8 steps to a happier 2017

I love New Year. I love the build up to it and the little traditions that you find yourself undertaking every *Hogmanay (*New Years Eve for anyone who isn't Scottish!) Mum always cleaned the house and changed the bed linen on Hogmanay, which is a tradition we still stick to. It's nice because it symbolises a fresh start and a chance to get rid of the old and welcome in the new.

I also have lots of really fond memories of New Year. It is always a time where I remember people coming together. Our family would always sit down and watch some hilarious television and play outrageous board games. We always watched Hogmanay - live from Edinburgh - with traditional Scottish music and bagpipe playing before the canon was lit, marking the New Year. Dad always poured the drinks - whisky for himself and apple juice for us - to make us kids think we were drinking whisky too!

After the bells we always had our neightbours and friends round first-footing and we were always excited to see if it was someone tall, dark and handsome to bring us good luck. There was always lots of music, chatting, party food, tom foolery and numerous recitations of 'Auld Lang Syne' going on.

When you are young, it's all about the good times and people coming together. You don't really think about what life has to offer. As you get older, though, you start to really think about the context of a 'Happy New Year.' So, I thought I would share with you the steps I hope to take this year to really make it a good one! 

Step 1. Time out. I know of countless individuals who like to put their all into their work, their family or their studies and feel guilty if they are ever found to be doing something else. However, I recently learned that if you haven't taken time to relax and 'refuel' then you are going to burn out. Learn to set achievable goals for yourself. Taking on too much work at once is not manageable or healthy. Implementing a routine where you equally balance the chance to meet the objective of your goals, and enough time to relax will definitely prove beneficial in the long run for your mind, body and soul. 

If I have learned something this year, it is 'it's okay to take time out' - so don't feel guilt about it! You can use this time to build on yourself in order to give of yourself later. This doesn’t have to be anything extraordinary. Taking an hour a day to get immersed in a book of your choice allows you to enter into someone else’s reality for a short while or keep a journal, which will allow you to keep in tune with yourself and will provide you with a platform for expression. I recommend the 'One sentence a day' meaningfulness journal which allows you to reflect on the most significant thing that happened in your day and come the end of the year, you can evaluate when you are at your happiest. I got my one from Oliver Bonas. Although, anything that allows you to stop, relax and think is just as good.

Step 2. Take care of yourself

Sleep: A good quality sleep helps set you up for anything that your day is going to throw at you and by following a good night time routine the night before is always a nice way to achieve that. You can also get lots of handy gadgets to help you track your sleep as well. I've had a Jawbone UP3 for a number of years and it helps you monitor your heart rate and also how much light, deep and REM sleep you achieve each night.

Limit alcohol: I, like the next person, like to have a social drink with friends and family when the occasion arises. We all either know of, or have been, that friend who has had a little too much on a night out. However, it's when having too much is happening too often. Be aware of how many alcohol units you consume at home and how many you have when you are socialising outwith to ensure there is a healthy balance. 

Supplement your life: Read up on vitamins and minerals and listen to your body to understand what you may need. If you are stressed, tired or run down your body may be lacking in essential oils, vitamin c, magnesium or iron. Taking a multivitamin everyday is a good way to keep your body in tip top shape.

Eating well: Eating well, as you all know, helps our bodies to function and recuperate so is a huge component in our overall health and well-being. I really enjoy healthy food but I always stick to the same recipes and the same method of cooking. Therefore, this year, I am going to vary my diet with new tried and tested recipes and different methods of cooking to see if that will help me stay on track. 

Step 3. Be comfortable in your skin. Ensure a positive attitude. For many years, I found this one particularly difficult. I think it is especially difficult in teenage years which is a time where boundaries are pushed, you have a drive for independence and risk-taking behaviours are on the rise. I always think that when I was a teenager, I was always trying to 'find' who I was. It wasnt until I started to grow up, mature, learn, and experience life a little, I began to understand that as an individual, no-one is the same. You learn to finally come to terms with yourself and learn to express who you are. Becoming self aware and 'finding yourself', of course, is a gradual process and there is no time limit, everyone is different. When you have come to terms with the fact that not everyone is going to like you, you learn that not everyone matters and to be yourself anyway. The people around you surround themselves with you for a reason and if you can't quite fathom why that is yet, it's okay. Stay positive. The world is ruthless.

