New Year’s resolutions: We make them, and we break them. Before you make the same old resolution to lose weight or hit the gym more often, consider making some New Year’s resolutions to bring you more peace at home in 2020.
Here are some ideas that will help you to be grounded, simplify your life, increase mindfulness, and live more sustainably in the new year.
- Resolve to declutter your home. Choose a different room, closet, or set of cabinets to clean out each week, or pick a category of items to tackle one at a time: clothes, toys, books, kitchen accessories, sporting goods, decorations, photos or tools. Involve your spouse and children by having everyone donate or sell items they no longer use and setting ground rules for new purchases, for example, trading out old items for new purchases.
- Resolve to create time or space for mindfulness. This can be as simple as having a set time of day where everyone is off of all screens, and a period of quiet activity is observed. You can set up a cozy corner of your bedroom or den with a comfy chair, low lighting and candles to retreat to for meditation or breathing exercises. Stow a yoga mat under the sofa or your bed and set a timer to remind you to stop and stretch or do some yoga poses for ten or fifteen minutes a day.
- Resolve to create less trash. Ramp up your recycling efforts to include more materials than you previously recycled. Reduce your use of single use plastics by investing in reusable produce bags to take to the grocery store or farmer’s market and trade out your plastic food storage bags for reusable containers. Have Santa bring everyone in the family a water bottle this year and stop buying cases of water. Start composting vegetable scraps, dryer lint and scrap paper to create nutrient rich soil for your garden or potted plants. Get in the habit of bringing shopping bags to all stores, not just when grocery shopping. Find ways to repurpose household items to fill needs for which you would have otherwise purchased something new.
- Resolve to use less water. There are many ways your family can conserve this precious resource. Don’t let the water run constantly when brushing your teeth, shaving, washing dishes, or washing your car. Time your, and your kid’s, showers– make it a family competition. Brush up on your irrigation knowledge and make sure your system is set appropriately. Consider capturing rainwater to use in your garden. Don’t let leaky faucets or running toilet go untended. Don’t run your dishwasher until it is full.
- Resolve to be more creative. You don’t have to be an artist to be creative; you can create in many different ways. Write in a journal or write a short story, learn a craft, cook up some new recipes, redecorate a room, paint an accent wall or your front door a new color, learn how to fix things, grow vegetables or herbs, make your own greeting cards, learn an instrument or just put on some music and dance!
- Resolve to enjoy being home more. Active families are often running in different directions all week long. Pull back the reigns and gather everyone together, at home, more often in the new year. Save money and make memories by spending more quality time at home, either as a family or with friends and neighbors. Try having a regular family fun night where each family member takes a turn planning the night’s activity, or open your home to your neighbors for a monthly pot luck gathering.
