We are already looking back at the first days of the new year and once again realise: despite numerous good intentions, hardly anything has changed. The motivation to do more sport is already ebbing away. Last year's paperwork is still not done and in the evening you sit in front of the TV with pizza instead of salad. Why is that?
Old patterns are often back faster than we can look, because we often forget an important component in all the resolutions: Our mindset. Because everything stands and falls with the strength of our mind. If you think you've messed up the starting signal and now have to wait another year, we have good news for you: it's never too late to get started. And the best thing is to start now.
The magic word to start the new year liberated is Mental Detox. What does that mean? It means consciously saying goodbye to the old, freeing yourself from negative thoughts and discarding obstructive behaviour patterns. Because the secret of all positive reception lies in letting go. We have put together various techniques for you to help you strengthen your mindset, practise mindfulness and regain your focus on the essentials.
1. let go and look forward
Think about what the last year was like for you. Let it pass in front of your inner eye once again. What were the good moments? What might have thrown you off track? What have you achieved? Now put down small pieces of paper and write down everything that should remain in the old year. Every thought, no matter if it is related to a positive or negative event, gets a note. When you have finished, read them all through again and then burn them in a fireproof bowl. It is best to do this outside, then you can scatter the ashes directly into the wind and let your old thoughts go. The first step of your Mental Detox is done.
Then you look ahead. What do you wish for the new year? Write your wishes on a piece of paper and perhaps take a photo of it before you fold it into a paper ship. Do you have a river or other body of water near you? Then launch your little wishing boat there and let it sail towards the future. Alternatively, you can send your wishes into the sky with a balloon.
2. mental detox means staying with yourself
Are you one of those people who check their social media channels first thing in the morning? Originally, we wanted to exchange ideas with friends, get information or inspiration. Instead, we constantly look at the supposedly perfect lives of other people and ask ourselves what we have done wrong. Nothing at all! Because many of these profiles are merely staged. Therefore, try to free yourself from such comparisons and stay more with yourself. You are enough. You are a gift to the world. And that is why you are just right as you are.
So that you don't fall back into old patterns, take a look at who you follow and clean out your clutter: Who is not good for you? Which profile is dragging you down? Which profile gives you the feeling of not being enough? Keep only the profiles that inspire you, inform you and those of good friends. You will soon notice how your self-image will develop positively again.
3. find your focus with the help of meditation
Once you are more with yourself again, you can also deal more intensively with your mind. Often the carousel of thoughts keeps us awake in the evening or prevents us from being productive. Meditations are an excellent support to feel inside ourselves. It is best to meditate in the morning directly after waking up for about 15 to 30 minutes. The brain is then still in the alpha brainwave state and thus finds easier access to the subconscious. This is why visualisations of your goals or a gratitude practice are most effective at this time. If you are new to meditation, take a look at our blog article Meditation exercises for beginners.
Yoga can also be a form of meditation and is therefore extremely helpful in dealing more mindfully with body and mind. Calm asanas with closed eyes direct your gaze inwards. The gentle movements bring you back to your senses and support you in turning off the carousel of thoughts. In our blog article Yoga in the Morning, we have compiled the best exercises for you after getting up.
4. be grateful
That sounds simple, but in practice it usually isn't. Because of all the upward comparisons and all the possibilities we have today, we quickly lose sight of what is essential. Listen to yourself and ask yourself what really makes you happy. What are you grateful for? So that you don't lose these thoughts, create a so-called gratitude diary. All you need is a nice notebook or booklet and a few minutes of your time. But you will see how this ritual can have a positive effect on your mindset.
Maybe in the future you will take a moment every night before you go to bed to write down three things you are grateful for. Probably big issues will come to mind at first, such as your family or a roof over your head. But you can also be thankful for very mundane things. Maybe it's the cup of tea in the morning or the new cuddly socks your aunt knitted for you. When things are not going so well for you, you can take out your diary and make yourself aware of all the good things that happen to you.
5. take the pressure out
However, one thing is important in all these Mental Detox practices: Don't put pressure on yourself. Nobody is perfect and you don't have to be either. If you don't have time or feel like writing in your gratitude diary, no big deal. If you don't feel like doing yoga, don't get angry. We ourselves are usually our strictest judges. But why should we be? Shouldn't we be loving and mindful of ourselves? Practising self-care and being able to forgive ourselves? What do you think?