insideKENT Magazine Issue 82 - January 2019 | Page 92

NEWYEAR
SMALL CHANGES BIG DIFFERENCE CONT.
can’t make it; Do you want to watch
that new TV show on tonight? No,
I’m just too tired. Set yourself the
challenge to say ‘yes’ to one thing you’d
usually have turned down and enjoy
the laughs with your family, the social
evening out with a new friend, some
quality time with your partner and
enjoy living again.
Go digital free
Yes, we live in a fantastic digital age;
our children know how to work things
that didn’t even exist when we were
their age, our phones are our most
prized possession and someone called
Alexa turns off your lights when you
are too lazy to get up and do it yourself
– amazing! BUT… sometimes it’s
important to give yourself a break,
reconnect with people in person (not
through a screen), and do things that
don’t require wifi.
So set yourself a wifi-free time of the
week; a dedicated couple of hours at a
set time where there will be no laptops,
no phones, no on-demand and instead
some quality time reading, talking,
playing games or going out. We’re not
saying it will be easy (for you as well as
the kids!) but trust us; unshackling the
social media chains and faces glued to
screens will open up a whole new world
of communication and a lot less stress.
Stop comparing yourself
to others
It’s a difficult side of human nature –
constantly comparing yourself and your
family to others. She earns more than
me, their job is so much more flexible
than mine, that child always achieves
higher in their exams, their house is so
much bigger. Comparisons, especially
rose-tinted ones, are a pointless exercise;
stop over-analysing aspects of your life,
comparing yourself to others and
instead focus on the good parts of
your world: I work in a job I enjoy, my
child is happy and progressing at
school, my home is happy and
welcoming. You’ll be able to be more
objective about your own successes and
happier as a result.
Do something new every week
It’s all too easy to be creatures of habit,
but as they say, variety is the spice of
life, so one way to keep your home life
engaging is to try new things, every
single week. It can be as simple as trying
out a new recipe for dinner or watching
a documentary, to learning a new
language or visiting a different country
– the world is your oyster! Look for
local clubs, activities or events; follow
community forums for ideas; and of
course you’ll have your monthly issue
of insideKENT for inspiration.
92
HEALTH
We can be vegan, just for one day
A full-on commitment to Veganuary, a total lifestyle change, can be too daunting a prospect. Instead, aim for a vegan
day a month and build up to a day a week. Be inspired by Instagram accounts, online recipes and surprise yourself
with vegan alternatives; not only will it do wonders for the planet, but for your health too.