New year, new attitude, new me, the regular new year cliches are about to make a comeback. So how can you make healthy New Year’s resolutions that are actually attainable? There are many healthy resolutions that don’t involve going to the gym or physical activity. You can just adjust a couple of things and you’ll adopt a healthy lifestyle in no time. If there’s anything 2020 & 2021 has taught us is how important it is to stay healthy because of the pandemic.
These healthy resolutions will allow you to go to the new year with a healthier body and an even stronger mindset. If you are one of those people who set goals and never follow through, you can invest in a planner or a habit tracker. This will keep you in check and help you track your goals.
Here are some of the healthy New Year’s resolutions you might want to include in your new year plans:
Mindful Eating
Making healthy new year’s resolutions is not just about going to the gym and weight-loss diets. However, you can try eating healthier and being more mindful of what you eat. This is usually a much more attainable goal as compared to going on a diet. Include more plants and fruits in your meals. Start by making small changes to your diet. Try swapping out unhealthy meals with much healthier ones. Swap butter with avocado. If you crave fries and burgers you can try out sweet potato baked fries as opposed to french fries. Swap your soda with water or a homemade smoothie. Start small don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Allow yourself to have 2 cheat meals a week as opposed to having a cheat day. A cheat day becomes a cheat week and before you know it you fall off the bandwagon. Reserve your cheat meals for when you have a craving so as not to fall off the bandwagon.
Hydrate
The rule of thumb when it comes to drinking water is to consume at least 2 liters of water or 8 glasses. Make drinking water your resolution because of the multiple benefits of water. It has so many advantages when it comes to our bodies from healthy shiny hair, to glowing skin, and even helps with weight loss. If you find it difficult to drink water you can add some fruits or herbs to your water bottle or glass of water. The most common herbs are mint, rosemary. You can include cucumbers, strawberries, oranges and so much more. Figure out how you like your water and start a routine.
Cut back on carbohydrates & refined sugars
Reduce your intake of carbohydrates and refined sugars. Refined sugar is linked to lifestyle diseases like diabetes & weight gain, obesity, and heart diseases among others. You can reduce carbs and sugar by eliminating sweetened beverages and replacing them with healthier options like smoothies. For carbs, you can try wheat flour alternatives like nut flour if you are not allergic. Avoid buying snacks because we ll lean to unhealthy snacks like chips. Buy low-carb snacks like almonds.
Cook More
If you’ve been a takeout person, this is the year you should start cooking. Ordering take-out mostly results in ordering junk food like pizza, burgers, fries, and other unhealthy foods. Cooking more allows you to eat healthier. If you don’t know how to cook there are multiple tutorials on YouTube and free recipe books all over the internet. Start step by step, no need to go cold turkey. You can start by cooking 3 meals a week and work your way up. You can meal prep if you have a busy schedule. This makes sure you still eat home food.
Reduce alcohol & cigarettes
There are multiple disadvantages of drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes. From high blood pressure. liver complications, a reduced immune system, several cancers. Reducing your alcohol intake and cigarette smoking has multiple health benefits.
Get more sleep
A good night’s sleep is very healthy for your body. You should get at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night. This is one of the healthy new year’s resolutions that’s easily achievable. You need your beauty sleep as this is when the body reenergizes. If you have erratic sleep patterns this could be the year to change all that. When you sleep better, you feel better, your skin looks better and you have a more positive outlook on life as you’re not always exhausted.
RELATED: 17 Easy Ways to Fall Asleep Faster
Be Grateful
Take a couple of minutes before you sleep to reflect on everything you re grateful for. You can include a column on your daily planner or in your journal to write it down. This will help you maintain a positive attitude and also serves as a great reminder. This has a very positive effect on your mental health as well.
Reduce Screen Time
Increased screen time affects your overall long-term mental health. Spending too much time on your phone can lead to depression and anxiety. Your screen has the ability to affect your mood and decrease your productivity. Start tracking your screen time and monitor which apps you spend most of your time on. If they are not adding any value to your life or are not entertaining you they aren’t worth it.
RELATED: How to reduce screen time – 11 Tips
SelfCare
Taking care of yourself is very essential when it comes to physical, mental, and emotional health. If you have a busy schedule find time to do something that you love or something that makes you feel better. It could be swimming, going to the spa, walking, riding a bicycle, or reading a book. Take care of yourself to avoid burnout and exhaustion.
RELATED: Types of Self-Care – 5 types
Mindful Meditation
Mindful meditation is very essential as it promotes mental health. Just a few minutes of meditation in a day can go a long way. Meditation reduces anxiety, stress levels and is even known to improve sleeping patterns. There are many free and paid online resources that can teach you how to meditate. Regular meditation has been known to improve overall mental health and reduce the chances of depression. Have a lazy day in your routine.
Physical Activity you enjoy
If you’re not a gym person, there’s no need to purchase a gym subscription at the beginning of the year and be done with it by March. Instead, find a physical activity that you like doing and work on that. It could be yoga, walking, dancing. There’s a physical activity that you like. You can ride the bicycle to work or after work. Find a different way to incorporate physical activity into your routine. Choose to take the stairs as opposed to the elevator. These small changes can result in a healthier lifestyle and is a much more attainable goal than a gym subscription.
Sit Less
Depending on the type of job you have, you may find yourself sitting for a better part of the day. This can have negative side effects on your body posture and overall health. Make a point of standing up as you work, walking for a couple of minutes every hour. This is a healthy new year’s resolution you can easily tick off your list.
Redefine Healthy
Being healthy does not only mean physical health but emotional and mental health as well. Most people overlook their mental health as well however, this is equally as important as your physical health. Being healthy also doesn’t mean exercising on the regular and eating veggies only, it’s a lot of small things that add up. Doing a lot of small healthy things and adopting these habits will have you living a healthy lifestyle in no time.