Do you ever wish you could press the pause button on life and move on to the next chapter without fallout or follow-up?
With each and every life full of responsibility, both everyday and esoteric, such an about-turn can be hard to conceptualise, and even harder to pull off. But the good news is that you don’t have to make a complete 180 and reinvent yourself every time you want to make a change.
Doing so would be exhausting, and, let’s face it, both financially and emotionally unviable. Instead, you can embrace that ‘clean slate’, starting-afresh feeling this year without having to abandon everything you hold dear. Here’s how…
Learn A Skill Fit For A Career Shift
If you feel stuck in a rut career-wise or are hoping to find a job that’s more fulfilling or, let’s face it, lucrative, then pursuing additional education is one way to make yourself more competitive in various career fields.
The UK government seems to have second-guessed this growing sense of dissatisfaction in the country, and announced their Skills Bootcamps, which offer free, flexible courses in a variety of modern fields to adults aged 19 and over.
Of course, this is just one form of accessible education currently available to those considering a career change. Whether you want to become a chef or a coder, recruitment platform Reed offers an extensive list of free courses to help those keen on professional development learn new skills, and the Open University has a huge catalogue of free courses, too.
Cultivate A Meaningful Social Circle
Most of us have heard the adage that “you are only as good as the company you keep,” and broadening your horizons to include interesting and inspiring people may be the fresh motivation and sense of progression in your life that you’ve been looking for.
Do not be afraid to cut off people in your life who are clearly holding you back or pulling you down, and having an adverse effect on your mental health.
If you find it hard to make new friends, then firstly, rest assured that there are so many in the same boat. Going to a class or trying out a new hobby (hey, you might even meet someone on your Skills Bootcamp) is a great way to meet new people, whether you want to try your hand at yoga, go on a cooking course or express yourself at an art or craft club. And even if you don’t click with anyone, you’ll have learned a new skill or discovered a new favourite pastime!
Alternatively, there are apps out there which use similar algorithms and interfaces as dating apps, but which are pitched at facilitating purely platonic connections.
Bumble BFF is a way of expanding your social circle via swiping; there’s a photo, a brief bio, and the chance to match with likeminded people, have a chat, and establish a connection. Other similar apps which help match lonely folk seeking platonic fun include Huggle, Whistle and Patook.
Similarly, but in a less commodified way, Befriending Networks exist across the country, connecting those who are feeling isolated and alone with kind-hearted folk who are always up for a chat. You can find a Befriender here.
Declutter
If you need an all-consuming fresh start but the idea of packing up and moving house is too daunting, then a simple declutter can give that similar sense of a new home, without the stress and costs of moving!
We exaggerate, of course, but a good clearout can feel truly liberating. Research even suggests that decluttering may relieve stress, and help you feel calmer and more in control.
In fact, in one study reported by WebMd, ‘’women who described their homes with positive language had a lower level of the stress hormone cortisol than women who described their homes as cluttered or unfinished.‘’
Of course, for larger pieces around the home that you’ve grown tired of, you may need professional assistance in your wholesale decluttering campaign. As Darvills, who offer removals in Leeds tell us, storage units can help. They say that such a solution is ‘’suitable for a huge range of items, from furniture and antiques to clothes, toys, and even confidential documents’’. Phew, we were wondering where our comedy-sized teddy bear that we won at the fair was going to go…
Read: 5 great decluttering tips
Cultivate A Fresh Outlook
The biggest and most impactful upheaval we can make isn’t arguably physical, domestic or career-based. But rather, it occurs in the mind.
One of the best ways to start afresh without abandoning everything, then, is to develop an attitude of gratitude in 2022. Though last year had us feeling pretty bleak and world-weary, taking a step back and realising what we were grateful for helped put things in perspective. Next year and to embrace those fresh starts, why not make practising gratitude part of your everyday routine?
Many happy, content people swear by the keeping of a gratitude diary, in which they list 3 things they’re grateful for each day. Doing so has been said to rewire your brain to be more optimistic; and we could all do with a bit of that next year, right?