2020 stressed us out: 3 key strategies for a better 2021

We recently opened up the conversation about intentions versus resolutions.

There is nothing inherently wrong with establishing New Year’s resolutions, but as human beings, we certainly set ourselves into high demand, and some promises are difficult to keep. The idea of setting intentions, especially as we head into a brand new, New Year, is to let go of the old strategy, which involves loads of carefully-calculated plans to totally transform you and your world.

Going into 2021, we hope to inspire all to commit to a new model of self-improvement; one which involves sustainable strategies to keep the momentum going for months and years, and inspires you to inspire others. This past year was filled with turbulence and happenings far out of our own control and expectations. As we are wonderful in our primal desire to plan, calculate and measure every step, it’s become clear that when things simply can’t go to plan, we tend to find ourselves in extreme states of stress. With health as the top priority for all, managing stress before it boils over is absolutely crucial to keep ourselves balanced and allow us to thrive in 2021, and many years to follow. Keep these strategies in mind when building your 2021 blueprint.

strategy one: let go of the over-controller

Easier said than done, right? In the face of extreme challenge and hardship, how can we expect ourselves to hang back, and watch life happen?

Well, we don’t.

From business to personal life and beyond, unfortunately, 2020 brought hardship and unexpected challenges for all of us. We set plans, and we set plan B’s, but sometimes things can take a (very) unexpected turn. While we encourage planning and goal-setting, make 2021 the year to invite a little less structure into life. What this means is more opportunity to respond with unshakeable confidence and authority when things go left. Rather than allowing panic into your mind when the unexpected unfolds, try yielding to it. When we do this, we’re really just clearing away high-intensity emotions (panic) that may become the precursor for collapse. With a clear mind, comes the ability to breathe, and consider with rationale how we can work with the situation or obstacles in front of us. 

It may sound sweet and simple, but it does require some effort to let go of the need to control life’s outcomes. This isn’t a model that society often promotes, but it plays an important role in controlling stress, which should be a 2021 priority for us all.

strategy two: tune into your intuition

You don’t have to read palms to tune into your intuition (although that level of self-mastery is pretty cool).

Oftentimes, we may find ourselves turning to others, or to the media, or to a variety of sources outside of ourselves to have all of the answers, and provide us with a sense of security. While we work incredibly well in unity, there is so much to uncover when we allow ourselves to tune in to our inner wisdom and intelligence.

This is often discovered for the first time when beginning practices like meditation or yoga, which challenge the flexibility and strength of the mind and body. External stimulus plays a part in our overall levels of stress and self-confidence, despite it being difficult to always recognize this as such.

If you’re finding yourself a little discombobulated lately, try making some time for complete stillness. Just 10-30 minutes, a few times per week promotes clarity, focus, and calm, which are essential for problem-solving and fostering a deeper relationship with oneself.

If you happen to be someone who struggles with stillness practices like meditation, self-guided yoga practice will reap the same results. To benefit most from one of the meditative practices mentioned above, it’s important to take this time entirely to yourself, removing all distractions for just a little while.

Becoming intuitive is something that may be easier for some than others, but it certainly helps us to strengthen the relationship we have with ourselves. In return, we receive clarity, authority (confidence), and have a better understanding of what we are able to do in order to cope with stressful life situations, or how to begin something new.

To support focus, our Goji + Cacao tincture is a customer favorite to offer support wherever and whenever it’s needed most.

strategy three: celebrate tiny wins

Picture This: You go to the grocery store and grab a large pack of Omega-3-rich Hemp Seeds.

You come home, ready to make a brain fueling, immune-supporting smoothie when you knock the entire bag over, and thousands of tiny hemp seeds are all over the kitchen. Yikes.

As far as we see it, there are two ways to clean this mess up.

Hit the panic button. Focus on each tiny seed, and wonder, “How am I ever gonna clean this up?!”
Take a deep breath, and start cleaning the room section-by-section, focusing on the cleanliness of each part of the room, rather than the entire room as a whole.

We can look at life the same way. One of the inevitable guarantees in life (and 2020 has certainly shown us this), is that sometimes, things can go left. Like, way, way left. Recovering from massive pitfalls, and falling off of the bandwagon is far too overwhelming for most people when we’re looking at the situation as a whole.

For example, you may have gained a few extra pounds in 2020 with less physical activity and consuming more calories. On top of that, maybe you have faced stress surrounding finances. Career-related struggles were another common hardship for many this past year. Overall, a lot may have transpired, and it might feel incredibly stressful to recover and improve all of these situations at once.

The good news: we’re not meant to heal overnight. Deep breaths, patience, and constant affirmations that things will improve in your life, and for the world are essential in this process. Start with one small section of “your kitchen”. Take microscopic, “hemp-seed-sized” steps each and every day, focusing on one issue at a time. This process will take some time. But by the time you’ve worked through each issue individually, you will find power and peace when taking a look at the “clean kitchen” later on.

Keep in mind that compassion is your fuel along the way. If you’ve gained some weight that you’d like to lose, take those tiny steps, be kind to yourself, and give yourself frequent pats on the back along the way. You are your best cheerleader. 

pachamama can help

Once again, these lessons are easier said than done.

Two of the biggest goal-inhibitors are stress and lack of focus. CBD has been shown to support the reduction of occasional stress, which promotes improvement in mental clarity and day-to-day focus.

Pachamama CBD is available in a variety of formulas, making everyday use safe, simple, and effective for anyone who may need a little extra support to reach their goals in the 2021 New Year.

Click here to shop today’s favorites. Full-spectrum, THC-free broad-spectrum, or CBD isolate: these hemp products provide holistic benefits for your body, mind and spirit.

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