happier brain.

2. Label Negative Emotions: Practice R.A.I.N. When you experience anger, frustration, sadness, or any other negative emotion, recognize it by saying, “Oh, that’s anger” (or whatever the emotion is) coming up right now.” The mere mention of the emotion calms down the brain. Then allow it to be there for a few moments while you gently investigate why it’s there. Finally, nourish yourself by looking inward and asking what you need to hear or do right now to help yourself feel better.

3. Do What Gives You Joy: Life is full of emotional chaos, but bringing it back to focused activities that give joy to your soul can mean the difference between making or breaking it day to day, year to year. Take a few minutes to write down a list of everything you can think of that brings you joy — little things and big things alike — then commit to doing one thing from that list every day.

4. Get Grounded: Getting grounded is one of my favorite ways to practice mindfulness. When you feel anxiety ramping up, focus your attention downward and feel your feet on the floor. Breathe deeply, keeping your focus on the sensation of your feet (i.e., bare, in socks or shoes, whatever — feel it all, just as it is) on the floor. This is an instant tool to break the cycle of anxiety.

5. Transform Suffering Into Love (Tonglen): When you experience suffering — whether from a personal tragedy, an international one, or anything in between — use the Receiving-Sending meditation to transform that suffering into love. Breathe in the pain and sorrow; breathe out love and compassion. Breathe in the suffering; breathe out peace.

Be mindful, live intentionally.

As we enter a new year, these mindful new years resolutions and suggestions from Mindfulness expert Julie Potiker, Mindful Self-Compassion teacher and author of “Life Falls Apart, But You Don’t Have To: Mindful Methods for Staying Calm In the Midst of Chaos,” are very timely. “This year, let mindfulness help you become more resilient,” says Julie. “Feel your frustration or disappointment or whatever it is that comes up for you, then turn to one of your Mindful Methods tools to comfort yourself, as you would comfort a dear friend. You are that dear friend! You can enjoy the present more without ruminating on the past or worrying as much about the future.” Thanks so much, Julie for the tips to creating a calmer, mindful new year resolution! Visit her online https://mindfulmethodsforlife.com/.