When the question of resolutions came up at our recent CS holiday party, I was struck by how incredibly individual and inspired the responses were. I asked the team if they’d be willing to take their resolutions public for 2020, and every single person said yes. (Hello, accountability!) If you’re still in search of resolution ideas for the new year, scroll down to discover 11 ways we’re taking our health back in January.
From morning routines to mindful drinking, the future is looking brighter than ever for our team. See you in 2020.
featured image by hannah haston
image by hannah haston
Practice Mindful Drinking
I’m not going full-on Dry January, but I do want to start the year with a more mindful approach to drinking alcohol. I’ve noticed that when I have more than two drinks on a night out, my vibrance is zapped for most of the next day, so my goal is to set an intention before I even go out, savor every sip and let the taste, aroma, and the way it pairs with my food actually register. Then wake up in the morning feeling fresh, clear, and ready to take on 2020! — Camille Styles
image by free people
Work Out On the Road
As a travel editor, I spend months on the road each year. I’m really good about working out regularly when I’m on the ground in Austin, but on the road… not so much. I want to make 2020 the year I push myself to continue my daily jogging and yoga no matter where I am. — Jenn Rose Smith
image by jess attie
Cultivate Creativity
In 2020 I’m going to invest my time, money, and energy into cultivating my creativity. In the past I’ve prioritized things like exercise, sleep, and work (which are all still valid) but time to create usually gets put on the back burner or bumped down the to-do list. I’ve already started to practice this in the last month by taking a painting class and dedicating one night a week to creating just for fun. It’s making me realize that this commitment can be just as impactful for my overall wellbeing as yoga or meditation, and so I need to treat it that way. — Cristina Cleveland
image by jenn rose smith
Hit the Pool
I grew up as a swimmer, but it wasn’t until recently that I realized the zen feeling I get after a good meditation session is the exact same feeling 16 year-old me had after a long set of laps in the pool. So this year, I’m committed to getting back in the water on a more regular basis. I know my body — and my mind — will thank me for it. — Phoebe Neuman
image by jess attie
Meditate Daily
My 2020 goals are a long time coming. I’m consistently reading, writing and coaching my clients to practice mindfulness and breath work to help reduce stress…its one of my favorite education topics. I also love to use breath work as a tool when I’m stressed, however I haven’t been great at routinely practicing mindfulness – rather I’m running to it in rescue mode. The science behind daily meditation and how it rewires your brain to be more calm is so compelling that I’m kicking myself for not doing this sooner. My goal is to stop myself from getting to stress mode as often in the first place. As a provider I want to seriously practice what I preach and am setting a goal to start each morning with a session of breath work and intentional time alone. Happy New Year! — Lauren Zielinski
image by molly culver
Create Community While Working Remotely
“I accepted a new job 10 months ago, and while I love that I have the freedom and flexibility to work remotely, I’m missing the camaraderie of an office and being around people. I’ve definitely noticed a dip in mood and I know it’s related to being behind a screen and not around people as much, which is ironic, because my new role is Head of Community. My 2020 goal is to get out into the community and find an actual space to work from.” — Kelly Krause
image by claire huntsburger
Practice Gratitude for My Wellness Practices
I guess this is related to both physical and mental health, but so often in this last year, I seemed to just be going through the motions when it came to making “wellness” focused choices. Whether it was signing up for my spin class or buying the best of clean beauty, it all just started to become routine and somewhere along the way I forgot that I’m SO lucky to be able to make these choices in the first place. I’m grateful that I can afford to sign up for my favorite workout classes, so I want to remind myself to be truly present and enjoy those classes for the challenge and how they make me feel stronger. I’m lucky that buying the fancy salad from the local cafe and splurging on the really good almond milk at the market are choices that I can make. So I want to make sure I’m bringing gratitude and being thankful in all the choices that I’m able to make for myself and my health. — Suruchi Avasthi
image by kristen kilpatrick
Create — and Stick To — a Bedtime Routine
Sleep is essential for pretty much anything—including lowering stress, increasing creativity, and managing anxiety—so I want to create a bedtime ritual and routine that I look forward to. I also want to set “office hours” for myself so I don’t stay up late working on the couch just because. In 2020, I want to take back a good night’s sleep. — Lauren McGoodwin
image by melissa gidney
Spend Intentional Time in the Morning
I love the morning. I don’t know if I’m a morning person by definition (I’m not always rising with the sun), but I’d almost always rather do something in the morning than at night. When I was in college I would go to bed at 9pm with plans of waking up at 4am to start cramming for a test. I’m not sure what has happened, but over the past year or so it’s been different. I’ll wake up 30 minutes before I have to get out of the house, creating a chaotic and rushed morning. Which means I’m not allowing myself to be my best self! So, my goal for 2020 is to wake up at 6:30am every weekday morning and spend the extra time doing creative work, reading, or, simply, enjoying the peaceful morning. — Rachelle Shuttlesworth
image by hannah haston
Find Body and Food Neutrality
My passion and activism is going to be behind the idea of deprogramming myself from society’s message that a certain body shape is more or less valuable than another body shape, that food is “good” or “bad” and is actually just food. Most importantly that the shape of your body and the food you eat does not say or mean anything about you as a person. I want to pursue a year where I eat food that makes me feel good — physically and emotionally! I want to walk and swim and bike and run because it makes me feel joyful. I want my health and wellness goals to be purely based on the search for joy. — Molly Kendrick
Take Up Space!
As a mom of two little kids, a lot of the time, I find myself taking care of everyone else around besides myself. For example, this morning I fed my newborn, made my son breakfast, turned on coffee for my husband and got the dog food and water and never turned the tea kettle on for myself. It’s something small, but I’ve learned that I can only show up for the people I love when I take up space for myself. This means making my health and wellbeing a priority. In this season of life it’s not going to be a set routine and it is certainly not going to look the same each and every day and that’s okay. My goal is to listen to what I need, to not feel guilt about it and to take up space in my life that is just for me. — Hailey Anderson
