London Mums’ guide to detoxing your life & manifesting your dreams in 2013

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Published on Friday, 04 January 2013 09:00

Last Updated on 04 January 2013

Monica Costa

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I guess you have survived the Christmas season all right… Overindulging is typical over Christmas but also fair to the family. January is a good month to cleanse your body, clear your house of unwanted gifts and clutter etc. Start the new year in a positive way! Here are London Mums’ top ten tips on how you can detox your life in 2013.

1- Set new goals: set yourself three new targets now to achieve over the next year that will give you a good sense of personal pride. Aim for one small thing (e.g. keeping your post in an orderly place, sitting at the table when eating dinner), one medium (e.g. eat 10% less food, go for a hearty walk or run at least once per week) and one big achievement (e.g. quit smoking, save up for a holiday). Be reasonable but challenging, it makes you feel pride in what you do.

2- Laugh: Think about who or what makes you laugh the most, and make sure you spend more time doing those things with the people who entertain you the most; laughter does wonders for keeping spirits high. Photo credit: fabbriciuse via photopin cc

3- Be bold: Say no to things that make you fundamentally unhappy. Take pride in being who you really are. Develop a ‘have-a-go’ attitude especially when it comes to trying new things. And give yourself permission to say how you feel, without being rude of course.

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Be safer in 2013: In my personal New Year’s resolutions there is First Aid Training. I was inspired by the First Aid Awards and in particular by the story of 11 year old Maria Rowe who performed CPR on her father who had heart attack. Read more why you should also consider First Aid Training in this article: First Aid training – Why knowing what to do saves lives. Photo credit: State Library of Victoria Collections via photopin cc

5- Be greener in your household – Do more recycling : Do some ART & CRAFT activities with your kids utilising recycling materials from the household. Check London Mums’ creative tips here: https://londonmumsmagazine.com/category/mums-tips/get-creative Join our London Mums’ art club every Monday 4,00-5,00pm.

6- Be friendlier to your neighbours and your local communities : Instead of immersing yourself in the lives of people in soaps, immerse yourself in your own community, whether it’s a zumba class, spinning, badminton or a photography group. Alternatively one or two hours working on a community project a week will lift your spirits, expose you to new ideas and new people, boosting your energy levels along the way.

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Declutter your home: What is clutter? On a physical level it is anything we do not use or love; on a non-physical level it is anything unfinished. It keeps us stuck in the past and prevents good new things from coming into our life. On average every one of us owns about 10.000 things which is a lot of stuff to handle, quite literally.

Despair not! – Read our expert Birgit Medele‘s article to find out how to stay on top of the clutter: Clutter clearing can change your life!

I find it personally very liberating to sell old / unused items on www.ebay.co.uk. Once you set up an account, it’s really easy and this activity will re-energize you. As part of this exercise, you can also ‘declutter the family’: Kids are very receptive to a structure for organisation. And before you fall about laughing, I don’t mean that they have a natural dispensation to the minimalistic. What I mean is that they like life made as easy for them as possible. Read professional declutterer Cassie Tillett’s tips to tidying the Children! http://ow.ly/8ixwf

Last but not least my ultimate favourite ‘decluttering activity’ involves decluttering the wardrobe:

With a little help from your friends (such as those in the famous Sex and the City episode) you can organise a swap party and give away your old clothes in exchange for other ones. You may remember the memorable ‘toss’ & ‘keep’ meeting at Carrie’s flat to revamp her wardrobe. It can be really good fun and at the end of it you will regain lots of space in your wardrobe https://londonmumsmagazine.com/2011/how-to-declutter-your-wardrobe. Watch that episode again for a real laugh!

8- Be fitter! Inevitably if we want to add years to our life, we need to make regular, moderate exercise part of our healthy lifestyle routine. Physical activity is good for the body, mind and spirit; helps maintain and improve the health of the heart; reduces the risk of diseases such as diabetes and Alzheimer’s; promotes energy, quality rest and a healthy weight; helps manage unhealthy stress; and may alleviate mild to moderate depression.

So why isn’t everyone exercising? People can always find excuses not to exercise, but really – there is no good reason. To reap all these benefits, all most people need is 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity at least four days a week.

It’s simple to begin: join a gym, make an appointment with a personal trainer or if you are looking for cheaper options simply get some friends together for daily walks or rent fitness DVDs and exercise at home.

9- Adopt a healthier lifestyle: It sounds simpler but it requires effort to become healthier sometimes. Check some tips on What is Wellness?
and
How Much Water Should You Drink?

As part of a healthier lifestyle it’s worth looking at the benefits of living in a tidier and cleaner environment. Check our
cleaning tips in light of new research
and
Does a bad smell in your house mean that something is unhygienic?

10- Friends and family come first:

For people living in London, holidays are often spent visiting long distance families. Why not do things differently this year and put your immediate family and friends first. Spend more time with them in a relaxed way, rather than a rushed attitude. And when it comes to planning activities, try to only do things that appeal to all family members by mixing up activities, take pride in the simpler things in life. We needn’t break the budget to have a good time together.

Try also to take it easy and spend quality time with your child/ren at least for 1 hour every day. No need to say that this is going to form your kids’ loveliest memories and helps de-stressing. Avoid having your iPhone with you in the process! 🙂