There’s something very promising and positive about New Year’s resolutions, those goals we make for ourselves and for our loved ones. We do our best to keep them, even though we often don’t succeed.
Here are some common resolutions we make to improve our health, along with some tips for accomplishing them.
Keep a Journal
Each new year represents a new cycle, which makes an ideal time to start a journal. Begin with writing out your goals, especially goals that prioritize your well-being. Brainstorm small, simple changes you can make to your diet and lifestyle, and then track your progress and thoughts along the way.
Plant Your Own Organic Garden
Planting an organic garden can have various benefits on your health—it can improve your flexibility and balance, strengthen your bones, and even lower your risk of obesity, heart disease, and stroke. There are also mental health benefits to consider as gardening can reduce your cortisol levels, thus relieving you of stress and improving your mood. Finally, there’s also the fact that cultivating your own garden means you’re growing at least some of your own organic food, which is much healthier than what you can get at the supermarket.
Find that one area on your property that gets the most sun. Choose what fruits, vegetables, or herbs you want to plant. And then simply do it. Make sure you water your garden, compost organic waste to feed your plants, and find a natural way to protect them from any pests. Even if you don’t have a backyard, you can still make this your New Year’s resolution by creating a vertical garden on your balcony. You can grow anything this way, from potatoes in a pot to strawberries in a PVC pipe.
Make Healthier Food Choices
This is a popular New Year’s resolution, but if you’ve ever made it, chances are you gave up after a while. One way to avoid this scenario is to set some smaller and more achievable goals. For example, instead of candy bars and snacks loaded with processed sugar and bad fats, you can switch to organic lightly roasted nuts. Or how about some fresh fruit with yogurt and honey instead of store-bought ice cream? Even better, make your own from raw milk and cream and wholesome sweeteners such as honey and coconut sugar. Avoid seasoning your meat (and any other foods) with sugary ketchup or store-bought mayonnaise. Instead, make your own ketchup or mayonnaise, or buy healthier options such as sugar-free ketchup. Adding spices is also a good idea. Turmeric is a great choice because its active ingredient, curcumin, has amazing anti-inflammatory properties.
Find more time to cook your own meals from scratch and maybe even try a new cuisine. Make it your mission to switch from a bad ingredient to a good one each week, and you’ll gradually adjust your diet to what you desired in the first place.
Increase Your Physical Activity
Exercise is yet another frequent resolution that people have difficulty keeping. Again, the problem might lie in making big changes too quickly. Instead of resolving to spend hours at the gym every day, try to reach the level of fitness you want for yourself in reasonable stages. For instance, if you go to work by car or by bus, park a few blocks from your office, or get off the bus on one of the stops that come before your regular one. You’ll benefit from the walk, as will you from climbing the stairs instead of taking the elevator.
If you spend a lot of time in front of the TV, from time to time switch to one of the music channels and spend fifteen minutes or so dancing like there’s no tomorrow. And instead of setting your goal at reaching your ideal weight, aim for losing a few pounds each month. Once you see you’re actually reaching your goals, you’ll stay motivated and be less likely to give up.
Pay More Attention to Your Mental Health
Your well-being isn’t limited to your physical health. You need to maintain some mental hygiene as well. This means that you should take action when you notice you’re feeling stressed, moody, or depressed. These problems are like toothaches—they won’t just pass on their own. Dealing with them could be as easy as spending a night out with your friends, jogging in the park, or getting some fresh air in the great outdoors, surrounded by sunshine and all the greens of nature.
You can also try meditating or some natural remedies with calming effects, like chamomile or lavender tea. You always want to be as well-rested as you possibly can. This is important since lack of sleep can lead to stress, prevent you from concentrating properly, and make it difficult to remember things. Try to sleep about eight hours per night, and make sure you do it in a dark, quiet, cool room, in a comfortable bed and with a good pillow.
These are all simple things you can do for yourself to feel happier and more self-confident. Nevertheless, if you feel that your problem goes deeper than this, don’t hesitate to reach out to your friends, family, or a professional for help.
These resolutions might seem huge, but once you break them into smaller goals, you’ll realize they aren’t impossible. Start with a good choice today to work toward a healthy lifestyle tomorrow.
Images from Unsplash.
