Have you been thinking about how to be your best self in 2021?
Of course you have, especially since 2020 was such a challenging year for all of us.
But, if 2020 did nothing else, it revealed strengths, weaknesses, and everything in between—especially when it comes to wellness.
Most of us took all the downtime as an opportunity to reflect on things we want to improve moving into this fresh, new year.
Are you where you want to be mentally, physically, emotionally, and professionally?
It’s natural to wonder if you’ve reached your peak or if the best is yet to come? New research says that we “peak” at the age of 37, but most Americans say they think this peak comes around 46.
A recent survey by OnePoll dug a little deeper to see how people feel about their personal wellness in the past year, moving into 2021.
Here are some of the findings:
Six in 10 (61%) people have come to appreciate themselves more within the past year than ever before.
Nearly two out of five (39%) believe 2021 is already shaping up to be their peak year. Likewise, three out of four Americans have a wellness goal planned for 2021.
Top wellness goals include achieving better physical health (56%), better mental health (46%), exercising more (45%), and maintaining a better diet (44%).
These wellness goals are also the top-ranked markers of success for Americans, with more than half feeling like “they’ve made it” if they have better physical (56%) and mental (50%) health.
Increased financial stability (52%) and being more comfortable with one’s self (46%) are also highly ranked measures of success.
So, What Does It All Mean?
As you can see, all the findings revolve around mental, physical, emotional, and professional areas of life. Wellness and personal success are things we all want to have a good handle on.
But there’s a bigger question to address.
How do you go about being your best self if you’re dealing with leftover, stagnant energy from the prior year?
Some people found their rhythm during the pandemic and made the situation work to their advantage—turning a negative into a positive. On the other hand, some people had a more challenging time dealing with isolation and the chaotic vibes that swept the nation.
We know it’s hard to muster up the needed motivation to get the ball rolling sometimes, so we’ve got some tips you can use for each area of wellness to be your best self in 2021.
Emotional
It’s essential to be emotionally-secure since it allows you to have a better hold over your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It also helps you handle life’s ups and downs a little better.
But at the same time, if your emotions get the best of you sometimes, don’t feel bad; it happens to the best of us.
We hear about “emotions,” but most people don’t know how to manage their emotional needs to the point of developing and protecting their emotional health. If you want to have a healthy baseline of emotional health in 2021, there are a few things to do.
First off, you want to take note of the interactions you have with friends and family. Often, we’re knee-deep in toxic relationships but have no idea. Evaluate your relations and see if you need to “time the fat” anywhere.
Therapy is another great resource for boosting and maintaining emotional health. It helps you understand your inner feelings and how those feelings translate into emotions you emit. It also enables you to communicate more effectively.
Physical
You can do three main things to improve your physical health—diet, exercise, and sleep.
We’re going to go out on a limb, and guess you already know that, though. These are the three primary areas of physical wellness most people struggle with, especially when the world shut down for close to a whole year.
Some people could find the needed motivation to work out in the house, but it’s harder for some people, especially if you don’t have much room to work with.
We all gained a little quarantine weight, right?
Getting back into the swing of things is the hardest part when it comes to exercise. Start slow and build a routine you can commit to, even if it’s just starting with walking twice a week.
Then you have to make sure you’re eating a good amount of leafy greens, fruits, and healthy grains to accompany the workout.
Mental
One of the most beneficial things you can do is introduce the combination of meditation and journaling into your daily routine.
There are several forms of meditation out there, so it’s simply about finding the right one that benefits your lifestyle. Meditation can be a little intimidating to some people. You think you have to mimic Gandhi or something, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Sure, we all strive to attain the same level of disciple and tranquility, but meditation is what you make it. Mindfulness is one of the best techniques to start with because it teaches you to focus on yourself and how you feel in the moment.
You start by sitting in a comfortable position, taking some deep breaths, scanning your body to feel, and attaining complete awareness of it and everything around you.
As you move more into your meditative state and practices, you can easily combine this practice with visualization and other manifestation practices.
Now Get on Out There and Show 2021 Who’s the Best
Things got hard for everyone last year, but challenges are the very thing that molds us into better people.
Decide what you want for yourself in 2021, go after it, and know you will succeed in anything you decide to pursue.
It all starts with proper maintenance of physical, emotional, and mental health because they’re all tied together!
So, how will you be your best self in 2021—any ideas?
Whatever you choose, make sure you take time to immerse yourself in self-love and self-care because they enhance wellness—giving you all the gusto needed to take on that big, bad world out there!