Resolutions for Mind Body and Spirit

1) Read the newspaper every morning and do the crossword puzzle. Use some of those excess brain cells. You have too many anyway, so take advantage of the gift.

2) Read a novel every night before you go to bed, even if it’s only a few pages. It will take your mind off the stressful work day you’ve just had and you’ll sleep better for it.

3) Keep a journal. You don’t have to go into great detail of your day – just  a few thoughts. Journals act as a kind of release from stress. Writing what you feel, rather than holding it in.

3) Find beauty in something every day.  Read a poem. Write a poem. Close your eyes and listen to beautiful music. Get swept away by the violins. Study a flower. Touch the fur of a bumble bee when it’s still sleeping in the morning. Learn to smile at strangers.

4) Walk. Walk everywhere. Walk every day. Pick a part of town that is especially pretty and enjoy the gardens, architecture and the people going about their day. You’re getting exercise and fresh air. Walking is a great stress-reliever.

5) Keep fruit in a bowl for snacking whenever you feel like it. Also, keep a container in the fridge with sliced vegetables, like carrots, celery sticks and radishes, for the occasional nibble. The nutrition police say you need five helpings of fruit and vegetables per day. Nibbling on these will help to keep you healthy.

6) Be nice. Be generous. Be gracious. Volunteer a few hours a week at a hospital, nursing home, school or other institution. Giving your time freely is difficult for most, but it’s so worthwhile for your own spirit. You’ll get more out of it than you can imagine.

7) Find something every week that involves a change in your life. Change is the “spice of life.” It could be something as simple as repainting a room in your home, cutting your hair or joining an online forum in something that interests you.  Just a little change will enliven your spirits.

Plan a trip somewhere exotic or off the beaten track. A year from now, you could find yourself riding a camel along the Nile or on a boat heading up the Amazon. Adventure travel is exciting and life-enriching.

9) Always have a goal in life. Decide what it is and resolve to reach it. Note the time element, cost and everything else involved. Making and reaching goals is exhilerating and makes your spirit soar.  Without goals, our lives would be pretty dull.

10) Don’t be a couch-potato. Leave the house more often. Try to make a point of seeing friends or family at least once a week.

11) Take a drive or cycle in the country without a destination. Stop where you please. Enjoy the fresh air, lunch in a charming village restaurant, walk around the shops and continue your adventure. You never know what surprises are around the corner.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Resolutions for the mind, body and spirit are life-changing. Think about what you need and want in your life – what’s important to you and make a list. The above are just ideas and directions you may want to take. Your own list will be geared for you, but don’t fear your resolutions. They are just what you need.