A new perspective on how to shine this year

This post was updated on 13/05/21

Towards the end of the month, typically on the last Wednesday, I sit with no distractions and focus on my monthly goals in relation to wellbeing; I have a review and look to the month ahead to see what I might want to aim for. I think this is so important. If you don’t stop every now and again to take stock, how do you know you are focusing on the right things. There is no doubt that being healthy has always been important to me but it has now become a keen interest and passion.

In my previous blog post, which you can read here, I explained that I have expanded the dimensions I look at. I’ve included headings the areas I will focus on as well as a little explanation/further detail.

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Mind  

Staying curious and engaged in learning new things. Read for learning, read for pleasure. Self-awareness and self-reflection.

I’ve finished my first book of 2018!

I love Victoria Hislop’s books; Greek culture, words etc. This book is a little different as it is a series of short stories. For me, this worked against it. One of the glorious things about reading a book is when it is a real page turner, that you keep reading to find out what happens next. As a series of short stories, this book hasn’t got that element for me. However it was still lovely reading about gorgeous Greek culture and life-style and dream of holidays!

Whilst shopping the other I found The Mind Manual: Mindapples 5 a Day for a Happy, Healthy Mind
This caught my eye straight away as a book that would be interesting. I’ve had a quick look through and my first impressions are that it explains the brain in a straight forward way. “From understanding how your own mind works, to making sense of the behaviour of others, this is a practical guide to managing your mind and using it to get the life you want.” (Amazon website) I can’t wait to get started!

Physical Body

Eat healthy well-balanced meals, drinking plenty of water, exercise, get enough sleep and avoiding harmful habits

I know I’m not the only one who may have let good habits slip over the festive period. It’s evitable, especially as there are four family birthdays in that time too! As of the beginning of January though, I am back on track with my healthy balanced nutrition. Most days I will have a Green Thickie for breakfast and lunch. More filling than green smoothies, it has added ingredients, so it is a complete meal. There are so many recipes to try you can’t get bored of them.  If you are intrigued to try it yourself, have more energy and lose weight too, follow Green Thickies 7 Day Diet Plan to drop a dress size this week. Click here to find out more

Drinking enough water is an ongoing goal of mine. It is not always easy to do and yet we all know how important it is. I find it is so much easier to remember to drink water if I have a water bottle next to me. At the moment I am loving my Joseph and Joseph Dot bottle. The tracking lid records the number of bottles drunk so it makes it super easy to reach your daily goal. I’ll keep you updated on if the plan has worked.

Soul

Our souls are what allow us to feel we are part of something else, something bigger than ourselves. The human soul is what tells the human brain that other people matter just as much as you do. The light force within our individual being.

The end of the year/start of the next is a natural time to reflect. The past year for me was a bit of a roller-coaster to say the least. I am not where I thought I would be by the age of 36 in terms of certain milestones. However it is more important to think about and reflect on what I have achieved and where I am.

2018 is going to be about living my best life. My mantra for the year will be Simply Shine. Living simply, enjoying the simple things and being the best me. It is no coincidence that I have launched this and my other blog retrainbrainandsimply-shine in time for the start of the year, as well Simply Shine Facebook Page and Retrain Brain and Simply Shine Facebook Page. It would be fantastic to have you along for the journey and maybe inspire you to start yours too.

Social

The relationships we have and how we interact with others. Being socially engaged, have a strong social network

Seeing friends is so important to both me and my husband. It is so easy for time to slip by without seeing people. So our plan for 2018 is we are going to sit down and plan something fun for each month. I think this will be so important for my Soul too, having something to forward to each month.

Environmental

Taking care of your global environment and your physical surroundings. De-cluttering a room, recycling rubbish and selling or donating items that no longer serve you, can all help your health.

My first goal for the year will be to rearrange the office. I am really excited about this, but I won’t say too much about this now, I think I could write a whole blog post on it I have so much to say! For now, let’s just say watch this space…

I would love to hear your plans for the month. How will you ensure you look after your wellbeing? Comment below or contact me on social media.