My personal goals for 2020
Towards the end of 2019, I felt lost and, if I’m honest, depressed.
In the hope of regaining my purpose, direction and motivation, I have set myself six goals for 2020. To some, these goals may seem very achievable, however, as I am sure you are aware, when you are not in the best place mentally, we can find the smallest things too much of an effort to do. Therefore, I am not putting too much pressure on myself to reach all of these goals but I know that if I do, my mental health will only improve.
In no specific order...
Probiotics – More and more research is coming out on the link between gut bacteria and mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety. I have wanted to try Symprove's 12-week programme for a while but wasn't sure whether it would be an expensive risk. After months of debating, I have finally started the programme on the 2nd January to see if it makes me feel better both physically and mentally. If I do notice any improvements, I will be sure to let you all know.
Stop taking stuff on - I have a tendency to take too many things on at once to try and make myself as busy as possible to avoid my thoughts. But, in return, I just make myself overwhelmed and exhausted. This year I am aiming to stop taking more things on and focus on what actually serves me.
Journaling – Journaling is something else that I have wanted to try for a while but whenever I attempted it I always felt lost on what to say. After researching into several journals, I found the Five Minute Journal by Intelligent Change. I personally think this journal is great as it has set questions to answer and only takes 5 minutes which makes it so much easier to stick to. So far, I am enjoying the routine of journaling daily and, whilst I am only two weeks in, I am beginning to notice that it does make me feel more positive and reflective of how I spend my days.
Movement – I have to be careful with the language I am using around exercise as it can be triggering for me so I have settled on the term 'movement'.
Before I started anti-depressants, I was at the gym at least 5 times a week. I went for my mental health more anything, it provided an escape and distraction. However, within a few months of taking medication I was starting to gain weight quickly despite going to the gym. This was around the same time that #fitspo and half-naked photos started to become a trend on Instagram. I began to get frustrated that I was exercising yet I was putting weight on, for some reason my mind seemed to no longer see the benefit to my mental health as all I could see was my appearance. I decided to take a break from exercise to see if that would help me get my motivation back but as I put on more weight, I became more resistant and embarrassed to get back into it.
This year, I want to gently reintroduce movement back into my life to nurture both my mental and physical health.
Hobby – Apart from reading, I don't have many hobbies and particularly not any that get me out of the house. I believe that having a hobby will be very good for me as I can often seclude myself from the outside world. I would like to get back into horse riding, if I enjoy it then I will stick at it but if I don’t, I am going to keep testing different ideas until I find another hobby.
Consistency – Consistency is something that could do with some improvement across all areas of my life. I haven't yet figured out how I am going to make myself more consistent (lol) but as soon as I do, I will be sure to post another blog about it for you.