3 Things To Leave Behind In 2017
As we hurtle towards 2018, the change in the year gives us a natural pause to look to the future and consider how we want our future selves to be. Happy, calm, prosperous...there’s so much we wish for our emotional wellbeing, but we may lack the practical steps to do it. Inviting balance into your life begins with the edit. Knowing what to leave behind streamlines your life and frees up headspace and energy to deal with achieving your aims. Here are three things to learn to let go of and leave behind in 2017:
The Toxic Ex
We all have them, and something about the festive season and the frame of mind it puts us in seems to bring them crawling out of the woodwork. Often you find yourself slipping into a yo-yo dynamic with an ex who is comforting - but that will ultimately hold you back from emotional fulfilment and isn’t fair on either party. Some can be very persuasive - there are whole website like getherbackguide.com dedicated to the pursuit of ex-girlfriends. But your relationship needed to end for a reason and unless that scenario was ‘right person wrong time’ (which is about the only one where it’s acceptable to try again) then you really need to put his hopes away. Tell him kindly but firmly you need to move on, and resist the urge for any holiday booty calls, no matter how much eggnog you have.
The Social Comparison
The nature of the digitally-connected universe we live in has left us all prone to focusing on our flaws. Although we know people only show their best lives on their social media feeds, the drip-drip effect of this curated parade of fabulous events and happy lives can rock even the most secure of us. We never know the true reality behind the Insta-feed but keeping it all in perspective is hard. Comparison eats away insidiously at our collective happiness- so what can we do? The key is to trust in your own path in life, and acknowledge that comparison is pointless and unproductive. If you really don’t know where to start, trial writing a Gratitude Journal. The ritual of being thankful will refocus your energy on your own life. Also try a social media limiting app if you find yourself spending too much time lurking on other’s feeds.
The Not-Friend
How many true friends do you really have? If you can count them on the fingers of one hand you’re lucky. Lots of us have people around us that we choose to call friends- but who actually act as anything but. If your friend isn’t cheerleading you, and you find yourself drained rather than uplifted after time spent in their company, perhaps you need to take a time out from them. Negative people are not worth the energy they demand of us, so you shouldn’t feel obligated to serve their needs. Take a look at ‘The Life Changing Magic of Not Giving a F**k’ for an irreverent but effective place to start.