Step 4. Digital detox and declutter. I,like the majority of people I know, don't have the healthiest relationship with technology. If I'm not scouring Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat at any given time of the day, I'm responding to texts and emails. The only time whereby I don't use my phone is when I'm at work or at dinner. Technology has it's place within society and it has changed the way we receive information, learn and communicate. However, unplugging or disconnecting your laptop, iPad, phone, tablet or television even for a day can really help you 'live in the moment' and reconnect with yourself and also with others. It helps you cultivate your focus, opens avenues to new experiences and conversations with people, face-to-face. *Try going 'gadget free' on the next National Unplugging Day - 26th June 2017.

Step 5. Challenge yourself. I think it's important to always challenge yourself. I'm not saying to go and climb Mount Kilimanjaro (but if that is your thing then by all means - go for it!) I think it's important that you do something which will help you learn more about the world around you and something that will allow you to grow and develop as a person. This year, try something new! It could be something as simple as confront a long-term fear, improve your PB in your favourite sport or enrol in a college night class in a subject of your choice. 

Step 6. Spend time doing what you love, creating the life you love. Take time to listen to yourself and learn what your passion(s) is or are. Devote some time to exploring your passion or expressing it. Everyone has that 'little happy place', whether it is dance, going to the gym, surfing, photography, interior design, painting or gardening. Your passions are what drive you and what draws people to you. It can be seen in your eyes, so nurture it.

Step 7. Communicate and connect with people. Learn to appreciate.  Smile. See things from other people’s perspective. Express gratitude. Spending time with my nearest in dearest is something that I will always treasure. I love being around people, creating discussions, reliving memories and moments and making more. I think it is important, too, that you engage with new people, make new friends and share opinions, beliefs and ideas with others because that is the way in which you will grow as an individual. Your chance encounter with the people that you meet, help to shape you as a person. You learn how to listen, empathise, support and encourage.  

Coming from a rural town in which is very 'cut off' from everywhere else, I always felt the need to go out and see what was out there. I always wanted to meet a diverse range of people, places and cultures and see how they lived. I like to see what makes people tick, what makes them strong, what makes them vulnerable. I like to see life from someone else's perspective. This, I think, allows to you to 'feel' a great deal more and you end up living life a lot more differently than before. You learn to accept what your life has to offer when you hear stories from different people. You learn not to complain, moan or groan but smile and appreciate what you have and strive to make the world a better place.

Step 8. Give back. Do something for others. Be an ambassador for what you believe in. Probably the step I feel most passionate about. The great thing about helping others is - it can be, what you think, is the most smallest or 'trivial' thing, but for that person (or people), it is the world. It can literally be, giving up your seat on the bus to an elderly person, providing a spare 20p to the child in the sweet shop who's short changed or putting some non-perishable goods down to the local food bank. You don't even have to give financially, just of yourself. Your time, your patience, your skills.

When I was little, just before I started primary school, I visited Edinburgh. To me, Edinburgh was a complete maze of hustle and bustle, beautiful towering buildings and people who seemed to be in a never ending rush against time.  Amongst the commotion of the city, of which I had never seen before, one thing stood out. A gentleman sitting on a cardboard box. Everything else was fleeting past him and he sat still. As I walked along, I wondered why no-one was helping him. All these people rushing past him and all the lovely buildings, why did he not have a home? I remember asking 101 questions about the man in the cardboard box and my family trying to instill in me that I should be thankful for the small things in life and if i could, to always give something back - even if all I could give this man, as a child, was my kindness.

I think if you give of yourself for the right reasons, not for personal gain, but because you want to - it pays off. It might not be the way you are expecting it, either. It might be the fact that a child your tutoring finally 'gets it'. It might be the look of delight on the elderly lady's face when she sees you coming for your weekly cup of tea and chat. In the words of Ronald J Sider 'No-one can do everything, but everyone can do something, and together we can change the world.'


Stand up for what you believe in. Be an ambassador for what you believe in, even if it means you have to stand alone.

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This is '8 steps to a happier 2017'

I'm aware this should've been posted a good 10 days ago. #Life

Let me know what you think and also what your steps are for a happier 2017.

Lots of love,

Lauren

xoxo