7 things I’m doing that would make my psych proud.
I’ll level with you, I tried really hard not to have a whole “new year, new me” moment, but after the absolute WASTE that 2020 was, I figured I had to implement a few changes in order to at least feel as though I’m doing something to make 2021 better. Here are a few of the things things I’m doing; aka my 2021 New Year’s Resolutions:
1. Writing down three things I’m grateful for each day
I may have been a bit slack with this recently, and I’m not quite sure what I’m trying to achieve by doing this, but it does create a false sense of peace knowing that I can identify three things that aren’t going so shitty in my life. Today I am grateful for no longer working Sunday mornings, sleep ins, and refrigerated water.
2. Putting on sunscreen in the morning regardless of the weather
For the past billion years my skincare routine has consisted of micellar water and sudocrem, that changed when my housemate told me the horrors that the sun has on ageing. Sunscreen doesn’t just prevent sunburns, but it also prevents premature ageing due to sun exposure. (You can read more here) It’s kind of whack that in order to prevent ageing we must begin taking measures into our own hands from as young as 20. I did a whole assignment on this in my third year of uni and don’t even get me started on how the beauty industry takes advantage of women’s insecurities, our obligation to age “well”, and the negative connotations surrounding ageing. From where I stand right now, I desire to age as naturally as possible, but if applying sunscreen daily regardless of weather will spare me a few wrinkles (and sunburns), then I’m all for it.
3. Unfollowing my failed iso relationships
At the beginning of 2021 I really said “new year, new men”. I decided I wasn’t going to waste time on my failed relationship experiments during 2020. I didn’t want my Instagram feed infiltrated with men who no longer deserve access to me. I went ahead and unfollowed quite a number of tinder flings, and further removed them as followers to my account, officially rendering them DUMPED.
4. Not putting energy into relationships where energy isn’t reciprocated
I don’t know if it’s something in the Summer air but the past two Januarys have seen me cutting ties with people who just don’t do it for me anymore. Time is precious. Time is money. Life is short. I don’t have the energy or patience to hold onto friendships that feel like I’m just clutching at straws. You wanna be in my life? Well then babes you gotta prove it!! Even then, it’s not enough to just be in my life, you have to treat me with mutual respect, I don’t want any of this uneven playing field with a skewed power dynamic. Friendships are meant to be easy and low maintenance, and I’m not expecting anything less this year.
5. Telling people off for interrupting me
I gotta tell you, doing this has felt SO good. This usually happens in group settings while I’m trying to tell a story that requires everyone to be paying attention. I’ll be in the middle of a sentence and someone will start talking to someone else who’s also trying to pay attention to the story I’m telling. This grinds my gears to NO extent, not to mention it’s just plain rude. Usually I would just give up on telling the story, but now I actually assert my inner fucking queen and say something along the lines of “excuse me I was talking”. Tell me why people have been more offended by me telling them off than how offended I have been for being interrupted? They look at me as if I have just threatened to kill their family when all I’ve asked for is basic kindness. Please don’t interrupt me!! I thrive off attention!! I don’t need it diverted away from me!!
6. Asserting boundaries (ie: treating people the way they treat me)
On par with the previous point, I’m trying my best this year to be less of a doormat. It reminds of the time someone said to me when I cut my fringe shorter “I preferred it long” to which I replied “lucky it's on my head and not yours'' and HE had the audacity to call ME a bitch?? People wanna dish it but can’t take being called out for it? Weird. If you’re going to give me attitude you’re going to be met back with attitude and GOD it makes me feel good. I have to reignite the light that is my inner boss bitch and start asserting my boundaries with people who continue to overstep them. No more Mr Nice Guy in 2021!!
7. Riding my bike
When I was younger I used to always ride my bike around the block as a form of clearing my mind. When our family moved houses we stored my bike in my grandma’s garage and I basically never saw it since. After moving to Fitzroy I decided that in addition to my septum piercing and short fringe that I needed to be even MORE alternative, so I went over to my grandma’s to pick up my bike after what might have been 5 years. I was met with bad news. My grandma had given away my bike a few months prior without telling me. Feeling betrayed, my grandma felt bad and told me that along with my auntie she will buy me a bike for Christmas. Well I finally have my bike and I feel like a proud owner of a new car. She is my pride and joy. I may get exhausted after riding a kilometre and I may have to relearn road cycling laws AAAAND I may make enemies with some drivers but I cannot wait to achieve the cyclist calves of my dreams.