Building Resilience in 2022!!!

Happy 2022!! 

I am so happy to welcome a New Year.  A clean slate, a fresh start.  It’s such a great opportunity to self reflect on the previous year and do things better, differently and change the trajectory of your future.

I am going to be very honest, December 2021 kicked my butt.  A family emergency derailed my whole month on top of it being the busiest season for a Mom of 2 littles with Christmas in the December mix.  I was trying to be everything for my family and also stick to my nutrition plan of eating low FODMAP due to a gut infection I was dealing with-brought on by stress from 2020. It was tough, to say the least, and despite the odds being stacked against me, I remained consistent in my routine and stuck to my goals.  

I am only telling you all of this because December 2021 was one of the hardest months of my adult life and I was able to remain steady with my own health amongst the chaos that existed around me.  And that is what I want to share with you…the key to being resilient as defined by the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness is determined by how solid your habits are when the stress hits.  I put my resilience to the test, and I was surprised by how well sticking to a solid routine and good habits can really be the tipping point for your resilience under pressure.

2022 will be the year that you learn RESILIENCE. 

It is this magic key that unlocks a world where stress does not bring you down and derail your goals.  And it starts with building SOLID HABITS for yourself.

So many people start the New Year with these big audacious goals that take you far beyond your starting point and you give up shortly after you start.  

The goals need to be simple and easy to incorporate into your day.  It needs to be a single action item that you are CONSISTENT WITH day in and day out. The best way to add a goal is to HABIT STACK one goal onto another thing you do everyday.  

Ex: Put vitamins next to the coffee maker and take them with water while making your first cup of coffee.  The habit of taking your vitamins is stacked with drinking your coffee which is something you do everyday and never skip.  

That consistency will pay off over time and become automatic, just like making the coffee and that is when the magic starts.  Once one habit is formed, then add another.  Stack another habit that will improve your health onto the previous one you have started and be consistent as hell at doing it everyday.  Once you start on this path, you become resilient.  You do not get derailed when life is stressful because you are rooted in your routine of daily habits that are unconscious and effortless in your life.  

This starts with YOU and this is your year.  You do not have to overhaul your life in January of 2022 and expect it to stick. In fact, I discourage you from making big goals.  Make small, consistent changes and see the magic for yourself.  

Suggested habits to start with in 2022:

1. Drink a large glass of lemon water when you first wake up in the morning.
2. Delay getting on your phone or laptop for the first 30 minutes you are awake. 
3. Take a 10 minute walk outside every single day. 
4. Add one vegetable to your plate at every single meal.
5. Stop snacking and eat 3 solid satisfying meals every day. 
6. Read 10 pages of a book that will teach you something new every single day.
7. Turn off electronics 1 hour before bed every night.
8. Get 7 hours of sleep every night with a consistent bedtime and rise time.
9. Write down 1 thing you are grateful for every single day.
10. Do one act of kindness for someone every single day.  

Wellness starts with your MINDSET first.  You cannot make changes to your health unless you are open to the process of healing. So go slow, take it one step at a time and build solid consistent habits that will build your confidence and belief in yourself.  YOU HAVE GOT THIS!!!

I also wanted to list out my favorite books on Habits:

Atomic Habits by James Clear

No Excuses by Brian Tracy

The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy 

The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins