New Year’s Resolutions are something I find stressful. This isn’t true for everyone–some people really excel at setting goals for themselves and meeting those goals. I struggle with achieving really ambitious changes, so New Year’s Resolution season adds a significant amount of pressure to my life. So this year, I decided to start small and set goals I know I can attain, and work towards a healthier lifestyle a little bit at a time. Hopefully those of you who also feel Resolution Panic will find some goals you can identify with and achieve.
- Get Active
While I’m no couch potato, there will be weeks where Friday comes and I realize I’ve forgotten to get up or out. There’s definitely an attitude of ‘more is more’ when it comes to fitness these days, and many of us feel pressured to dive in headfirst. But you don’t have to rush to get a gym membership or join crossfit in order to improve your activity levels. Consistency is the most important element of a good fitness routine. Whether you’ve got an intense workout regimen or just head out to walk the dog, doing it as consistently as possible is crucial. Physical fitness is one of the single most influential factors of overall health that we can control, so don’t wait until next year to make it a point to get moving! - Better Breakfast
When people say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, they’re not entirely wrong. Getting yourself started with a healthy, protein-rich breakfast is important to wake up your metabolism and give your body energy for the coming day. Try to stay away from sweet pastries, sugary cereals, and other carb-heavy meals. Baked eggs, turkey bacon, avocado toast, overnight oats–there are dozens of healthy, filling, delicious recipes out there to get your morning started right. - Better Sleep
Sleep is so important to the daily functioning of our brains and bodies. There’s nothing worse than staying up later than I should and feeling groggy and listless all day afterwards. Our bodies need between 7-9 hours as adults, and if you often find yourself sleeping much more or much less than that recommended range, you should consider changing your sleep habits. Getting to bed early and getting out of bed early is one of the best habits you can form. You’ll have more energy, get more done, and feel better overall, especially if you had a solid 8 hours beforehand. If you think you have an unhealthy sleep schedule, start moving your bedtime and rising time earlier in small increments, ten or fifteen minutes or so, until you find something that works for you and your daily schedule. - Less Sugar
Sugar isn’t inherently evil. That being said, Americans eat almost 3 times the recommended amount of daily added sugar, and that is a serious problem. One way to get control of your sugar consumption is to decrease added sugar in your diet. It’s a very hard thing to do at first, but luckily there are small, easy steps to start making a change. Read nutritional labels on things like pasta sauce, salad dressing, ketchup, fruit juice, and other packaged foods. If possible, try to opt for a homemade version or choose one with less sugar. This is a small but easy way to start eradicating hidden sugar from your diet, and if you notice a change in how you feel and how good things can taste without that added sugar, you’ll be even more motivated to keep going! - Prep Ahead
Eating healthy can be hard when you’re a busy person. It’s so much easier to order pizza or grab fast food when you’ve got a million things to do and don’t want to spend the time and energy cooking a real meal. I’m here to tell you a great solution to that problem. Meal prepping is one of my favorite discoveries. If you have one or two days a week where you have a few hours open, you can prepare your meals for the entire coming week if you want, or for just the busy days ahead. The internet is overflowing with meal prep recipes and ideas for every diet you can imagine, and it really gets me in the resolution spirit. Meal prepping will help you stick to healthy choices, and make you feel like a Pinterest Princess.
Happy New Year, and happy resolution keeping! You can do it, and you don’t have to do it all at once.
