The New Year is coming up, which means that you’re going to be brainstorming resolutions that you want to take on for a happier, healthier you. The only problem is that you’ve tried to come up with healthy resolutions in the past, and they haven’t lasted longer than a few weeks.
You’re not alone in this. Lots of people get excited to turn their lives around in the New Year. They jump into the new healthy habit during the first few weeks of January, and then they slow down and eventually stop following it altogether.
Why is that? There are two common reasons for this: the Healthy Resolutions was too hard to follow or too expensive to keep up with. It was unsustainable from the very beginning.
Finding the Right Healthy Resolutions
This doesn’t mean that you should never make a healthy resolutions again. It just means that you should focus on making resolutions about lifestyle changes that are easier to maintain and afford. If you’re not sure what those healthy resolutions could be, here are six ideas that you could try:
1. Take Care of Your Teeth
Your dental health is closely connected to your overall health. Poor dental hygiene has been connected to higher risks of heart disease, dementia, respiratory infection and rheumatoid arthritis. So, taking good care of your teeth can save you from some serious medical issues down the line.
What does it mean to take good care of your teeth?
- Brush your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste.
- Floss your teeth daily.
- Rinse your mouth with antibacterial mouth rinse daily.
- Wear protective mouthguards when playing sports.
- Wear protective nightguards if you grind your teeth.
- Go to your dentist for annual cleanings, scheduled treatments and emergencies.
Don’t skip your dentist appointments to save yourself money. This is only a temporary solution that will cost you more in the long-run — your tooth problems are likely to get worse and require more expensive treatments. Instead, you should look into dental discount plans to reduce the costs of regular treatments.
What about emergencies? If you don’t have the funds to pay for emergency dental treatment, you should still go. You can put the charge on your credit card, or you can apply for an online loan to help you deal with this urgent expense.
When you’re searching for online loans, look for options that are specifically available to your state. So, if you live in St. Louis, an online loan in Missouri may be able to assist you with your dental emergency. It’s a simple step that will make your application much easier.
2. Sleep More
Are you getting your essential 7 to 9 hours every single night? If not, you should think about making “sleeping more” your resolution. The right amount of sleep can come with plenty of health benefits, including clearer skin, lower stress levels and a stronger immune system. Regular sleep deprivation, on the other hand, will have the opposite effect.
This resolution is easy and free! All you have to do is stop burning the midnight oil and go to bed a little earlier. If you’re having trouble dozing off, here are some things that can help you:
- Set up a relaxing nighttime routine where you unwind and prepare for bed. It’s not easy to get to sleep when you jump straight into bed right after working or exercising. A routine will help you transition from a highly active mode into a restful one.
- Make the bedroom dark, cool and quiet. Get earplugs and an eye mask if you have trouble blocking out sounds and light.
- Stop drinking caffeine too close to your bedtime.
- Stop drinking alcohol too close to your bedtime.
3. Reduce Stress
Stress doesn’t just affect your emotional state. It can affect your physical state, too. It can cause headaches, indigestion, insomnia, high blood pressure and more. If you want to feel happier and healthier this year, you should try your best to de-stress on a regular basis.
But how? One way to reduce your stress is to reduce or flat-out remove factors that are causing you stress in the first place. Do you have too many responsibilities weighing you down? Ask someone for a helping hand to share the burden. Is your schedule jam-packed? Whittle down some of your plans so that you don’t feel so overwhelmed. Is someone getting on your nerves? See whether you can set a healthy boundary between them so that they don’t put you on edge.
You can also include stress-relief activities into your daily routine. Do them right after you clock out from work to unwind or do them right before you slip into bed to empty your mind of anxious thoughts. Here are some activities that you can try:
- Meditation
- Body scans
- Breathing exercises
- Restorative yoga
- Listening to soothing music
- Journaling
4. Stretching
Do your knees creak when you squat? Does your neck feel stiff when you wake up in the morning? Are you dealing with aches and pains all day long? Then, this is a sign that you should do more stretching.
Stretching is a simple lifestyle change that can make a big difference with your health. It can help ease those aches and pains, increase your flexibility and improve your overall mobility. After making a habit of stretching, you’ll find that activities you strained to complete are easy!
You don’t need a gym membership or personal trainer to do more stretching. You can do it for free, whenever and wherever you’d like. You can do it in your bedroom when you first wake up to get your blood flowing. You can do back twists in your office chair so that you can stay comfortable throughout your workday. There are plenty of ways to integrate stretching into your daily life.
5. Walking
Instead of hiring a personal trainer or doing cross-fit four times a week, stick to a smaller, more affordable resolution like going out for a walk every day. Walking is a simple, budget-friendly exercise that you can easily squeeze into your schedule.
Walking has lots of health benefits. It’s low-impact and good for your joints. It increases your cardiovascular health and reduces your risk of heart disease. It lowers your stress levels and improves your mood. And it gives you an opportunity to get some fresh air and your daily dose of vitamin D from the sunshine!
Stop giving yourself resolutions that you know that you can’t stick to. Pick resolutions that are easy to follow and easy to do. That way, you’ll follow these healthy habits long after January.
