Welcome to 2024!

Jan 7, 2024

Happy New Year to our EatWell members! It's Karen here, ready to kick things off in 2024. For some of you, the new year may symbolize a fresh start that is full of possibilities. And for others, the new year is just another day on the calendar ;) Regardless of your view on the new year, we'll use the occasion to discuss how we can make small, meaningful, and positive changes to our lives. To that end, this week's class will focus on empowering alternatives to traditional New Year's resolutions.

I recently came across a concept called ARC, which I think dovetails perfectly with what we will talk about in class this week. It's a framework for better self-care that can be applied to a variety of life situations and needs. ARC is an acronym that stands for Appreciate, Recognize, and Construct:

Appreciate what’s working well in your life. It's easy to get down on ourselves and think things like "Nothing ever works out for me" or "I can never get my act together." These kinds of doom and gloom thoughts are not only inaccurate, but they can become self fulfilling prophecies if we buy into them. Nothing is all wrong or always bad. Make a point to notice and appreciate what is working for you, and allow yourself to feel gratitude for those things.
Recognize changes that are needed. This step can be tough because it may require you to admit some complicity in what is not working. You might have to take ownership of choices that have not served you well in the past. Don’t make an entire inventory of everything that needs to change. Focus on an immediate aspect that’s affecting your quality of life.
Construct a way forward that takes into account the realities of what’s working, what needs improvement, and what resources you have available.

When using the ARC concept, keep these key principles in mind:

First, start small. We often feel the urge to "go big or go home," but this can lead to feelings of failure and burnout. Instead of changing your entire life, what’s the smallest step you can take to make your life a little better today? Can you take a 5-minute time out to breathe? Or, bring a piece of fruit to work? Or walk for 10 minutes?
Second, say no. We often think progress means adding something. But it is just as much about what we do NOT do, as it is about what we do. Consider small areas of your life in which you can cut something out that’s not serving you well right now.