Feeling New Year Stress? Here Are 4 Ways To Kick It’s Butt.

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Feeling New Year Stress? Here Are 4 Ways To Kick It's Butt Title Card. In the background a woman holds a clip board with a calendar for January clipped on it.

Hello love:

We’re halfway through January! How did that even happen so quickly?! It’s a new year baby, and I know you’re ready to rock it!

But a new year often comes with a lot of pressure! The desire to change, better yourself and achieve something. It can make January a very stressful month.

Resolutions alone can quickly create a lot of New Year stress. And, unfortunately, many of them fail within the first few months of the year. Which only hurts us more!

If you’re feeling the early year blues or any pressure to strive for giant changes, this is for you. Let’s take some of that pressure off, shall we?

4 Ways To Help Kick New Year Stress In The Butt

1. It’s OK If Your Year Is Off To A Rocky Start

A woman in a white dress leans against a cement wall and looks down, as if in deep thought.

New years always feels so exciting. And I think we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to start off a new year on the “right foot”. But here’s the thing, you have 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, 8760 hours of 2020. Take it one step and one day at a time. Today does not define tomorrow. Nor does it define this entire year. Where you are right now is not exactly where you will be come December 31st.⠀

Take the pressure off honey. If things have started off with a struggle, that’s ok. You’re ok! 2020 came with no expectations. So just do you and keep going. You go this!

2. You Do Not Have To Re-Invent Yourself

A woman sits under a palm tree with her eyes closed, smiling slightly

You are enough, just as you are. Regardless of what year it is. A change in the calendar doesn’t mean that you have to change. Recognizing that can relieve a lot of those new year stress feels.

Keep going and keep growing, one step and one day at a time.

Instead of focusing on re-invention, you could gain so much if you try to work on self-love instead.

Self-love isn’t easy! It’s not some magic destination. But, damn, is it ever wonderful.

And practicing self-love works best when you strive to accept yourself as you are right now.

That whole “new year, new me” idea is so problematic, because it’s rooted in accepting yourself only when you become some mythical better person. You hold your self-love for ransom indefinitely when you decide that you need to be “better” before you deserve your own kindness, understand, love and admiration. You deserve all that right now yo!

Related: Struggling To Be Kind To Yourself? These 5 Tips Will Help

3. You Can Love Yourself And Strive For Change

Someone sits at a table with a turmeric latte, getting ready to write in a journal

Accepting your beautiful self as you are, flaws and all, doesn’t mean that you give up on your ambitions or permanently settle into exactly where you are in your life at this moment. There is nothing wrong with having dreams, ambitions and goals. That’s not the antithesis to self-love.

We all want and deserve to grow and learn. But you deserve self-love right now.

You are already full of goodness. And when you realize that and you start to honour what an incredible person you already are, things change. Because any change that you decide to strive for is no longer about fixing yourself. It’s instead about acknowledging that you’re already bursting with goodness and you’re just looking to create more.

If you do want to chase dreams and goals this year, go for it cutie! But know that those goals don’t need to include re-inventing yourself or conforming. And they can be chased in a self-loving way.

Remember that you bring a ton of awesome to the table. You, right now, as you are, have made it through every hardship life has thrown at you. You’ve met so many goals, learned a ton from your failures (we all have them) and have grown so much. Current you is pretty wonderful and so, so worthy of your love.

Related: 5 Goal Setting Tips That Will Help You Achieve Your Dreams In A Healthy Way

4. It’s OK To Be Happy Where You Are

A woman sits in a door way with a big smile on her face

You’re allowed to be satisfied where you are. If you’re not currently interested in any big changes, that’s cool! Enjoying the moment is fantastic. And being happy where you are, man is that a wonderful thing!

You do not have to constantly strive for change. You’re going to grow and change so much this year no matter what. Thanks to all the lessons and experiences waiting for you just around the corner. But you are allowed to decide when you do and when you do not want to chase big goals and consciously change things up.

Does that mean that you need to throw self-improvement out the window? Of course not!

Final Thoughts

Someone holds a lightbulb up to the sky

You’re awesome. Period. This year is going to be a wonderful, new opportunity to grow. And it’s the you that you are right now that’s going to start you off on the journey. Be nice to yourself. Trust yourself. And work with yourself as you navigate everything 2020 has to offer. You’ve got this!

Do you feel new year stress? What advice would you add to the list to help those who do? Share your thoughts in the experiences in the comments below.

Health and love,

sara-signature

Thought of the day: Take the pressure off. You’ve got this!

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Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

Sara Flanagan is a wellness writer and the creator of www.mshealthesteem.com, where she shares her story of being diagnosed with Graves Disease, a chronic autoimmune disease, and empowering herself to do everything she can to thrive in spite of her diagnosis. She writes articles on self-love, acceptance, wellness and nutrition. Join the Health-Esteem Family today and share in the journey.

27 Comments

  1. Reply

    maeganstewart.com

    January 14, 2020

    2020 has definitely already been off to a rocky start. Thanks for the helpful advice!

