CHRISTMAS and new year come around every year. As such, it's only natural that we all have positive and negative experiences at this time.

It can be very difficult – especially now that we are surrounded by happy, photogenic families in adverts and on social media – to feel like we are "enough".

Did we buy enough presents? Did we post enough photos to demonstrate we had a great time? Did we have as "good a time" as they did? The impact this annual pressure has on our mental health is huge.

It's important at this time of year as we get back into a routine from the festivities to step away from our phones from time to time, to log out and live in the real world, to stop comparing every aspect of our lives to everyone else's highlight reel.

For decades, brands have profited from us feeling a bit bloated and insecure about our bodies after "overindulging", and now in 2019 it's easier than ever for brands to flood our timelines with those ever guilt-tripping (and often heavily edited) transformation pictures.

But it's important to ask yourself regularly, "Who profits from this insecurity?"

That sentence alone always stops me in my tracks. It's a massive goal of mine in 2019 to do my bit to put an end to paid partnerships between celebrities/influencers and damaging brands.

Thankfully, there is a huge "body positivity" revolution now which is trying to combat the capitalist beauty culture we live amongst.

So, what are your new year's resolutions? All too often, we set ourselves hugely restrictive goals when the new heat comes around which means we can't, or don't want to, stick to them. This can be with regards to diet, drinking and even relationships.

Why not change the tone of your new year's plan? Why not set yourself the goal to become fitter and more energetic rather than being a slave to the scales and seeking drastic changes in a short space of time.

If we could all do a little every day to enjoy the skin we are in, then the likes of skinny teas (effectively laxatives which provide short term water loss) and other damaging products, would have less of an audience and we wouldn't be missing out on enjoying precious time with friends and family. As a former competitive bodybuilder, I used to seek happiness in an end goal: "When I've got abs, I'll finally be happy," I would think.

But after all the restriction and sacrifices, I wasn't any happier when I DID get abs. I was just disappointed that it didn't have the effect I was led to believe.

That's not to say you shouldn't always strive to be the healthiest you can be, but that looks different for everyone. Why try to be someone else? You are enough just as you are.

@MandyRoseJones

@TheEmpWomanProj