New Year, New Mantra

As we wrap up the first month of the year, I've thought a lot about how I want this upcoming year to look. The first half of last year was probably one of the most stressful times I've experienced in my life. I don't want to get to that point in my life again. Stress has so many adverse effects on our bodies and I certainly saw that on myself in 2022. I feel like my face looked rougher, my hair went gray outside of my Mallen streak (which was the only gray I'd had for the last few years), and my anxiety was at an all-time high. That stress and situation is a topic for a different post though.

So will a mantra really help with that? Well, they certainly serve as a focal point to think about during stressful times. WebMD notes that mantra meditations can help reduce anxiety, provide a sense of calm, and have been linked to reducing burnout.

So, in 2023, I certainly want less stress in my life. I want less anxiety. I want better general wellness habits. For that last one, I will have to work on some wellness habits (again, another post of another day), but for the anxiety? I think I may just have the perfect mantra to help keep my anxiety and (some) stress under control. What is this magic mantra that's going to take me through 2023? Drumroll please...

You can not control other people's actions, you can only control your reaction.

Why this one? Primarily because I think that while some external stressors definitely contribute to my life, what stresses me out the most is not having control over situations or outcomes. This short little sentence will be my go-to when I'm stressing out and need a reminder that the only person I'm in charge of and the only reaction I can control is my own. I've already been using this, and I gotta say, it is helpful . While I'm not totally Zen yet, I think I'm on my way to a more Zen 2023 -- which I'll take. So what's your 2023 going to be and why?