With the new year looming around the corner, many people are undoubtedly considering the areas they would like to improve upon. Even more people are hoping that this is the year that they stick to their new year resolutions. The truth of the matter is it can be hard to keep up the enthusiasm once the new year train leaves the station, but it is not impossible. Here are nine fresh ideas to help you get excited about and stay committed to your 2023 resolutions.
1.) Start Practicing Healthy Habits
The goal of becoming healthier is among the most popular resolutions. It just so happens to also be one of the most difficult to stick with over the course of 12 months. Sure, taking on healthy habits sounds easy enough, but it can be hard to commit to eating healthy, exercising, and getting enough sleep. Yet, you can succeed if you don’t expect overnight success. Healthy habits are a life-time commitment not a quick fix or short-term goal.
For changes in your diet, start slowly by introducing new healthy foods one at a time to see which ones you enjoy the most.
As far as exercise is concerned, start by ramping up your daily physical activity, and then try adding in some structured exercises that you enjoy. Most experts recommend 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. The means 30 minutes per day.
Lastly, plan for obstacles. Start by identifying potential barriers. Once you can point out the barriers you can make a plan to overcome them. For example, if time is a road block try implementing some time management techniques. Sticking to healthy habits boils down to changing your attitude and behavior.
2.) Stay in Touch
Have old friends or even family fallen by the wayside? It’s good for your health to reconnect with them. Things like social isolation and lack of social bonds have been found to be just as harmful to your health as smoking, obesity, and high blood pressure. Take a break from technology and relate to those around you. None of us are promised tomorrow and none of us will be around forever.
3.) Quit Smoking
Quitting smoking is another popular yet difficult resolution. This one will undoubtedly test your level of commitment. If you’re afraid that you have failed too many times in the past to try again, talk to someone who has nipped the nasty habit. You’ll find that multiple attempts are often the path to success.
A quitting plan may also help you succeed. This includes:
- Picking a day to quit
- Writing down your reasons for quitting
- Informing friends and family you’re quitting
- Identifying your triggers
- Removing temptations
- Exploring coping strategies
- Setting up a reward system for different milestones.
4.) Save Money
We live in a world of pleasure and instant gratification. Our society values extravagant spending over saving for a rainy day. Believe me, the rainy days will come and you’ll want to be prepared for them. Most experts recommend that you have six months expenses stocked away in your savings account. Unfortunately, this is not the case for the average American. In fact, the average American owns multiple credit cards linked to mounds of credit card debt. Furthermore, the average American lives paycheck-to-paycheck, which means they can never get ahead of the game. So how can you start saving?
Begin by limiting yourself to one credit card. No one really needs more than one credit card. And let’s face it, the credit card companies are not worried about your credit, they’re out to make money.
Next, cut back on unnecessary spending. This means eating at home, trimming up your list of subscriptions, canceling your Amazon account, or taking public transportation.
Finally, be intentional about setting aside money each pay period to go into your savings or investment account. We’re talking a measly 10% of your paycheck. If you do this, I have no doubt of your financial success, and if you’re behind you may be surprised how quickly you’re able to catch up and even get ahead for once.
5.) Try to Control Your Stress
Chronic stress is horrible for your health and can increase your risk of anxiety, depression, diabetes, and heart disease. Unfortunately, stress is something we’re all bound to face in life. It is inevitable. The key is finding more ways to relieve stress. Things like listening to music, working out, going for a walk, or meditating are good places to start.
6.) Volunteer
Choosing to volunteer can help improve your mood. That’s because helping others has been proven to increase happiness. People who are happy tend to have better immune systems, live longer, and engage in healthier behaviors.
7.) Commit to Learning
Regardless of your age, you can learn something new. Continual learning may help boost your brainpower, enhance your cognitive function, and reduce your risk of cognitive disease. In addition, continual learning enables you to gain new knowledge, meet new people, try new things, and create more possibilities. Find something you’re interested in or passion it about and devote some of your free-time to learning about it.
8.) Cut Back on Alcohol
Drinking alcohol in excess has been shown to affect the brain’s neurotransmitters and increase the risk of depression and memory loss. Moreover, chronic heavy drinking increases your risk of liver and heart disease, hypertension, stroke, mental deterioration, and cancer. So, it’s a good idea to start drinking less or not start in the first place.
9.) Get More Sleep
A good night’s rest can do wonders for your health and wellness. But sleep is more beneficial to your well-being than you might realize. In fact, a lack of sleep has been linked to a greater risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Plus, sleep is crucial for strengthening your cognitive processes. Therefore, aim to get quality sleep and more of it by exercising good sleeping habits. This includes:
- Going to bed and waking up at consistent times
- Having a comfortable bedroom atmosphere
- Getting daily exercise
Make 2023 the best and healthiest year yet by committing to one or more of these resolutions.
Sources:
Health Magazine
Alyssa Sparacino
November 2, 2022
Health, Wellness, & Restoration 