Five Ways to Add Refreshment to Your Soul in the New Year

The holidays are over. For some, it has been another stressful family event. For some, it might be hanging on through the loneliness because you missed gathering with family or having no family. Still, it was an incredible time of joy for some because you celebrated in the way you wanted. That was me.

I had the opportunity to gather with my family as carefully as possible, but because I am recovering from adrenal overload, I must be careful how I manage my time. I'm also an extreme introvert. Too much time, even around one person, can be too much for me.

As I moved from the New Year celebrations to reflect on how I wanted to be intentional with my new year, I began to think about ways to add refreshment. I hope that adding ways to refresh my soul will bring freedom.

1. Setting Goals: In the past, I didn't set goals, but recently learned that without goals, I will stay in neutral forever.

Setting goals can help you intentionally achieve a big goal with little progress steps. For instance, I'm not setting a year-end goal without figuring out what I need to do each month and each week to achieve that big goal.

Goals you might want to focus on: Family, Friendship, Career, Personal, Physical, Health, Spiritual, and Financial.

Goal setting is not resolution-hoping. I'm not convinced resolutions work unless you have motivation, determination, and goals in place to guide you.

2. Allow Yourself to Be Uncomfortable: Try something new. Step outside your comfort zone. Think about what makes you uncomfortable, and do that. Suggestions: eating out alone; taking yourself out on a date (visit a museum, library, bookstore or…); if you're not a reader, challenge yourself to read for 20 minutes every day; say "yes" more often; say "no" more often; volunteer at a shelter; feed a houseless person once a week; sit and listen to someone's perspective opposite from yours; or take a different route home from work. You get the idea.

3. Let it Go: Do some Spring cleaning early. Give your wardrobe some Marie Kondo love, and let some things go. One of my favorite philosophies is whether it sparks joy. If it (clothing or item) doesn't spark joy, it goes. If it does spark joy, it stays. It goes in a separate pile to review later if it's a maybe.

Maybe you need to let go of something else—a relationship or an emotion. Ask yourself what needs to happen to help you make that next step. Go inward and listen to your inner voice that whispers to your soul.

Letting go can be painful for some. A study was conducted of hoarders and non-hoarders. As hoarders sift through their belongings, the study found that two areas of the brain were affected: the anterior cortex and the insula, which are connected to conflict and pain. When a hoarder hangs on to something, that item helps them feel safer, less anxious. Unfortunately, that relief can become addictive.

I am the opposite of this. I have great pleasure in not holding on to things, even some things that people would consider sentimental. I have had to learn how to hold on rather than let go.

4. Dream a Little or A lot: What does your next adventure look like? Where will you go? What will you do? Close your eyes and imagine what it will feel like when you arrive at your dream place.

As you dream, write it down. Be detailed, authentic, and vivid. Allow your mind, heart, and soul to run rampant while writing.

Why write them down: because something more profound is occurring—encoding. This biological process occurs when perceptions shift to the brain's hippocampus for analysis. The hippocampus is the area of your brain that makes long-term decisions. In other words, writing your dream down will have a better chance of being remembered.

Put them somewhere that will remain a gentle reminder, so you don't give up on your dreams.

5. Narrow Decision Fatigue: Are you faced with many decisions? Making fewer choices can give you more freedom. What needs to happen to make fewer decisions or simplify the process?

Some suggestions to help:

• pros and cons list

• set time limits—give yourself a deadline

• make your decisions early in the day

• don't make decisions when you're hungry or tired

• reduce distractions

Research shows that after making many decisions, your ability to make more and more reasonable decisions is considerably lower from sheer fatigue.

Taking time to meditate and slow down can help with this process.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Life happens. The way we manage and encounter our lives becomes more and more critical as you become overstimulated and overwhelmed. It doesn't have to take you down. It's about managing your time and stress. Set goals to help you be intentional throughout your year. At the end of the year, you will feel a sense of accomplishment.

Do something that stretches you. Get outside your comfort zone.

Let things go to help you move forward and become a better you.

Allow yourself to dream big and write those dreams down to be stored in long-term memory.

Decrease the number of decisions you need to make in a day, so you don't incur decision fatigue.

May your soul be refreshed!