    • Reply

      Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

      January 19, 2020

      You aren’t alone at all Maegan! And it’s totally ok <3. I hope things even out soon. Sending tons of love your way!

  2. Reply

    Beth Ann

    January 14, 2020

    I love these! It’s so important to work on your mindset. When you feel like a failure you’ll act like a failure. Shifting hour mindset to “I am enough” can be so powerful.

    • Reply

      Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

      January 19, 2020

      You’re so right Beth Ann! Working on seeing that you are enough as you are is truly life-changing. And we all deserve to experience that <3. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts 🙂

  3. Reply

    Matt Taylor

    January 14, 2020

    Each day is a new beginning, we don’t have to way for a new year even. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. When life gives you loneliness make friends. When life gives you boredom, pick up a new hobby. So many possibilities. 🙂

    • Reply

      Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

      January 19, 2020

      Exactly! There’s no reason to add so much pressure to the turning of a new year. We can chase dreams, set goals and work on changes any day, any time and in a time frame that makes sense for us. One step at a time and we will absolutely go far! Thank you so much for your inspiring words Matt. I’m so glad you shared <3

  4. Reply

    Leslie L Denning

    January 14, 2020

    Hi Sara. I have fibromyalgia and I know how life can get hard when dealing with an autoimmune disease. I love these ideas. I have a tendency to put a lot of pressure on myself, and I’m trying to cut myself some slack.

    • Reply

      Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

      January 19, 2020

      Thank you so much for sharing Leslie! Autoimmunity can absolutely be a challenge. I feel that! And I think so many of us put a lot of undue pressure on ourselves – you aren’t alone at all. I’m glad you’re working to relieve some of that pressure. You deserve it <3. I hope this helped some! Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with me :).

  5. Reply

    Ann

    January 15, 2020

    Life is always filled with unhelthy stress…

    • Reply

      Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

      January 19, 2020

      Stress certainly pops up and finds us from time to time. We can certainly work to reduce it, but it’s also important to find ways to work through it and self-soothe too because it’s impossible to get rid of it all. I hope you have tons of awesome self-care to tap into when things get stressful <3. You deserve it!
      Wishing you a magnificent 2020!

  6. Reply

    Rebecca

    January 15, 2020

    This is a fantastic article. I don’t set resolutions and I don’t start properly working on my goals until Spring. I plan at New Year only. My own act of self-love.

    • Reply

      Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

      January 19, 2020

      I’m so happy you enjoyed it Rebecca! And I love that you have a routine that involves being kind and gentle with yourself. That’s wonderful! Thank you for sharing it with us 🙂

  7. Reply

    Manahil

    January 15, 2020

    New year is gone but the stress is still there with me

    • Reply

      Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

      January 19, 2020

      I’m sorry to hear that Manahil! You absolutely aren’t alone – new year’s resolutions and the pressure to better ourselves in some way with the new year can create a lot of pressure and make January a very stressful month. I hope this post helped in some way and that you are indulging in whatever self-care helps to ease that stress. Big hugs! <3

  8. Reply

    The In-between Moms

    January 15, 2020

    Very encouraging! And hearing we are enough, and don’t need to reinvent ourselves, is a message that never gets old!

    • Reply

      Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

      January 19, 2020

      I’m so happy you feel encouraged! That’s awesome! We really do need that reminder more often (myself included). We are always enough <3. Thank you so much for your kind words :)

  9. Reply

    Maryann Auger

    January 15, 2020

    Such great advice! Thank you for the reminder that we don’t need to change or re-invent ourselves just because it’s the beginning of the year! ♥

    • Reply

      Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

      January 19, 2020

      I’m so happy you enjoyed it Maryann! Thank you! You’re constant love and support means the world to me <3. So grateful for your friendship!

  10. Reply

    forkwardthinkingfoodinista

    January 16, 2020

    There are some really important points here for sure. You are right it is ok to be you and cool with who you are

    • Reply

      Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

      January 19, 2020

      I’m happy you think so too Melanie! It’s so important we know that we’re ok as we are, even if we’re working towards change. Self-love makes such a huge difference, even when we’re chasing goals. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with us <3

  11. Reply

    WanderlustBeautyDreams

    January 16, 2020

    Such great tips here! I’m feeling the stress already but now i know how to hope with it after reading this post.

    • Reply

      Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

      January 19, 2020

      You aren’t alone – new year stress gets to so many of us! I’m really glad this helped <3. You've got this hun!

  12. Reply

    Elizabeth O

    January 20, 2020

    These are very important tips to take int the year so we can all let go of the need to be perfect and just be. Here’s to a delightful 2020 filled with love, compassion and self care.

  13. Reply

    Jenifer Fernando

    May 12, 2020

    Thank you for the motivation.

  14. Reply

    Penny Lane

    January 26, 2021

    Love this post, even though I am arriving a year late!!

    • Reply

      Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

      January 26, 2021

      I’m so glad Penny! It’s here indefinitely, for whenever you need it. So I’m sure you arrived right on time ?. Hope 2021 is off to a good start! Sending tons of love your way!

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I’m a wellness writer, Graves Disease thriver and self-love advocate.

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