2020 and 2021 were somewhat tumultuous years, there’s no doubt about it. Between travel restrictions, stay at home orders and promises of a ‘new COVID normal’, our recent trips around the sun have been truly unprecedented.

Say goodbye to the years of face masks and sanitiser (not that this has changed - please continue all necessary precautions) and get your 2022 off to a great start with our top 6 tips.

1) Write a New Year’s Resolution Diary

There’s a reason why new year’s resolutions exist, and why they’re kind of a big deal to millions of people globally. It’s human nature to set personal goals and attempt to achieve them, so there’s really no better time to do this than at the clean slated beginning of a new year.

While undoubtedly a productive process, jotting down resolutions can be enjoyable and therapeutic too (Have some fun while writing your resolutions down. Light a candle! Make some tea! Turn it into an occasion!).

If you find yourself with too many goals to write down, break your resolutions into categories (such as ‘social’, ‘financial’ and ‘hobbies’) - this helps everything appear a little more achievable, and you’ll feel more positive and clear headed about the commencing year.

Get 2021 off to a good start by writing your resolutions.

2) Reflect on the Good of 2021

While 2021 was undoubtedly difficult on all of us, start this year off on a positive foot by writing down all the good things that happened last year.

Physically jotting down the funny, memorable, nice moments that occurred throughout the year prove as a reminder that while indubiously not the best, 2021 had its moments, too.

Reflect on the past year’s happy moments.

3) Remain Social - Even if This is Virtual

For many of us, the silly season is a social one, filled with family gatherings and friend get-togethers. With the holiday season now concluded, it’s vital to remain social with loved ones, whether this be in real life, or virtually. Ensure you keep in touch with friends and family members throughout 2022 (and avoid the post holiday season low) by organising a number of social activities early on in the year.

Not only will filling up your social calendar keep you occupied, spending time with others will aid in lifting spirits during the somewhat lacklustre come down period often experienced after a busy Christmas and New Year’s period.

Keep your social calendar full this coming year.

4) Support Small Businesses

Helping others in need boosts not only the mood of those you help, but yours too, and sets a positive tone for the year to come.

2021 saw countless small businesses struggle, so why not help them get off to a good start this year?

Not only will it make you feel good, supporting small businesses can be an equally easy affair; transgress from the usual pizza chain takeout and purchase from the local Italian instead, or trade the supermarket cookies with some baked goods from the small family run bakery (chances are, they’ll taste better too!).

Start your 2021 right by supporting small and local businesses.

5) Spread Kindness to Loved Ones

It’s not just small businesses that need our help this year - make sure you reach out and spread kindness to friends and family members who may have been going through a tough 2021 too.

Your charitable acts of kindness don’t need to be grandiose; things as small as baking a tray of freshly baked sweets for a friend, or offering to do your mother’s grocery run go a long way, and brighten not only someone else’s, but your day too.

Spread small acts of kindness to loved ones -such as baking them a treat- to start the year off right.

6) Try a New Hobby

Whether you’ve explicitly outlined becoming more active in your new year’s resolutions and are keen to give yoga a try, or have witnessed your friend complete her fifth 1000 piece puzzle and are wondering what all the fuss is about, there’s little that trumps discovering (and maybe even excelling in) a new hobby or passion.

While it is not only wildly self assuring to know you have learned something new (be this finally being able to bake the perfect sourdough bread from scratch, or brushing up on your knowledge of 19th century France), discovering a new passion or hobby aids in mitigating the unavoidable work from home slump many of us have experienced in the past year.