Wellness How To: Hit Your mid-Year Reset

Now that the year is halfway through (crazy), it’s a wonderful opportunity to check in with your goals, health, finances, and more. In this blog, we’ll explain why you need to ‘hit the reset button’ on your path to overall wellness, and also give you some tips to guide your check-in 

To get started, just ask yourself?

Is It Time to Hit the Reset Button?

If you’re not sure, you’re not alone – when it’s time to hit the reset button, many people report feeling more overwhelmed than usual, especially with their simple daily tasks. Others say they may feel a lack of energy and motivation towards their goals, whether they’re physical, career-oriented, or financial by nature. So, here’s what you need to know when the time comes to do a reboot:

First, understand why it’s happening –

It’s helpful to understand that these feelings aren't coming out of the blue. According to the latest research by the American Psychological Association, due to constant stressors in our day-to-day lives, our brains are in “constant risk assessment” mode. This makes it much more difficult to sleep, it impacts our ability to make decisions, and it ultimately prevents us from finding ways to relax. 

Next, notice your expectations –

Is your mind filled with things you “should be” doing? These expectations may come from things we genuinely care about, or they may come from external influences, like bosses or social media. Take note of what goals you’re actively pursuing, and mindfully re-engage with the activities that help you get there.

Self-criticism leads to unnecessary stress, stress leads to stagnancy –

Stress turns into procrastination and overthinking – during the reboot, assess yourself with a degree of kindness that you would give to a friend. The research shows that when we view ourselves more positively, we are more likely to re-engage with our goals and become more motivated with the belief that change is possible. 

"No matter what you want to reset, self-kindness is one of the most powerful tricks for beginning again."

So, is it time to hit the reset?

If you believe it’s time to hit the reset button, whether it’s on your sleep, your finances, your relationships, or your ambitions, self-kindness is one of the most powerful tricks for beginning again. Here are a few practical examples of how to deal with the most common stressors:

How to: Reset Your Sleep

Stress and poor sleep go hand in hand – so how do we take a compassionate approach to help ourselves improve sleep quality?

Don’t obsess over the consequences –

Acceptance is an effective tactic to help you fall asleep – first, accept you’re not sleeping; then, acknowledge that stress may be the cause, and finally, comfort yourself that you’ll be okay in the morning. This may be the support you need to fall asleep.

Accept rest instead of sleep –

Let’s say you’re doing your best to get a good night's rest, and it’s simply not happening. Research shows that simply laying down and paying attention to your breath can calm your nervous system, and even have a short-term boost to cognitive performance similar to sleep.

Do something relaxing –

Research shows that instead of forcing yourself to stay in bed when you’re tossing, it can be helpful to get up and do something relaxing. Make a cup of tea, cozy up on the couch with a blanket, read a book, listen to relaxing music, or journal. It can be helpful to avoid scrolling on our phones, as the exposure to blue light signals our bodies to stay awake. Check out our full blog post on deep rest to see more ways to disconnect & relax.

How to: Reset Your Goals

When dealing with stress, we may feel as if we’re veering us off track from our goals, even when we’re not. Here are some tips for resetting your goals through the lens of self kindness:

See the 10,000 foot vision –

Try this simple exercise: write about your goals and stressors, but write them in the third person (e.g., “He/she/they want… are dealing with… etc.) This objective approach may inspire some extra room for self compassion. 

Check in with your feelings –

While setting goals can improve cognitive performance, the research suggests that setting goals without concern for our emotional state can actually add to our stress and impact our performance. Make sure you’re practicing compassion for yourself and others when resetting your goals!

Think of goals as enhancements, not life changers –

Often we strive for goals that will drastically change our lives; however, the stress of large, looming goals can actually make it harder to impact change. Instead, find simple and concrete ways to practice changing your self-talk, sleep habits, time spent on hobbies, and relationships.

How to: Reset Your Self Talk 

The downward spiral of negative self-talk can lead to more struggle and stress than is necessary – Here are some practical tools for resetting the way we talk to ourselves. And if you’re looking for more ways to put a positive spin on your self talk, check out our full post on Developing a Positive Attitude.

Notice the chatter –

Focus on the breath and notice the thoughts bouncing around in your head. If it helps, consider writing them down. Try to look at the thoughts objectively, as if coming from a friend, and remember: being hard on ourselves for being hard on ourselves doesn’t break the spiral!

Get moving –

It can be hard to think our way out of negative self-talk. Research suggests that regular exercise can help reduce stress enough to actually shift the intensity of our negative self-talk, and give us a much-needed reset.

Let it be –

When our stress is causing us discomfort, we may spend a lot of time trying to fix it. Sometimes, the thing we need most is permission to stop fighting ourselves and simply to accept that our thoughts are going to do what they want, sometimes.

How to: Reset Your Finances 

According to research, about 73% of Americans rate financial stress as their top stressor. So what are some ways to reset our financial wellbeing with a degree of self-compassion? Check out our deep dive on financial wellness here.

Start with an emergency fund –

A major way to relieve financial stress is to have a plan for emergencies. Take an hour to calculate the minimum dollar amount you need for essential monthly expenses (i.e., rent, food, bills, etc.) for 3 months. If you don’t have that flexibility in the budget yet, take the time to get clear about what that would take, or what your options would be in case of emergency.

Do a subscription audit – 

Do you really need Netflix, Hulu, Prime, and Disney+? Well… maybe. But doing an audit of all your subscriptions can be a great way to cut down on unnecessary expenses and start saving. Apps like Truebill are a great budgeting tool.

Explore your Employee Benefits –

When it comes to resources provided on the job, many of us don’t know the full range of perks, benefits, and cost-savings. Take some time to review your benefits options at work. From advice on retirement savings to complimentary nutritionist meetings through health insurance, there are often hidden savings and helpful tools we can use to boost our wellness.

That’s it! So, how do you hit the mid-year reset? 

If you love to hit the reset button, share some of your favorite ways to reset with us on social media! Be sure to tag #midyearreset and #onthegoga! Have a great rest of 2023!