It’s New Year’s resolution time – make 2017 your best year yet with Bark!

After another trip around the sun, it’s time to start thinking about your goals for the year ahead. The New Year is a chance to turn over a new leaf, ditch those bad habits and take on exciting new challenges!

Some people struggle to stick to their resolutions each year. But with Bark, finding a skilled expert to help you stay on track is easy.

Simply choose one of our top New Year’s resolutions from the list below and place a Bark to get quotes from local pros fast and free.

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Get fit with a personal trainer

With the indulgent Christmas period behind you, it’s time to start sculpting your ‘beach body’ in preparation for the glorious British summertime.

Every year, millions of Brits resolve to jump on the treadmill and get into the best shape of their lives. But, without a professional to motivate them, most don’t even make it past January.

That’s why it’s so important to have someone there to keep you in the gym and pushing yourself to your limits. Place a personal training Bark now to get quotes from local pros fast and free.

Find personal trainers now

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Learn a new language with language lessons

They say to have a second language is to possess a second soul. So perhaps it’s surprising how few of us take the time to get fluent in a second tongue.

Not only will learning a new language make it easier to explore many of the world’s greatest foreign holiday destinations – it can also give you a crucial edge in the jobs market.

So if you want to expand your mind and open up new personal horizons this year, place a Bark now to find local language tutors fast and free.

Find language tutors now

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Unleash your inner creativity with guitar lessons

We believe everyone should be able to pick up an instrument and play a few tunes. It’s a great way to relax and de-stress, while simultaneously sharpening your mind.

The guitar is a great instrument for beginners because it’s versatile, it sounds great – and you can start playing almost right away.

Master a few basic hand shapes and you’ll be jamming popular songs by Nirvana, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin and more in no time.

Find guitar tutors now

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Get organised with a professional life coach

A life coach can help you come to terms with the radical changes that are often necessary in order to live your life to its fullest.

From going for that big promotion at work, to improving your social life, or even proposing to your other half – it can be hard to identify what steps you’ll need to take to achieve your dreams.

A great life coach will help you navigate your way to change and support you moving forward as you begin to enjoy a happier, healthier life.

Find life coaches

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Quit smoking with hypnotherapy sessions

The rewards of giving up smoking are huge, and they begin immediately. The amount of carbon monoxide in your bloodstream will start to decline in just a few hours – and you’ll start feeling fitter and healthier in a matter of weeks.

But those first few days without cigarettes will also be when your nicotine cravings are at their strongest, and many people find it impossible to quit without help from a trained professional.

Place a Bark now to find recommended hypnotherapists in your area to help you overcome your addiction and ditch your smoking habit for good.

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Your health is your wealth! Alternative ways to keep your mind and body healthy from Bark.com

We live in a rat race. It’s a lifestyle where we’re constantly exposed to stress, with increasing workloads, hectic schedules and an expensive cost of living. Long work hours, unpaid overtime, stressful jobs, less time with loved ones and the length of time spent commuting has led to emotional exhaustion. Commencing burnout in 3…2…1…

According to British psychologist Dr. Richard Wiseman, the overall pace of life has increased by 10% worldwide since the 1990s. You may even find that some places have seen an increase of 20%! Advancements in technology have contributed to a rise in the collective sense of urgency. The rate at which we communicate and work has increased, contributing to more stress-induced illnesses. A vicious circle, you may agree!

At Bark.com, we believe in working hard. However, we also see the importance of a more harmonious work-life balance. With that, we’ve taken inspiration from a variety of our Sellers to compile a list of alternative ways to fix ailments and keep your mind and body healthy – particularly in this hectic world we live in.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture comes from traditional Chinese medicine and is most commonly used to treat pain. Acupuncture is a technique where thin needles are inserted into the body at specific points, to manipulate the ‘flow’ of energy or Qi. Like blood in the circulatory system, Qi goes through the body via pathways, which are called meridians. According to the University of Miami, when factors like stress, injury or poor nutrition disrupt the regular flow of Qi, health issues follow. Acupuncture can also sometimes provide a boost in your immune system, which is key if you lead an unforgiving and fast paced lifestyle. Not only is Acupuncture good for pain, it is also a natural way to treat anxiety. Experts claim that it works faster than therapy, while keeping you drug-free at the same time. If this alternative treatment is for you, why not search for an Acupuncture specialist in your area?

Acupuncture in practice
Let the Qi flow…

Reiki Healing

Taking inspiration from Asia once more, next on our list is Reiki Healing. Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. But how does it differ to Acupuncture? Reiki is based on the principle of ‘laying on hands’ to activate healing and restore physical and emotional wellbeing. During Reiki, a therapist can channel energy into a patient by means of touch, so it is once again a natural healing process. Reiki is a very spiritual type of healing, but there is no religious belief associated with its practice. Reiki has become very popular recently with therapists practicing across the UK. Need to find the balance? Then find Reiki Healing practitioners near you.

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Channel your energy with Reiki

Hypnotherapy

What do you think of when you think of Hypnotherapy? Do you see hypnotherapy as something that is associated with comedy? Do you see hypnotherapy as a way to end an addiction? What about stress relief?

Hypnotherapy is more frequently being used for stress and anxiety treatment. So if life is becoming too exhausting, maybe now is the time to search for a hypnotherapist who can help you through it. Like many alternative treatments, hypnosis can help you relieve and manage your stress levels, but it also aims to eliminate or reduce the problems causing the stress internally. Oftentimes, for example, there are things that have happened in the past that we have not dealt with. Hypnotherapists claim that they can help you change the way your mind tells your body to deal with certain situations – ultimately helping you to stay relaxed and in control.

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Take control of your mind…

Massage Therapy

If Reiki, Acupuncture or Hypnotherapy are not for you, then why not choose to go down the Massage Therapy route instead? Massage has been practiced for thousands of years. Today, you can choose from among 80 massage therapy styles with a wide variety of pressures, techniques and movements e.g. Swedish, Deep Tissue, Sports and Hot Stone Massage. Similarly to the other therapies, massage can provide stress relief as well as help with certain medical conditions. Before you find your Massage Therapist and get booked in, you might want to ask yourself why exactly you want the massage. Do you simply want some ‘me time’, some relaxation or do you need relief from a health condition? Be mindful of this to make sure you’re getting the best massage for your needs.

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We all need some ‘me time’…

Have you tried any of the above, or do you have a favourite alternative treatment? Let us know!

For other top tips and advice from Bark.com, why not check out our other blogs?