I’ve known since I was 13 that January is named after the god Janus, who has two faces: one looking forward and one backward. This feels especially fitting now. The New Year is a natural time to reflect on the past and consider what we want to change or achieve in the coming year.
I often tell myself that I’m not interested in New Year’s Resolutions because of my past failures with them, but I can’t help but look back at the past year and ahead to the new one. Last year was tough in some ways. I lost three people I was close to, including my sister, within nine days of each other. I severely re-injured my back and could barely walk for days, with pain lingering for months. My elderly parents both got COVID, which was worrying, although they recovered. Financially, many of Wildmind’s sponsors had to cancel their subscriptions due to the post-Brexit economy in the UK.
However, there were also good moments. I published a book, “A Year of Buddha’s Wisdom,” on my birthday. I managed to avoid COVID and rekindled a daily walking habit towards the end of the year. My meditation practice remained consistent, and I adjusted to a reduced social life due to the pandemic. I spent the entire year writing on one topic, “Politics as a Spiritual Practice,” which I’ve never done before. I hope to find a publisher for this work this year.
The good and bad are often intertwined. Writing extensively meant spending long periods at a computer, which wasn’t good for my back and led to the injury. This brings me to my main point: I’m pretty good at self-compassion but not very good at self-care.
Self-compassion involves responding kindly to our own suffering, giving ourselves the support we need during tough times. I’m good at this; I’ve even written a book about it. On the other hand, self-care is about taking care of our needs to prevent suffering in the first place. It means doing things like eating healthily, getting enough sleep, taking breaks from work, and exercising regularly. While I’m good at the first two, I’m not as consistent with taking breaks and have been terrible at exercising and stretching.
Some people excel at self-care but lack self-compassion, living healthily but being emotionally self-critical. I need to balance both. My back injury reminded me of the importance of self-care. I don’t want to go through that again, so I’ve visited a physical therapist and learned exercises to strengthen my core and increase flexibility. Once my chest infection clears, I plan to resume daily walking.
Reflecting on the past year and looking ahead, I aim to thrive through self-care. I picture myself later this year, full of energy and joy, achieved through self-care practices. Specifically, I will walk for at least 30 minutes a day and stretch for five minutes daily. If I miss a day, I’ll make up for it to keep my average up. To stay accountable, I’ll share my progress on Wildmind’s community website.
In terms of self-care, I’ve also started working a four-day week after reading about its productivity benefits. It’s been a month, and I’m already more creative and end my workweek feeling joyful rather than exhausted. Additionally, I will focus on rebuilding my subscriber base after losing about a third of my income last year. Financial stability is crucial for creativity and peace of mind.
Looking back at last year and thinking about how to live 2023 differently has taught me valuable lessons. One more goal is to write in this blog three times a month, even if briefly, with some posts following up on this one.
I wish you a very Happy New Year. Feel free to share your thoughts on self-care or New Year’s aspirations, resolutions, aims, or goals in the comments below.