We’ve all been guilty of saying “new year, new me” and then proceeding to change absolutely nothing about how we live our lives. We may have started strong for the first two months, then became complacent, thus ultimately giving up. But every year brings a new opportunity to start over. Truth be told, there is no rule that states one must begin January 1st. Sure, it’s a simple date for a refresh, but you can begin your journey whenever you choose to. Here are seven habits (that aren’t diets) you can incorporate into your daily life that’ll put you on a path to your best year ever.
Get Moving
There are a plethora of memes poking fun at how packed gyms will be for January as many make getting back in shape one of their top resolutions. We can’t let social media bully us into not going just because it’s so cliché. Who cares? Do what’s best for you. After all, strangers don’t dictate your life. If you can’t fit a gym membership into your budget, look for some low cost weights and equipment to use at home. Walkpads have become quite popular with many people taking on work from homes jobs, thus needing a way to still stay active. Regardless of how you chose to get active, it’s important to just start somewhere, whether it’s walking around the block a few times or doing a HIIT exercise from any of the many fitness apps on your phone.
Take Your Vitamins
As a kid, we were always told to eat our vegetables but didn’t truly understand the benefits. Now as adults, we try our best to eat well because most of us are conscious of how our bodies feel when we stuff them with junk. Part of leading a healthier lifestyle is making sure we are getting our daily dose of vitamins. Many brands offer multivitamins for those who want an all-in-one solution, but many nutritionists would urge you to take individual supplements instead. If you’re looking to jump into feeding your body the good stuff, now is the perfect time as many stores are aware that January brings a fresh start for self care. Sprouts, Target, and Whole Foods are just some that are offering big discounts on vitamins, so get your fix while you can.
Limit Your Social Media Use
This one might be a bit harder because we are glued to our phones for many reasons, whether it’s work emails or checking stocks or a slew of other things. Social media is right there in our face every time we pick up our phones and so hard to ignore when it’s a simple click to see what’s new with friends or the world of entertainment. Try putting your social apps into a folder to make them a little less accessible. When you make mini goals for your amount of daily use, you can slowly wean yourself off of how reliant you may have been to checking them. Eventually, you might even find yourself laughing or embarrassed at how much you didn’t realize you were invested.
Get Your Sleep
Getting enough rest is vital for many reasons, but your mental state is perhaps the most important. If you don’t get enough rest, you may find yourself fatigued, irritable, and super sluggish. Doctors recommend eight hours of sleep a day, but when you’re a parent or someone who works multiple jobs, that might seem comical. Try adjusting your bedtime to going to sleep earlier if you have a hard time staying asleep or if your kids wake you up through the night. Even if the hours aren’t consecutive, the more sleep, the better. If you have trouble falling asleep to begin with, try supplements like melatonin or Unisoms as over-the-counter options at your local drugstores.
Make Time for Friends and Family
Hanging with people you love and care about can be therapeutic in many ways, especially when it brings our laughter and happiness. Between busy schedules, work, and the kiddos, it can often be hard to see some of your favorite people. Don’t let that get in the way and cause distance. Make time in advance by scheduling hang out sessions in advance. A good tool my friends and I use is Google Calendars to look a month or so in advance to see when our schedules align. Sure, setting a date for over a month later may seem far away, but time flies and at least you can rest assured that you have a date on the books to catch up. Are you more of a host type of person? Set up a game or movie night at your place and send out invites in advance so you can see as many faces as you can. You’ll be happy you didn’t let a busy life get in the way of creating memories with the ones you love.
Self Care/Pick Up a Hobby
Whether it’s a massage, facial, or retail therapy, make sure you are investing back into yourself. You work hard and you should be rewarded here and there, especially when you put so much into your family and job or whatever else absorbs your time. Using a journal to write out your plans for the future or even your daily thoughts can be mentally refreshing. Maybe you want to treat yourself to a mani/pedi and a nice meal solo. Go for it! Another great form of self care is picking up a hobby. Find something you love to do and make time for it, whether it’s crochet or painting. Some have even gone on to turn hobbies into side business (and who wouldn’t love to have some extra income in this day and age!). With some many online platforms from TikTok to Pinterest, you can learn something new every day with the amount of people who are willing to help others.