Summary: It’s not too late to come up with a New Year’s resolution for yourself. Make sure you choose a realistic resolution that you will be more likely to keep.
Let’s get real: most of us make New Year’s resolutions and drop them after a month or two.
We all have the best intentions, but life gets in the way, we have a hard time making it a habit, or we forget why we started the resolution in the first place. Do you know the biggest reason people quit a resolution? They get overwhelmed. Yep, going in too big or trying to change too many things at once can cause us to feel overwhelmed, deprived, and ready to quit and go back to what’s easier. Try picking a few (or one!) of these healthy resolution options to kick off this year and add in one more at a time. Before you know it, you’ll be living a healthier lifestyle and feeling really accomplished about what you made happen in 2017.
- Bring your lunch to work. Bringing a healthy lunch from home will save you both calories and money – all it takes is a trip to the grocery store and a little prep on the weekend.
- Drink X oz of water. Pick a number and stick to it. You know drinking water is good for you, and it’s the simplest way to improve your health and feel more energized.
- Eat X servings of veggies a day. Again, choose a number that is a stretch for you, but achievable. Maybe you eat zero now, so saying 6 would be extreme. Work your way up each week or month.
- Add a few minutes of exercise. If you’re starting at zero, get in 10 minutes of exercise per day, then slowly add in a few minutes as time goes on. Before you know it, you’ll be hooked on endorphins and feeling amazing.
- Get 7-8 hours of sleep. Night owl? It might take a few days to get used to going to bed earlier, but set a wake up alarm and a bedtime alarm and make sleep a priority and you will be much healthier.
- Eat a salad once a day. Google some recipes or gather up your favorite toppings, be smart about dressing, and mix things up each week and you’ll be getting in a good portion of your veggies in one meal.
- Create a healthy snack drawer. The office is often filled with sugar-filled treats that leave you with a sugar crash. Keep a drawer full of healthy snacks so you choose those over cookies and candy.
- Write down or take a photo of everything you eat. Keeping track of what you eat can make you recognize when you’re grazing and eating more than you realized.
- Sit down and enjoy your meals. Skip the TV and take-out containers and actually sit down and enjoy your meal. You’ll find it to be more satisfying and enjoyable. Start with one per day and work your way up.
- Go outside for 10 minutes. Make it a priority to get outside for 10 minutes every single day, even if it’s freezing and snowy out. The sunshine and/or fresh air can significantly improve your mood.
- Meditate every day. Start yourself off easy with 2 minutes of meditation and tack on a minute every week or two. Try a guided meditation program like Headspace if you have a hard time on your own.
- Try a new workout once a week. Mixing things up in your workouts keeps your body guessing. Try something new one day every week and you might find a new type of exercise that you love.