How to seize the New Year and start afresh

With every new year comes an opportunity for change and a chance for a fresh start. Be it a year of victory, redemption or growth, 2022 can be anything you want it to be. It’s up to you!

But, getting the year off to a flying start is often easier said than done. That’s why we’re bringing you our top tips on how to seize the new year and start afresh.

Take time to reflect

The start of a new year can typically be a quiet time for households across the UK. So what better time than now to pause and reflect? Reflection allows you to process and acknowledge what you’ve been through, whilst helping to untangle your thoughts and raise your self-awareness.

So… take a moment to think about 2021. What things did you learn about yourself? How did it make you feel? How can you bring that into the new year?

Perhaps you want to spend more time with your friends, or maybe you developed a new love for something like baking, and want to improve and build on this. Whatever it may be, a bit of reflection can highlight any goals you want and help you to put a plan in place to achieve them.

Break bad habits and adopt new ones

No one said adopting new habits was easy, but there are a few ways to kick a bad habit. Bad habits can quite often be brought on by stress, such as nail-biting. You’re more likely to engage in a bad habit when you feel stressed.

By taking some time to relax and look after yourself, you could see an improvement in your stress levels. Overall, helping to tackle the root of the habit. A few good suggestions are to have a little lie-down and focus on your breathing, or popping out for a walk or run to get the endorphins flowing. You could also try:

• Replacing your bad habit with a good one – like replacing a packet of crisps or chocolate with a piece of fruit
• Pairing up with a friend to help keep each other on track
• Planning small rewards for your successes

We also have some extra tips on how to manage stress as a busy parent.

Write down your goals

Not everyone agrees with New Year’s resolutions, but it can be beneficial for us to have goals. Things like saving up for a family holiday, redecorating your home, spending more time outside or improving your cooking skills are great examples.

Have a little think about what your goals could be. Write them down to really cement them in your mind. Maybe you could stick them on the fridge, or take a picture of them and set it as your phone background to remind yourself of them each day? A study from Harvard University found that keeping goals visible is one of the best ways to motivate yourself to achieve them.

Experts disagree on whether or not you should keep your goals secret. Some say that sharing our goals with others (especially with successful people we admire) can be a big motivator, as it helps you hold yourself accountable. Others say that talking about goals and receiving praise and validation for them actually make us less likely to achieve them. Think about goals you’ve achieved in the past and which strategy you took to help you get them done. This will help you figure out which way works for you!

Switch up your environment and declutter

Something about the feeling of a new year makes us want to declutter our belongings and change our environment. This can be really beneficial for our mindset. It gives us a sense of productivity and organisation that makes us feel that anything is possible.

Why not try simply rearranging your living room? The living room is the comfort zone of any household, so a room really worth getting right! Changing the layout will definitely help to bring a new-look feel to your home. And if you’re looking for a little refresh of your furniture, we can help! Why not replace your sofa or rug to help breathe new life into it?

If you have children, you’ll always have plenty of toys, clothes and books to store in your home – no matter how much you declutter! So check out our available bedroom storage units and shelves which can help you maximise and create additional space in a vertical direction.

Make a financial plan

Managing money more effectively is a common New Year’s resolution for families across the country. It can be a hard one to keep on top of but with consistency, good money management becomes second nature. Our number one tip would be to draw up a realistic budget, it’s all about visibility and planning. It might also be a good idea to try out budgeting apps to keep you on track.

Sometimes you may need a helping hand along the way. Luckily, with our flexible and affordable repayment plans, managing your finances can be one less thing for you to worry about. Head on over to our online shop to see what’s available and shop today.

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