4 Tips To Start The New Year With A Fresh Mind
2024 is officially here, and for some, it can feel really difficult to know where to start as we enter the new year. There’s always a lot of pressure to start fresh, make big changes, and go into the new year with a new mindset to improve yourself. No matter how you like to reset for the new year, big or small, it’s beneficial to take your time to clear your mind so you can know where you need improvement.
It’s important to reflect, analyze, reorganize, and envision the ‘new’ in your future, before you actually make your plan and specific actions as part of your resolutions. Think of it as doing an audit and taking inventory of all the different areas of your life to see what you need to get rid of to make room for fresh perspectives. You need to do away with what no longer serves you in order to embrace new things, new habits, new ways of thinking, and new adventures!
Here are some ways to refresh yourself going into this new year.
Declutter your physical space
An amazing way to have a clean mind is to have a clean space. By that, I mean to keep your everyday spaces where you live and work nice and tidy. Take some time to clean up your home, your office space, your car, and anything else that’s physically messy. If it’s physically messy, that means the energy in that space is messy.
It’s SOOO important to get rid of things that no longer serve you, starting with physical objects. When you have a clear space, you’ll feel refreshed and ready to go. Once you get rid of clutter, bring in new items that embody the type of energy you want to embrace in 2024. Remember, everything you keep around you should have a purpose and a positive energy!
2. Declutter your mental space
Yep, you knew this one was coming. Your mental health and wellness should be a priority all the time - and the new year is a great way to reprioritize and prepare yourself for everything to come. It’s extremely beneficial to take time in the new year to reorganize yourself mentally. Do things like journaling, meditation, and grounding to gain mental clarity and embody mindfulness. These techniques will not only help you figure out what you need to kick off the year mentally, but are also great maintenance strategies for your mental health throughout the year.
Another way to mentally reset is to physically declutter things that are jamming your mental space. It can be anything from cleaning out your computer drive, to cleaning up your phone apps and messages, to starting a fresh yearly calendar.
3. Declutter your social space
This third category can be a tough one. But, it’s crucial for a healthy and happy 2024. When I say “social space,” I’m talking about your relationships, friendships, and the people you surround yourself with. A huge key to success is surrounding yourself with people who compliment your energy, and encourage you to be the best version of yourself. You need people who support you and don’t make you feel bad, nervous, anxious, or unhappy.
By weaving out unhealthy relationships in your life and setting boundaries with the people you want to keep around you, you’re cleansing yourself mentally and opening up space for new energies to enter into your life. It’s also important to note that social media also falls under this category. Spend some time deleting and removing anyone from social media that makes you feel anything less than positive. If they no longer serve you, inspire you, or make you happy, it’s time to let them go.
4. Envision your new dreams and goals
Now that you’ve decluttered what no longer serves you and your future, it’s time to use this mental refresh to set up your plans and goals for the new year. A great way to do this is to create a vision board for 2024. Create a board that includes everything that you see for yourself this year. Your dreams, your goals, your adventures, your successes and beyond. Use pictures, words, printouts - literally anything you want to create your 2024 vision. Dream big and open yourself up to embracing this new future! Make sure to keep this board handy so you can look at it throughout the year to keep you on track with your goals and motivate you to keep pushing forward.
To have a true fresh start in the new year, you can’t just come up with new ideas and new things you’re going to do and accomplish this year and expect them to happen with ease. You have to first take inventory of your life to weed out what no longer serves you, or what takes too much of your energy that is no longer worth it to you or making you happy. It’s sooo important to make room for these fresh goals and ideas, rather than just pile more on top of what you already have.
Take your time to get your thoughts in order for the new year. You don’t have to rush, even though it feels like January 1st is a hard deadline. It’s not. You don’t have to start right away. Have patience and slowly get everything sorted mentally to give yourself a fresh start when you’re ready!
