The importance of intentions
“whatever you put your attention on will grow stronger in your life. whatever you take your attention away from will wither, disintegrate and disappear.”
DEEPAK CHOPRA
It's the start of a New Year and the pressure to be setting goals, eradicating 'bad habits' and making big changes can feel empowering to some, but also debilitating to others. It's often seen as a time to take stock and reflect on the past, which can be difficult if you feel that you haven't achieved everything you wanted to.
It’s no wonder that this time of year can be a trigger for anxiety. Anxiety can be completely debilitating and lead to depression and insomnia… If you are feeling this you are not alone.
But what if you have been looking at this all wrong? What if, instead of creating unreachable goals, we used this time to simply implement daily intentions that manifest for better overall health.
The Difference between Goals and Intentions
Don't worry if you're unsure of the difference between a 'goal' or a 'intention'. It's a common question and worth a look at which I think Holstee describes perfectly:
"A goal describes what you want to do in the future. It focuses on external accomplishments and is something you can clearly check off a list: “Go rock climbing” or “Learn to make tiramisu.”
An intention describes how you want to feel. It’s focus is internal – on your relationship with yourself. Your intention could be to feel joyful or peaceful.
Unlike your goal, which will be accomplished sometime in the future, your intention is a state of being that can start the moment you decide to make it happen."
How to realise your intentions
You now may be wondering what type of intentions you want to set. Your intentions should align with your personal values in life. This can be done by defining keywords that are important to you.
Ask yourself what matters to you, what are your strengths and what do you want to let go of? What words align with you?
Begin by choosing your keywords from the list below:
Presence. Softness. Compassion. Authenticity. Discipline. Kindness. Courage. Boundaries. Self Care. Abundance. Growth. Communication. Strength. Balance. Embrace. Vulnerability.
Next take those that relate and form them into a sentence. For instance:
Presence: I choose to be present in my day to day tasks to feel more in control.
Compassion: I intend to be compassionate to others and myself.
Self Care: I will prioritise self care to allow growth in my personal and work life.
TIP: Writing in the present tense is a powerful technique. By being clear and concise with your intentions, you will focus positive energy to achieve them as a permanent state of mind rather than a pressurised goal.
Get Creative
Setting intentions can be beautifully creative too. If you are a visual person, creating a document, poster or physical moodboard can be a good technique. Flicking through magazines and pulling out words or images that align with your values and ideas can be incredibly powerful. By writing down your intentions somewhere you can visualise them daily, which will help you hold on to them throughout the year.
What will setting intentions do for me?
By focussing on our intentions through a daily practice of affirmation and visual reminders, helps to keep us grounded in the present moment and achieve life goals more mindfully.
If you reflect weekly on these intentions and identify your gratitude and accomplishment, will be filled with feel-good emotions of what you can do rather than what you are trying to do.
In summary – whether we’re conscious of it or not, everything we do, starts with an intention and by bringing our awareness to consciously setting intentions, we are enabling ourselves to reach our goals more mindfully and happily!
If you, or someone you know, is struggling with their mental health, you can find support and resources on our website, Instagram and on the blog.
Further afield, these websites and charities are a good place to start too.
MIND “We provide advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. We campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding.”
EVERY MIND MATTERS “Every Mind Matters is a campaign run by NHS England, which features the mental health tool My Mind Plan at the heart of their resources and advice for those facing mental health problems.”
Mental Health Foundation "Find out how to look after your mental health and help prevent mental ill health from developing.
If you are struggling with your mental health, you can also ask your GP for a referral to NHS Talking Therapies, or you can self-refer..
For confidential support, you can also call the Samaritans in the UK on 116 123.