Hi Fam,

I just wanted to end the year with a heartfelt thank you. It can be really hard to always know and see my appreciation for all of you through screens, but I hope you feel it.

Everything I have done over the last 10 years of JSHealth’s life has been purely to support you to live your best and healthiest life. I often say – it is my genuine love for this community that gets me out of bed every morning and to my desk, to create products and content that can serve you in a purposeful and meaningful way. It really does feel like my calling. 

I know it has been such a huge year for all of us! One thing I have dedicated myself to over the last 10 years is an end of year “mind break” and I really find this so important to set me up for a successful, peaceful year to come. Basically, each year Dean and I take 2 weeks off to switch off from work, emails and social media to reset the mind and body! It’s truly game-changing for your emotional and physical wellbeing, so I encourage you to give it a try too and head into 2022 feeling ready for the adventure ahead.

Avoid Feeling Pressure 

I am so aware that the holiday period can be an exceptionally stressful and social time –  and probably why my husband and I have always chosen to use the end of the year as our holiday out of town. I know this is not possible for everyone, so learning to say ‘no’ is key.

Social pressure and feeling overwhelmed is a serious thing. Of course, it can also be a beautiful time to spend with family and loved ones – but it can also be hard to learn to say no to all the social expectations. Before making commitments, check in with yourself to see if this will uplift or deplete you. If it’s the latter, honour that and say no.

Prioritise Rest

I have always believed that the end of the year is the one especially important time for everyone to prioritise rest – to start the year off on a fresh and rejuvenated note. I actually encourage the JSHealth team to utilise this time carefully to rest and take care of their mental health. We almost make it a forced break to replenish ourselves fully.

Actively Look After Your Mental Health

When I nurture my mental health, I set myself up to have resilience for the new year ahead. My top practises I engage to support mental wellbeing are:

• Time off social media is a big one. My husband and I really try to limit our digital and social access – including screen time. I log off social media for most of the day and monitor my screen time.
• For me, having books and podcasts lined up is so wholesome and a great break from social media too.
• And again, saying NO to social expectations/arrangements when you need to rest really helps me to restore my mental health. Good friends will understand. Only say YES if you truly want to be there.  
• Switching my phone off by 8:30pm each night and ensuring I do not check social media until I have fulfilled a wholesome morning routine – usually 9am is when I first will check it.
• Letting go of pressure and perfection during this time. My mantra is: My body is strong and thrives on balance.

So with this said, I am switching off now until January! I wish you all a happy, healthy break and look forward to reconnecting with you in 2022.

Love always, 

Jess xo