As the New Year comes into focus, tradition has it that we set resolutions for the coming months. So often, they involve pretty self-punishing habits, that tend to go by the wayside fairly quickly.
Lots of us have recalibrated our lives in the last year or so anyway, taking up new habits because circumstance created an environment in which it was necessary. So, instead of coming up with a whole list of new to-dos, how about having a little clear out of the habits we have already taken up. Which habits will you keep and ditch in 2022? Here are some of ours.
When the gyms closed last year and we were permitted our one daily outing, many of us took up the mantle and discovered the joy of going for a walk. Post lockdown, many of us continued the habit, and it’s definitely not one to ditch.
“Walking and cycling have proved to be the most popular forms of outdoor activity during the initial lockdown phase, with people walking for exercise up from 59% in week one to 63% in week six, and cycling increasing from 8% to 13%. That’s compared to 61.9% of adults walking and 16.3% cycling at least twice a month pre-coronavirus.”
Another Covid related trend was an upsurge in keeping and caring for plants. For some, this revolved around a garden, for others it was creating a mini Kew Gardens in the house/flat. ‘Pandemic houseplant parents’ brought all manner or flora into the house, and not only is it a good habit to take us away from our digital devices but it’s also good for our health and wellbeing.
Keeping houseplants is shown to:
They also improve air quality by helping to remove chemical compounds from things like dust, detergents, paints, cleaning products and aerosols.
Ref: rhs.org.uk
Whether it’s taking time over cooking a meal or enjoying your morning skincare routine, taking pleasure in daily routines is a form of mindfulness that can definitely add to our daily feel good factor. Take time over that cleanse, tone and moisturise process, add a hair mask to your haircare, stop to savour cooking that evening meal or just take five minutes in the day to really enjoy that cup of tea.
One of the biggest challenges for most of us during the lockdown periods was not spending time with our loved ones. The appreciation we have for time together has definitely been brought under a microscope, and while the temptation is now to make up for lost time by doing everything, we also know that it’s about quality interactions over the quantity of interactions. Being present with our loved ones, focusing on their company (and less on our mobile phones), is one of our favourite lessons learned.
Working from home has some fantastic benefits but for lots of us it’s been tricky to separate our work time from our downtime. We don’t all have separate workspaces at home - that can make it hard to concentrate and hard to switch off at the end of the day. For some, the solution is going back to the office if and when we can. For others it’s about putting the work ‘bits’ away at the end of the day and having a habit that separates work and play. It might be being even more strict with yourself about not checking emails after hours. However we separate our work and relaxation space, it’s important not to conflate the two.
Hands up everyone who ‘finished Netflix’ in the last year. Us too. It’s addictive, but now is as good a time as any to break the habit. Watch a film instead of a series so that there’s a definitive end before you have to search for something else to watch or spend a little time getting into a good book. There’s nothing wrong with watching TV, or even the occasional binge, but has anyone else begun to find it’s their default way of switching off?
The banana bread wave might have ended with the first lockdown, but baking has been something of an ongoing pandemic trend. Again, there’s nothing wrong with the principle, but with many finding that lockdowns led to unhealthy eating habits, perhaps swap out cakes and biscuits for a different type of cooking in the new year. Nourishing stews and beautiful soups definitely fulfil the hygge factor but without so much refined sugar.
We like a mojito or a glass of champagne as much as the next person, but over the last couple of years, with the lockdowns and an increased amount of time at home, our collective habits changed. According to YouGov, 35% of us were drinking more alcohol during lockdown. Of these, 28% said there were drinking a little more and 7% said they were drinking a lot more. Getting our alcohol intake in balance is definitely something to focus on in 2022.
Start 2022 as you mean to go on with rest and relaxation.
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