Why is it so hard to get into, or back into, healthy routines? Our brain wants to keep us in the familiar … the safe. We can’t blame it. It’s job is to protect us and keep us safe. So if we want to make changes or continue moving forward we need to flow with this resistance. We need to step out of the familiar routine and shake things up. There will be push back! Just like when we fall off the wagon with flossing, there will inevitably be bleeding. We immediately want to stop when we encounter discomfort (physical or emotional) ... as we think this is a bad thing. However, this is just a sign that we are moving past our existing limit. We are growing towards the new version of us. Just as the bleeding subsides after a few days of sticking with the flossing habit ultimately leading to healthier gums. So too will other forms of discomfort subside as we continue to stick with the new habits.

In the true spirit of mindfulness I would like to encourage you to embrace the concept of non-judgment in this process. The pressure around the new year often leads to a lot of beating ourselves up when we feel we didn’t live up to the expectations we set or when we start comparing ourselves to others. However, there are many opportunities to keep moving forward. As the very wise song from Frozen 2 says: “Take a step, step again. It is all that I can to do the next right thing”.