The only diet you need for 2022

I’m not really a ‘diet’ kind of girl, but this is one I follow religiously. I tweak and adjust, monitor and record changes. The closer I pay attention to my diet, the better I feel – without fail.

So what kind of diet am I referring to?

Before we get started, let me clarify what I mean by my ‘diet’. What are your associations with that word? Food, calories, nutrients? That’s what we’re taught, and most certainly plays into the ‘new year, you’re not good enough as you are you need to lose weight and then you’ll be happy’ narrative. But what about the rest of our diet, the bulk of it, the stuff that really packs a punch when it comes to our mindset, our confidence, our self-worth. The media we consume, the news we watch, the people we surround ourselves with, the hours we spend scrolling, the books we read, the environments we put ourselves into? This is your diet. This is what you are consuming on a daily basis. When was the last time you stopped to take stock?

 You can’t be healthy with an unhealthy mind. It’s time to start caring about our minds as much as we do our bodies. A healthy mindset is just as important as a healthy body

If you truly want to be healthy, you have to remove all the junk from your diet. 

You can eat all the broccoli, drink litres of water and run for your life, but if you really want to experience the true meaning of ‘health’ – it’s time to address what’s going on inside your body. There’s no shortage of advice on how to feel physically great, but when it comes to controlling our negative thoughts and overcoming fear, we can get stuck. Where to start? The good news is, there’s a multitude of ways in which we can start to rid ourselves of destructive thought patterns and really listen to what’s going on. 

Here’s the only diet you need this year, as prescribed by a confidence and mindset coach: 

Screen-Time

Tech companies have absolutely nailed their brief to ensure we’re all addicted to our phones, and as a result are constantly coming up with new and innovative ways to keep us glued to our screens. With a bit of savviness and willpower, we can take the control back. Most smartphones have options to help us manage how much time we spend on our phone, on certain apps and at what time of the day. The best thing you can do for your mind? Utilise this. Set time limits on the apps that you don’t really need day-to-day. Schedule your phone to ‘downtime’ in the evenings and early mornings to prevent unnecessary usage. Delete any apps you find yourself meaninglessly coming back to, or that aren’t adding any value to your life. Using your phone in bed? Perfect for disturbing your much needed sleep. Scrolling through your phone first thing in the morning? Best way to start the day with chaos and anxiety. Airplane mode will become your most used setting, as you realise how much more productive you can be when not distracted, even in small chunks of time. It couldn’t be simpler to view your daily average screen time in your settings, and this is a great place to start. Start small if you need to, and watch that average drop as your mood lifts. 

Turn off notifications

Turn off what you don’t need. I can’t stress enough what a huge impact this will have on your daily screen habit, and overall relationship with your phone. If it’s buzzing endlessly, the temptation to keep it glued to you and check constantly is enough to crack anyone. Keep anything that’s important, the rest can be muted. This is the perfect opportunity to evaluate what you deem as important here. You don’t need to be pinged every time your old school friend uploads a new photo, or you when your favourite bedding company has a sale. Limiting your notifications will help to keep you present in the moment and less distracted. 

Be more present 

An enormous bugbear in many relationships - the act of being present. It’s a feeling that’s slowly slipping away amongst generations of tech-savvy consumers. Can you remember the last time you felt present? Where you were truly ‘in the moment’ and focusing on what you had in front of you – whether it be your family, dinner with friends or at work. Aside from meditation, it’s not often we prioritise the sensation of being present. The simplest way to start? Put your phone away. Compartmentalise your thoughts. Your other half would rather have ten minutes of your complete, undivided attention, than a full hour of you dropping in and out of the conversation, asking them to repeat themselves while you mindlessly scroll. When you are really focused, conversations are more interesting, you pick up on quirks and miss less of what’s going on around you. Ten minutes is better than no minutes, start small and build up to larger chunks of time. 

Social Media

Social media doesn’t have to be a toxic vortex of comparison and self-loathing. It can be fun, entertaining, inspiring, creative and educational. The best thing is – we are (mostly) in control of our feeds. If a scroll through Instagram leaves you feeling deflated and worthless, what does this say about the people you follow? Block, delete and move on. Follow accounts that make you laugh, teach you something, or give you ideas on how to paint your bedside table or cook up a vegan feast. This is a simple step to take back control – cull, cull, cull. It’s liberating and freeing and all kinds of wonderful discovering all the brilliant creators out there. 

Exercise

There is no world in which exercise is not an important part of our diets. It’s our approach to exercising that makes all the difference. How many times have you set an early alarm only to keep snoozing and miss the class you never really wanted to go to? How many times have you promised yourself you’d go for a jog after work, then come 6pm you’re exhausted and ready to put your feet up. No judgement here, but what if it didn’t have to be like that? It’s no secret that even gentle exercise can provide us with that glorious dopamine hit and get those endorphins going. So, what’s the secret? Find a workout, class, sport, style of movement you love – and exercise will no longer feel like a chore. We live in a pretty whacky world of opportunities, so whether its street dance or bopping away to a Billie Eilish spin class, there’s absolutely something out there for everyone. Keep your routine varied and try out new things, or stick to one sport and watch as you progress – you do what suits you. 

Social Influence

We’re all very familiar with social media’s targeted algorithms, giving us more of what we’re (supposedly) interested in. The more we engage with certain brands and products, the more they pop up on our screens. Let’s take this concept to our lives and look at it this way; the people we surrounded ourselves with create our personal algorithms – impacting our thoughts and what we choose to focus on. You can train your algorithm and surround yourself with negativity, making you worried, anxious and insecure. Or you can surround yourself with positivity, instead aiming for happiness, contentment and success. It’s no bad thing to do a stock check of the company you keep, and most importantly how they make you feel. If your social interactions aren’t leaving you content and satisfied, then perhaps change is needed. The same goes for all forms of social influence; news channels, films, books, TV. Take a moment to evaluate what you are consuming, and how your diet is fuelling your thoughts.  

Fill your cup

It’s a feminine trait many women have, to give and give and give until they are left feeling totally empty. How many times have you reached the end of the week and you barely have enough energy to boil a kettle or brush your hair? I like to refer to this as your cup; when it’s empty, you’re empty. So what can you do to keep yours topped up? My favourite way to replenish my energy is taking time out of a busy day for me-time, whether that’s reading my book in the bath or spending time cooking up a storm in the kitchen. You can’t beat a good night’s sleep, or a brilliant book. A podcast and a brisk walk does it for many. Some like to do online learning and keep their minds feeling fresh and active. Whatever it looks like for you, make sure you include filling your cup in your diet this year – your mind and body will thank you. 

So when I think about going on a diet for the new year, I think absolutely yes – sign me up. It’s the perfect opportunity to take stock of all we’re consuming mentally, and look at how it’s impacting us. If this feels overwhelming or unrealistic, why not pick one and see how it goes? Write down your thoughts, notice if you’re sleeping deeper or performing better. Focusing on your mental diet will be the best decision you make in 2022.