Think Well
Article

Clear your mind for a New Year Now that the festive season has gone and all the decorations are packed away again, it could be time to sit back and take stock in order to prepare your mind for a brand New Year.

This is the perfect opportunity to start 2011 by, completing all those annoying outstanding jobs and clearing your conscience - it's no good bringing your worries with you or you'll never get rid of them!

To start with, try getting rid of some of last year's junk - stress expert and life coach Carole Ann Rice, speaking on behalf of House of Fraser, said it's important to de-clutter every so often because a clean and tidy house will make you calmer.

"Having the house in shape and everything domestically just-so lends a wonderful sense of calm and control," she explained.

The expert pointed out that when we repeatedly tolerate little things that niggle away at us, it eats away at energy levels and wellbeing, whereas biting the bullet and getting on with getting rid of them will make us feel much lighter.

Once you've done that, focus on you, write down your accomplishments in 2010 and identify some goals for you to work towards in the New Year. This will prevent that common feeling that you’ve not achieved much in the past 12 months.

Don't only focus on big things either when it comes to achievements - if you've swapped your afternoon doughnut for an apple, write it down and add a smiley face!

However, it's also important not to get carried away and create a ream of New Year's resolutions that you know you'll never stick to, like building your own house if you've never so much as hung a picture.

When it comes to things that have been worrying you (that you may have been trying to push under the carpet), clear your mind further by addressing them too.

As HelpGuide.org points out though, it's no good trying to change everything that is causing you stress because it just isn't possible. Instead, as the famous Serenity Prayer recommends, accept the things you can't change instead.

"You can't prevent or change stressors such as the death of a loved one or a national recession. In such cases, the best way to cope with stress is to accept things as they are. Acceptance may be difficult, but in the long run, it's easier than battling against a situation you can't change," the website advises.

Instead of feeling pessimistic, look for the upside in different situations and think about the things that are good.

You should find that if you clear your home and your mind, you can accept 2011 with a light heart - Happy New Year!