6 women share what they’ll be keeping their lives ‘free from’ in 2020.

To celebrate the newly relaunched Palmolive Naturals Body Wash range, which is free from parabens, phthalates, alcohol, gluten, soap, BPA and silicones, we asked women to share what they’ll be keeping their lives free from in 2020.

Last week, a close friend told me she’d chosen a key word for 2020.

The word is her focus for the year ahead and the framework by which she makes all her critical decisions over the next 12 months.

Her word is “less”.

Less waste. Less stuff. Less tasks being juggled all at the same time. Less time spent on things that don’t matter to her.

Her word was a revelation. We spoke for the next 45 minutes about what we wanted our lives to be ‘free from’ this year.

Palmolive Naturals Body Wash have exactly the same idea. All about simplicity, their Naturals Body Wash range is free from all the unnecessary stuff (like soap and alcohol, as mentioned above), and their bottles are 100 per cent recyclable. Favourites like Milk & Honey body wash feature 100 per cent natural milk and honey extracts, while keeping the fresh, luxurious scent people love.

In keeping with that spirit, Mamamia asked women what they want their 2020 to be free from. Here’s what they told us.

1. “Free from social media.” Nadia, 30

“My social media addiction has really taken over. I can find myself in a hole for hours, just scrolling through Instagram, and when I look up I can’t even remember what I was doing.

“My children have made comments about me being addicted to my phone and the reason it hurts so much is because it’s true. Why am I spending more time on the Instagram page of someone I don’t even know than talking to my kids?

“The pull of social media is a really hard thing to resist, but that’s my commitment for 2020. I’ve deleted my Instagram account, and only want to use Facebook to connect with family.

“Wish me luck!”

2. “Free from always being indoors.” Fatima, 44.

“For me, 2020 is all about spending more time outside and getting back to nature.

“Whether it’s walking the dog, or just getting up from my desk to sit in the park, I want to make a real effort to smell the fresh air and appreciate what’s around me.”

3. “Free from negative self talk.” Neesha, 21

“My psychologist recently encouraged me to keep a journal in order to get my internal monologue down on paper. When I looked at it, I was horrified to learn how I spoke to myself.

“I call myself awful names I’d never imagine applying to someone else. There were words like ‘disgusting, boring, lazy and ugly’ littered throughout the pages.

“In 2020, I want to speak to myself like I would a friend, and free myself from negative self talk. I know deep down I’m a good person with a lot to offer. This year is about reminding myself of that.”

4. “Free from worry.” Annie, 29.

“I’ve always been a worry wart, and 2020 is going to be the year I address it.

“Most of what I worry about never happens, and I’ve realised that it’s one of the least productive things I can do. A friend gave me the advice that every time a worry comes through my head I should write it down and leave it there, as a way of separating myself from the thought. I’ve started this practice already and have found it transformative. Sometimes when I look at it what I’ve written I just feel silly! Ultimately, that puts things into perspective.

“The alternative is to practice gratitude as much as possible, and focus on the good rather than the bad. In 2020, I’m going to be doing far more of that.”

5. “Free from the word ‘should’.” June, 25

“The word ‘should’ is seriously impacting the quality of my life.

“I always think I ‘should’ stay late at work, or have a more social New Year’s Eve or care more about my physical appearance. My partner pulled me up on it recently and said, ‘Wait, who said you should?’ and that really made me think.

“I endeavour to pick myself up on all the ‘shoulds’ running through my head, and really just run my own race.”

6. “Free from guilt.” Alice, 46

“For me, 2019 was a year of guilt. Particularly in regards to my health.

“I’ve recognised that guilt is a cycle for me that isn’t productive. It doesn’t inspire me to get up earlier or go to the gym or eat more vegetables. I’d like to eliminate guilt from my life, and replace it with being kinder to myself. I’m allowed to not be perfect!”

As much as it’s important to examine our lives and reflect on what we truly want, it’s also critical to consider what our lives need less of.

Sometimes, it’s what our lives don’t have that makes us feel truly fulfilled. We want more of what we love, and less of what we don’t.

As a staple of every woman’s daily routine, Palmolive Naturals know that, and they’re reminding us that things don’t have to be complicated to be satisfying.

So ask yourself, what do you want your 2020 to be free from?

And what kind of life will that, finally, allow you to lead?