I don’t know about you, but the start of a new year has always stressed me out. There’s a lot of external pressure to make big changes, ambitious goals, and public commitments.  That’s why ECO Therapy is focusing on smaller, daily things we can all do that will help us feel more balanced.  So this year, to help us all feel a little better, let’s agree to take some things day by day.  

TURN STRESS DOWN A NOTCH WITH CBD

You’ve got a lot on your plate, from work, family, and friends to all the fun (and not-so-fun) activities that come along.  And sometimes, our bodies need a little help letting go of physical and mental stress that can build up. That’s why everyone at ECO Therapy CBD is so obsessed with the many benefits of Cannabidiol (CBD).  CBD is one of the most abundant non-psychoactive cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant.  This special cannabinoid is able to work with your Endocannabinoid System (ECS) to help reduce inflammation and maintain homeostasis within the body.  Your ECS helps regulate bodily functions like sleep, mood, and appetite through a complex signaling system involving cannabinoids and receptors. What marks CBD unique is that it is able to naturally interact with your ECS system, providing natural support for your body. 

CBD also helps boost your mood by slowing down how quickly enzymes break down Anandamide.  Also known as the “bliss” molecule, Anandamide is a neurotransmitter that binds with your endocannabinoid receptors located throughout your body and stimulates feelings of joy and wellbeing. Anandamide is the body’s natural way of combating feelings of depression and anxiety. 

A little more bliss sounds pretty good, right? De-stress with a little help from ECO Therapy vape pens and mints. ECO Therapy CBD products contain ethically harvested CBD that is combined with natural terpenes and botanicals to create broad-spectrum blends that can be enjoyed throughout your day. 

The beginning of the year is a great time to start thinking about clutter. Sometimes you need to clear up your desktop - literally and figuratively. De-cluttering your day and home go hand in hand with giving yourself more time to mentally focus on what truly matters. While clearing out a junk drawer is pretty simple, clearing up your mental and emotional space isn’t always as easy. Many of us experience some resistance to creating more mental and emotional space.  Maybe it’s because we fear saying one simple word: “no.”  But sometimes saying no' is how you can more effectively and enthusiastically say yes to the things that matter most. 

When you say no to things that don’t fulfill you or feed into your bigger goals, you are allowing yourself to set healthy boundaries.  In his book, Essentialism, Greg McKeown describes the essence of essentialism as “making the wisest possible investment of your time and energy in order to operate at our highest point of contribution.”  So maybe this year, start with a promise to do less, better.

Many of us have found that in an attempt to “get back to normal,” we’ve once again taken on more than is actually sustainable or healthy. Instead of getting “back,” maybe a more holistic question is how do you move forward to an even better normal.  

SCHEDULE TIME FOR YOURSELF

That’s right, it’s time to be a little selfish. Because being selfish isn’t always a bad thing. On an airplane, the flight attendant instructs you to put on your own oxygen mask before helping others. The same mode of operation rings true when it comes to preserving your mental health, energy, and balance.

Yes, there is always something you could be doing, people you could be seeing, or checkboxes you could be checking…but modeling healthy behavior can be just as important.  Carving time out of a busy day or week to take care of yourself not only makes you feel good but also allows you to show up for others from a healthy and balanced place. 

Now how you choose to spend time with yourself, that’s the fun part! Maybe you’re able to set aside time to meditate. Maybe you like to read, or take a walk or watch an episode of your favorite reality TV show. However, you decide to spend it, time to yourself can be just as productive as time working. whatever you need to feel relaxed, rejuvenated, or yes…self-indulgent. 

And when I say “schedule,” I mean put it in your calendar. Create your own blackout dates.  Whatever you need to feel relaxed, rejuvenated, or yes…self-indulgent.  

AVOID TOXINS (INSIDE & OUT)

Much like saying “no,” cutting out the things that are toxic to us can feel bad or painful…at first.  It can feel like you’re going rogue.  In general, our “grind hard, party hard” culture doesn’t always make it easy to cut out toxic habits, people, or foods. The important thing is to listen to your body.  Instead of asking if this thing or person is “toxic,” try reframing the question to be about how that thing or person makes you feel.  

Is there a person in your life that regularly makes you feel bad or unsupported?  Does the habit of drinking a glass of wine with dinner actually put you in a better mood?  Are there other ways you could be supporting yourself mentally and emotionally that actually make you feel good?  Does waking up 30 minutes earlier actually make me feel more tired? Or would that extra half hour give me time to feel more centered and less rushed before heading to work?

One of my favorite things to do is to unfollow social media accounts that bring up negative thoughts or cause me to make unhealthy comparisons.  When grocery shopping, try to think about how you feel after eating different foods. If it’s good, great!  If you realize that you often feel sluggish, bloated, or unsatisfied…then maybe cross that item off your grocery list for a while. See what happens. 

We’re all a lot more intuitive than we sometimes give ourselves credit for. 

FEEL GOOD IN YOUR BODY

It can be easy to let new year resolutions fall into the mindset of physical transformation or weight loss goals. For a lot of us, this can mean we end up starting a new gym membership or diet fad.

But your emotional and mental relationship with your body can sometimes be complicated.  Especially when we are always being told all the millions of different ways we could (or should) be better.  But guess what? Moving your body doesn’t always have to mean doing a strenuous workout. Sometimes what you really need is to move in a way that just feels good -  instead of focusing on the number of miles, calories, or reps.  And sometimes what feels good is what’s best. A moving meditation, stretching, dancing, wiggling around…are all great ways to give your body and brain some love. 

Your mental and physical health are connected - tending to one automatically helps the other.  One major study found that even 15 minutes of exercise a day can help protect against feelings of depression and anxiety. So give yourself a break if you aren’t hitting the gym every day and choose to focus on what makes you feel your best. 

AND DON’T FORGET TO HAVE A LITTLE FUN.

We tend to put a silly amount of pressure on ourselves at the beginning of a new year. Which ironically can lead to even more feelings of anxiety, disappointment, or unbalance. So remember, every day is a new day, and small steps in the right direction equal miles of growth.