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2023 Resolutions: Outlook Clear for Health & Self-Care

Date: 01/12/2023

Happy 2023! It’s a whole new year and I know a lot of you are thinking of ways you can boost your self-care energy for the next 365 days. Together, we may be resolving ourselves to new goals, ideas, priorities, and visions—the things we’ve always dreamed of. In fact, I can feel your motivation sparkling in the air! So, it is amid this excitement that I want to share with you some of my own visions for this year, as well as give some heart-felt advice about protecting ourselves when – inevitably – we lose track of this new-found energy and fall into old habits as soon as February’s cold hits!

Set Care-ful Resolutions for 2023

When we start off a new year, we can see January 1st as a line to be crossed. I’m sure we’ve all said it to ourselves one time or another: “once the new year starts, I’ll…”. Yet, I have also felt that dwindling motivation once the new year begins to stay cozy and comfortable where I am.

That’s why, for the past few years, I’ve been intentionally compassionate with my visions and resolutions for each new year. And though I admit I didn’t reach all the goals I had for 2022, the fact that last year’s resolutions focused on self-care, health, accomplishment, and community (as opposed to more measurable goals like weight, amount of followers, etc) means I don’t feel I’ve ‘failed’. Just the opposite: right now I’m looking back at the articles I’ve written, the messages I’ve sent, the support I’ve shown for my home country, Ukraine, the women and men I’ve connected with online, and the love I’ve shared with my family, my husband, and my dog over the last year…and all I see are more opportunities to grow, learn, and thrive!

That’s my advice to you this year, dear reader. As you create your resolutions, think compassionately and intentionally. Be gentle with yourself about the last year, and forgive yourself for any ‘should-haves’ that come up for you. Don’t attempt to measure your success in numbers either, or to make too many goals; instead, use your intuition to guide your way forward. Think of things that are already building momentum in your life, and use your imagination to ask, how can I perpetuate this trend with kindness?
I know this is easier said than done, which is why I also want to share my visions for 2023, to inspire you, and help you to discover your own set of visions and opportunities for the year to come. As you read, and build your own visions for the year, don’t hesitate to reach out to me online to chat about the process, or the result…I’m so curious to hear how you plan to impart self-care and compassion into 2023 and beyond!

My Top 6 New Year’s Visions for 2023

HEALTH

For obvious reasons, health is a big priority for me—hence why it is in the top spot for 2023. Without my health, I would have absolutely nothing. I am deeply aware of how close I’ve come to losing my health and wellbeing entirely, and live in deep gratitude for every day I am still here. For that reason, I will keep exploring unique health and medical avenues to manage my chronic condition, and to care for my husband. I want to build a better relationship with the targeted therapies I already use – like red light therapy, or the Apollo watch for my HRV – and will even explore some of the new and experimental health care technologies out there, including the Brain Tap I just bought from a biohacking conference I recently attended.

PROTECTING ENERGY

This first one is huge for me, especially since my chronic condition translates into lower energy stores than most. That means my energy is precious to me, and so I plan to focus this year on building up good boundaries, and learning to set them better. By being honest about when I cannot be fully present due to low energy, I know it will help people around me (and myself) build better relationships without resentment, or hurt feelings. I worked on this in 2022 and have gotten much better at stating my needs, at saying no, and listening to my body when it tells me to rest, and now I am excited to keep the momentum going into this year for the good of everyone in my life, and the new connections to come.

CONNECTION

Over the past few years, my health has kept me from being in deep connection with other people, so it was such a pleasure in the later part of 2022 to go out again for lunches and brunches and other events. I went to my first birthday party lunch in some time, and had the energy to stay for a whole hour—more than I can say for previous engagements. I could feel the social connection at work within me, lightening my spirit. Keeping in mind how I feel after being in community with friends and a greater community, this year I plan to keep connecting with other human beings in person and online. I don’t want to find myself in a bubble again, which was how I lived for quite a few years, so if you’re also looking for connection, don’t hesitate to reach out in your circle for great chats and vulnerable conversations.

NOURISHMENT

Inspired by my goal for improved connection, I also want to try out new restaurants and go out to eat more this year. I know how much I love a good home-cooked meal, but after traveling to NYC in November and having more chances to try exciting cuisine close to home, I want to nourish my soul with new foods, chefs, and restaurants—especially in the company of new and old friends! So, if any of my foodie followers have some fun local suggestions in Los Angeles,, send them my way. I’ll be sure to try as many as I can manage to eat.

INTELLECTUAL STIMULATION

A few years ago when I got sicker with neurological symptoms I couldn’t control, I lost the ability to stay focused on books. Reading – something I love to do – became frustrating and draining, and so I put my books away, barely able at the time to read emails or texts. Yet, in the last year I have felt my reading ability getting stronger. I still have a fear about reading books that sticks with me, since I associate reading now with fears of relapse (since too much reading can and does affect my well-being), but in 2023 I want to challenge that fear in a calm, gentle, and compassionate way. I will see the tower of books I want to read, and I won’t feel daunted: instead I will pace myself, and take reading just a page at a time. Which has me wondering…what kinds of books do you love? I adore when followers send me great quotes from the books they’re reading, so don’t hesitate to do that the next time you’re inspired.

FLEXIBILITY

Rest and immobility have provided the foundation for my day to day life over the last few years, yet with a newfound energy, and by being able to protect that precious energy more, this year I want to start a stretch routine that focuses on flexibility. I want to slowly build up my strength again so I can stay longer on my feet, and keep my body limber as the years catch up with me. I’ve started seeking out gentle exercise routines online for those with Lyme or other chronic conditions, but if you know of any great exercises and want to share, I’m all ears!

Happy New Year, Beautiful Soul

As you can see, these goals and visions are meant to be generous and compassionate. They do not work on a ‘fail/success’ basis, and instead focus on healthy relationships I want to nourish and improve in my life—including healthy relationships with myself. As a result, I can make as many tangible goals as I like inside of these vision ‘containers’, and see success. Which has me excited already to look back next December to see just what I’ve accomplished since then.

With that, I hope you’re already making your list of resolutions. Remember to love yourself unconditionally as you write, and save the list somewhere you can refer to later this year. You might be surprised at just how much you can accomplish when you set yourself up for growth, love, and excitement!

Best of your 2023,

Lena