With another New Year upon us, resolutions are the new topic. Many are trying to figure out ways how to improve the new year or make realistic changes. Sure, most people start off with high expectations and goals. But before January is up, most, if not half of the visions and goals for the new year are long gone or forgotten. Even though a lot of the goals we make for the new year are unrealistic, it’s still a good idea to come up with a plan.
A lot can go on throughout a year, so it’s understandable to focus on health, especially since that’s an aspect that often gets ignored. And with busyness, emerging health risks from sedentary behavior can occur. In drawing up your health goals, you might be wondering which achievable goals you should include. Below are a few changes and “resolutions” you might want to consider.
Get Outside
Outdoors and fresh air can positively change someone’s overall wellbeing and mental state. Whether it’s the sunshine, fresh breeze, or the sounds of nature, any one of those things can lift up spirits. Another great idea is to start a flower bed or vegetable garden. Not only will you see the benefit from the growth, but you will also reap benefit of fresh produce and the daily maintenance is great for your health.
Seek Your Friends
Even though it’s good to have some quiet time alone, people were also created for each other. It is important to spend time with your loved ones as often as possible. You should consider fostering good quality relationships to help improve your mental health. You can arrange for hangout sessions, meetups, or simply drop a text or call.
Also, a new year is a great time to reevaluate friendships that you might have to let go of or invest more time into. Everyone knows that toxic relationships are detrimental for your health. But it’s important to let go for the sake of your emotional and mental wellbeing and invest in friendships/relationships that will bring out your better side.
You can also reach out to your community in several ways, including volunteering, socializing, or being kind to the people around you. You can visit various health and behavioral centers such as Sunshine Behavioral Health (https://www.sunshinebehavioralhealth.com/texas/fort-stockton/) to reach out, encourage, and learn from patients.
Get Up!
Your body isn’t designed to sit for hours behind your desk or TV. Sitting all day long can lead to long term health effects. It’s beneficial to walk around or exercise daily. Of course if you have a job that requires you to sit for hours at a time, try to incorporate five minute breaks every half hour or so. It can be beneficial for your health to take a break from your desk.
Get Rest
Nothing affects your mental and physical health faster than sleep deprivation. I am a mom to four little children. If anyone understands sleep deprivation, I do. I go many days in a row with little sleep. Many mornings I wake up and feel overwhelmed or irritated and I know that’s from lack of sleep. Not getting enough sleep can leave you vulnerable to major health concerns from depression to obesity and much more. You can improve your sleep by setting the same bedtime every evening, sleeping in a cool room, and reducing your screen time before bedtime. A good night’s sleep is good for recharging your batteries for the next day’s activities. There are a few apps to help you improve your sleep and get sufficient rest for maintaining maximum health.
It may seem like a lot of changes to make in one day. But the good news is that you don’t have to make every single change right away. You have a whole year to implement changes and tackle new resolutions once a month or once every few months. Resolutions or goals, whatever you may call it, occasional change can be a good thing.
