New Year, Same Dreams, Fresh Start
2021 is already behind us, it is high time to celebrate the past year, to take stock of it and to prepare for 2022. Travel, personal and professional projects … let’s take advantage of January to make a list of our wishes and good resolutions to start 2022 on the right foot . Now is the time to set goals for the year, ambitious and realistic, without pressure but with determination.
MERCI has put together the 10 Good, Healthy, Realistic Resolutions You Can Keep.
1. Smile
Have you never been comforted by the smile of a simple passer-by, who, without knowing you, without any particular intention, smiles at you? We do not give up, we keep our good mood and we relate to the joyful moments we experience, however small and simple they may be. It’s all a matter of perspective: let’s see the glass half full! Smiling will make you feel good but also bring happiness to others and it’s completely free.
2. Save money : Carpe Diem?
Saving money seems like a very simple task. However, this is not the case for everyone. Since we have varying incomes, needs, expenses, responsibilities and tastes, it is evident that we also have different saving capacities. The good part is, that doesn’t mean we can’t save money. The first step in saving money is knowing how much and why you are spending on a 1 month periodic basis and taking note of it. Identify the things you can stop buying. So by sorting out what is necessary and what is really superfluous, you can identify or save money.
3. Be gentle with yourself
Life can be hard. We waste precious time beating ourselves up, or chastising ourselves for mistakes we feel we’ve made. We compare ourselves to others and ask ourselves: “What’s wrong with me?”. STOP ! Challenge you to be gentle with yourself! Since that is easier said than done, we have put together little tips to be gentle with yourself. Pick and choose, or do all of them, it doesn’t matter, but find some small way to make 2022 sweeter.
– Giving yourselves credit for what you have already accomplished.
– Eat safe and clean food.
– Prepare a nice bed with good quality of bed sheets and sleep enough
– Create time to relax every week.
– Cook your favorite dish.
For 2022 let’s learn to stop when we are too tired and be gentle with ourselves.
4. Spend less time on your Smartphone!
If you are reading this article, it may be because you have Internet syndrome… The right resolution will therefore be to surf more efficiently: instead of watching funny videos, read articles of little value added, chatting on Facebook… concentrate on the essentials by limiting your surfing time to “X” hours per day. To avoid getting carried away by social media, you can
For example:
– Use your smartphone’s timer to give yourself limited time.
– Install the Momemtum Chrome extension to display when opening a new browser window a priority task to accomplish per day in order to stay focused.
5. Don’t be obssesed by your weight
No, we’re not going to advise you to lose your so-called extra kilos. There is not 1 ideal body, that’s not true! The curves of the body are beautiful! You don’t have to lose weight unless your health is affected or your your waistline is ruining your mood. An adapted wardrobe highlights all physiognomies. Instead, focus on a balanced diet, go for non processed food, adopt a “home- made” meal routine as much as possible and if you’re short on time or lazy, well make sure you buy from safe restaurant or street-food stalls.
6. Tell people we love them that we love them!
The years sometimes go by a little too quickly and the opportunities to see our loved ones can become increasingly rare. The past two years in particular have shown us that life can be short too, so let’s take every precious moment spent with the people we love and take the time to tell them. A good resolution that will do you good but which will also do good around you.
7. Read more books
We do follow 3 simples rules to read more and feel better :
– Read before falling asleep.
– Follow « book Instagram accounts ».
– Always keep a small size book in your bag.
With those 3 simples rules you will certainly read more in 2022.
Skip out on that late-night scroll through your Twitter feed and go old school. Read a bedtime story to lull yourself to sleep. If you do this frequently enough, it can become a part of your nighttime routine. Follow “Bookstagrams”—aka book Instagram accounts : it’s a dedicated community that posts covers of their latest reads. These accounts will inspire you to head to your local library. If you need any suggestions on who exactly to follow, we’ve found a great article on Opra Daily.
8. Put your own things in order!
To spend a year in complete serenity, it is better to have clear ideas and be at peace with yourself and others. There are several options for getting things in order. A big cleaning and regular tidying up of his house allows things to be put back in their place at home and in our head. Settling a tense situation with a loved one and taking stock of what matters to us will be very beneficial. This year, we do not let ourselves be destabilized and we only worry about the things on which we can act. We free our minds and focus on what makes us feel good.
9. Do something you’ve never done
While it is important to be yourself, it is just as important to give yourself small (or big) challenges from time to time. A new year is a good opportunity to do something completely new. If you’ve never, but would like to: bungee jump, scuba dive, go to the Opera, dance salsa, do yoga, read Harry Potter, make a love declaration, cook your own « Pho » … let’s do it in 2022!
10. Turn off your phone notifications
For ten minutes, for an hour, for the whole afternoon! Let yourself exist in your own space without the pressure of being in constant contact with everyone else, or the stress that comes with seeing your phone light up with new notifications every few minutes. Yes, you are allowed to take time for yourself to rest, recharge, and prioritize your own needs. If it stresses you out to think that people may be trying to contact you, shoot off a text first! Let them know you’re taking some time for yourself and if they reach out to you, you’re not ignoring them but you’ll get back to them later.
