It’s the last day of our Winter Wellbeing Challenge, and today’s a chance to look back over the past few days and evaluate them. Everyone’s different, and at this point it’s helpful to look for things that worked especially well, and decide how to take them forward into the rest of 2020. I’m calling this Pause, reflect, decide what’s next, so let’s take each step in turn.

Pause

Take a few minutes out of your day to clear your head and relax. Go somewhere it isn’t too busy and where you won’t be interrupted, and maybe have some tea and cake or a coffee. Use something to take notes, whether it’s an app, a file or a notebook and pen. Enjoy this ten minutes you have to yourself.

Reflect

Look back at your Winter Wellbeing Week activities. If you need a quick reminder they’re here:

• Monday: Make the most of daylight – getting outside
• Tuesday: Be a little kinder to yourself – compassion & relaxation
• Wednesday: Something to look forward to – 3 dates in the diary
• Thursday: Take a worry dump – tackling anxiety & problems
• Friday: Get out of that rut – trying something new for 2020
• Saturday: See your bigger picture – making a contribution

Think about what you ended up choosing for your personal activities. Now take a moment to think about how they made you feel: whether you loved/liked them, disliked, or just had neutral feelings. It’s also worth noting whether you felt resistance leading up to a certain activity, and how you felt when you got going or after you’d completed it – some of the best things in life start out a little difficult and then become really rewarding.

Chances are, there’s going to be one activity that you especially loved, or felt inspired by, and maybe one or more other things that you also liked. Note these down, and maybe also think about why they appealed or made you feel good.

Decide what’s next

Take the activities you especially enjoyed this week and decide on some practical ways to bring more of them into your life. For example, could you set a regular diary date for an activity, or join a class or a club, or maybe set up a donation or do some volunteering? It could be something weekly or monthly, or just a one off here and there, it’s completely up to you. If you find January a bit overwhelming, just pick one specific thing to do in February.

Once you’ve made a few notes, start thinking about all the ways you could generally do more of the things you love this year. That could be relaxing, creating, being entertained, learning, travelling, getting fitter, getting involved with important causes, socialising, or whatever else you want to do. Add any related actions to your To Do list and start ticking them off.

What did you enjoy most this week? Do you have any resolutions or ambitions for 2020?