Why 2021 needs to be the year of self-care

If you’ve been feeling a little off — a little worn out — over the last few days, I have a diagnosis that might just surprise you:

It’s a hangover.

Okay, I know you might have felt a bit…delicate on New Year’s day, but that was nearly two weeks ago. And whether you’ve embarked upon Dry January, started a new fitness plan, or you’ve been downing green juices in place of every meal, you’ve probably been super focused on your health and wellbeing for the last few days. And that’s amazing!

But, nevertheless, the hangover is there.

Because last year was an absolute doozy. And whether you’ve tried to battle through it all with a stiff upper lip or allowed yourself a good cry now and then, 2020 has left its mark.

It’s left us all with an emotional hangover.

We’re all still processing, re-evaluating, and coming to terms with the changes the past few months have brought to our lives. We’re also, probably for the first time, starting the year with fewer concrete plans than usual as we wait to see what COVID winter restrictions will look like. 

It’s little wonder that, despite your best Dry January/fitness/green juice-related intentions, you’re feeling a little stretched.  

But there are two wonderful facts you need to remember about hangovers:

They don’t last…

And you have way more control over them than you might think!

You know the drill. You wake up after the night before and two options lie before you.

1. You can lie in bed consumed by regret, eat a tonne of greasy food to settle your stomach, and wallow in front of Netflix vowing never to drink again.

2. Or you can get up, have a gentle stretch, hydrate, eat nourishing food, and get some fresh air. 

You can decide to rise, to take tiny acts of self-care to make yourself feel more sparkly, and make the most of whatever the day throws at you. 

So here’s my question for you:

How are you going to deal with the 2020 hangover? Are you going to wallow…or are you going to stand up and make this year as amazing as possible?

Because there’s always a choice. 

And you always have more control than you think.

Why self-care is the hangover cure you need for 2021.

Just as you wouldn’t try to cure an alcohol-induced hangover by running a marathon, you don’t need huge gestures or a total life overhaul to blow away the 2020 cobwebs.

Instead, look at tiny but powerful steps you can take to boost your physical health, to improve your resilience, and shore up your emotional defences.

Funnily enough, the things that would help an actual hangover aren’t a bad place to start: drinking more water, choosing nourishing foods, and ensuring your days are filled with enough fresh air, rest, and gentle, enjoyable movement will go a long way to improving your physical health.

Bolster your emotional health this year by committing to self-care actions that are guaranteed to make you feel like the best version of yourself. Maybe it’s the feel-good factor you get from acts of kindness like volunteering or working in your community. Maybe it’s the mood-boosting sense of belonging you get from spending time (virtually or otherwise) with friends or the like-minded women you’ll find in The Balance Club. Maybe it’s the calming effects of a daily meditation or mindfulness practice.

Whatever you decide to focus on, wherever you choose to start, self-care this year is all about taking the decision every day to do something small just for you. To show up for yourself in tiny but significant ways that send the message to your brain that you are worthy of love, care, and attention. To decide that you’re not just going to survive this year, you’re going to thrive.

Because here’s the thing:

Sometimes merely surviving is enough — and last year definitely felt that way for so many of us. But you deserve more than that. You deserve to thrive this year, no matter what the world throws at you over the next 12 months. 

You deserve to spend 2021 feeling calm, feeling nourished, feeling accomplished, and feeling balanced.

So it’s time to make that choice: are you going to wallow and wait for the hangover to pass? Or are you going to take those tiny but powerful steps to rise above it and have an incredible year?

Your first tiny but powerful step: asking for help.

It might be a year of self-care, but that doesn’t mean you have to go it alone! One of the most powerful ways you can show up for yourself right now might be to ask for help.