The beginning of the new year is the perfect time to reflect on your life and make goals for the next twelve months. This year, I challenge you to make goals that will help you improve your health – both mentally and physically. Popular New Year’s resolutions include improving diets, working out more, and saving more money.
One particular resolution you should have for the new year is to practice self-care. There are plenty of ways to take care of your mind and body, so here are a few examples of objectives to keep in mind for the New Year.
1. Drink more water
There are so many reasons why everyone needs to drink enough water each day. Your body is constantly losing water, so it’s necessary to replenish what you lose. The recommended amount of water to drink daily is eight 8-ounces of water. An easy way to keep track of how much water you’re drinking is to mark it on a water bottle or use an app that tracks it for you.
2. Focus on your mental health
Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. In 2018, set aside time each day to do an activity that will relax you and/or make you happy, such as yoga or meditation. If you’re feeling at your best mentally, your well-being will greatly improve.
3. Get the correct amount of sleep
Sleeping too much or too little are both unhealthy behaviors and you will not function as well if you are in the habit of either. It is recommended that adults sleep between 7-9 hours each night. If you typically find it difficult to sleep this amount of time, try setting a time for you to go to sleep each night and a time to wake up each morning. If you set a goal, it will make it easier to stick to it and get the correct amount of sleep.
4. Invest in your health
There are plenty of new devices available to help you track and maintain healthy behaviors, such as a Fitbit or a Spring water bottle. If you’ve had your eye on a device such as these that would help you improve your health, consider buying one that would help you with your goals. Perhaps you could skip eating fast food for a month, and put the money you would have used for those meals on a health-tracking device.
5. Cut down on bad habits
If there are unhealthy habits that you find yourself practicing, try to find a way to avoid doing so this year. Whether the habit is smoking, alcohol use, or even biting your nails, there are plenty of resources for you to take advantage of to cut out the bad habits. Chances are, there are websites, products, and support groups that can help you end your unhealthy habit.
6. Find balance in your life
One important way to care for your well-being is to keep to a balanced lifestyle. Try to make decisions that best fit with your lifestyle and schedule. For example, it helps to schedule the time to work on each goal you create for yourself so you have time to better yourself in a variety of ways.
7. Visit the doctor
Did you go to all of your annually suggested health appointments last year? Many people do not visit the doctor or get the correct health examinations each year.
Below is a handy graphic from hims with screenings and immunizations everyone should have and in which years they should be done. This year, make an effort to complete each of these tasks and to see other health professionals, such as the dentist and optometrist.
I wish you a wonderfully healthy year ahead!
2 comments
Health should be made a priority and drinking water, meditating for good health or yoga are must in today’s times. You’ve put it so well, Vidya.
[…] in everyday terminology, what it is, how it works, what its price ranges are, where you can buy it, the health benefits, and whether it is legal in your jurisdiction and […]