The most overrated holiday of the year is just days away: Feeling the pressure yet?

If you’ve been wondering whether to give the night the benefit of the doubt and try, or fake an illness, note this sobering truth: 83% of individuals reportedly feel let down on New Year’s – not because of their actual plans, but because they ended up having less fun than they thought they would. Woooof.

So here’s a gentle reminder: partying on NYE is not mandatory. You can step way from pressure and do it differently this year. Here’s how you might spend the final night of 2018 if you’re not trying to wait outside a club sans coat for hours on end, or give half your last paycheque to Uber.

Reconnect with nature. Rather than fill you body with toxins, get outdoors and breathe in fresh air, feel the wind in your hair, and let a winter view of the night sky lift you up. Doing something active (or chill) outdoors, will naturally amp up your gratitude levels and let you start the new year off on a positive note. Alternately, if you’re in Toronto, check out one of these super scenic spots to take your high downtown.

Wrap up the year with some unapologetic me-time. The anti-party: Turn off your notifications. Close your laptop. Dim the lights. Do something simple that you love to do (maybe having a bath, maybe cooking your favourite recipe or eating something you love, or doing a sacred-feeling cannabis ritual) and mindfully allow the year to come full circle. We move fast, all the time. Honour the year and all that happened in it. Let it be complete. Radical idea, non?

Actually put some thought into your new year’s intention. The end of one year and start of a new one is a powerful time. Devote the evening to setting an intention for the year ahead. Extract your right intention by looking inward – automatic write, or meditate to receive it, and set it by putting it into a sentence or mantra that’ll nurture your mindset as you move forward. Aim to release the blocks between you and your best life by making a list of all the actions you’ll take to make 2019 your year.

Clear out the clutter of 2018 so you can start TRULY fresh. Donate your presents you got for Christmas that you don’t want. Clear out all the old clothes you wore in 2018 that remind you of an office / partner / bar you’re ready to be done with. Clean out your fridge and all the remnants of sugar-y holiday cheer. If you dare clean on a night like tonight, vacuum up the grit of 2018 from your carpet an floors. You’re an adult, you can do what you want, after all.

Commit the cardinal sin of being boring enough to watch Netflix and get high on New Year’s. Honestly. Just do it. See what fate befalls you. I dare you.

Delay gratification and make an even better plan for your cash. Acknowledge how much money you’re saving by not going out (and that you won’t actually feel like hell tomorrow to start the year). Spend the night making a self-congratulatory plan to spend that saved money on a proper splurge for yourself later in the month. January / February is the best time for travel deals, it’s said.

Or, just decide you’re bored, and go to that party you heard of. THAT’S OK TOO! Point is: Resist the idea that NYE is something you have to do any certain way. Do what you want on December 31st, and, every night.

Categories: CANNABIS CULTURE