Top Tips To Shift Right Into The New Year, New You Plan

With the New Year upon us, it’s only natural to reflect on our accomplishments, failures, habits and get on with our resolutions. I know I do.

The New year, new you plan is a chance to fully analyze your life and set personal goals for yourself. As someone who relishes in anything involving self-improvement, setting new year’s resolutions is such an exciting time for me! However, I can understand why some of you can feel unmotivated by your failure to achieve last year’s goals. Nobody likes disappointment.

In an effort to adjust my own new year goals to make sure they’re realistic, I decided to share a few ideas with you too. But first things first, I asked myself the following.

Why is it important to have New Year’s resolutions?

• It will help you become who you want to be
• It can provide more stability in your life
• It can help you kick bad habits
• It can help reduce stress
• It can help you sleep better

If these are things you want to accomplish, you’re definitely in the right place. Let’s look at a few ideas to help you set and achieve your new year goals:

Eat healthier & exercise more

For most of us, looking and feeling our very best is top-priority. But it isn’t that easy when you have fallen behind, is it? I know how challenging it can be to maintain a healthy diet and exercise routine. Here are a few tips to make it feel less daunting:

Keep a close eye on your diet

Practice self-control where you can but be easy on yourself. Here are a few easy habits you can start with:

• Drink lots of water,
• Stock up on balsamic vinegar, shell nuts, and fat-free plain yogurt,
• Resist chocolates and opt for fresh fruit to curb your sweet tooth,
• Watch your portions,
• Starvation is not the healthy answer,
• Slim up your snack time with a granola bar or veggies dipped in hummus,
• Find healthy fast food,
• Up your fiber intake,
• Have a hearty breakfast.

Remember: Don’t give up on your goal when you slip up every now and then. Inconsistency is a normal part of being human. Don’t beat yourself up over it, move on and get back to your diet!

Become more active

Identify an activity that’ll get your blood pumping, you don’t have to go to the gym to become an active and healthy person. Discover your activity and try these tips to keep you motivated:

• Find a reliable and good active friend for extra motivation points.
• Submerge your lower body in cold water for 10-15 minutes to relieve sore muscles (whenever the case).
• Work out in the morning to get your metabolism pumped up!

Remember: Opt for water-resistant sunscreen of at least SPF 30 or higher when you go outside. You don’t want to replace a good habit with a life-threatening illness, do you?

You might also be interested in: Did You Know Sleep Helps Your Muscles Recover and Grow?

Practice self-care

There are tons of things you can do to take care of yourself, but it’s important to find what resonates best with you. Make it a priority to set aside time for yourself. Now’s the time to step into the new year, new you goal!

Here’s a list of self-care new year’s resolutions to get you started:

• Do something new.
• Go for a walk on a scenic trail.
• Pump up the music and dance to your heart's content.
• Replace a bad habit with a good one.
• Declutter your personal space.
• Donate unnecessary things.
• Pray or meditate every day.
• Make a gratitude list.
• Distance yourself from negativity.
• Spend some time alone every day.
• Walk in the rain every once in a while.
• Watch the sunrise or sunset.
• Read more books.

Spend less, save more

Do you want to become financially independent or get out of debt? Perhaps you want to prepare for unforeseen expenses or emergencies? Whatever your financial burden is, spending less and saving more can help you live a stress-free life.

How can you spend less than what you earn?

• Analyze your financial habits
• Create a budget
• Cut back on expenses
• Look for bargains
• Build an emergency fund
• Pay down debt

Remember: Spending less is more than just cutting costs, it’s having peace of mind. Don’t forget to reward yourself every now and then to keep your motivation going.

Develop healthy sleep habits

A good night’s rest is crucial for a healthy lifestyle. It involves a bedtime routine with healthy sleep habits that promote quality sleep. However, it can be quite a challenge for some. Here are a few tips you can try to make sure this year you’ll get the best sleep of your life:

• Cool down your bedroom

According to the National Sleep Foundation, if you turn the temperature down your bedroom will become the perfect space to fall asleep. Why? The cooler your body is, the sleepier you will feel. Try the Chilipad Cube mattress to ensure an ideal environment for you to fall asleep.

• Limit blue light exposure

Excessive blue light exposure blocks your body’s production of melatonin, the sleep-essential hormone for better sleep. Get a pair of Swannies Blue Light Blocking Glasses to ease your body into a healthy deep sleep.

Doc Parsley’s Sleep Remedy in combination with your Swannies can be the perfect solution to your sleep interruptions. Give it a try!

• Calm your mind and your body

Get into a habit of doing yoga, reading or meditating to help your mind and body unwind. You need a clear mind and relaxed body to help your body fall asleep easier.

Remember: If you use your bed for sleep only, you will condition your brain to fall asleep a lot faster. Yep, the brain is that clever!

You might also be interested in: 10 Tips to Improve Your Sleep Hygiene

These are all great tips to easily manage your stress load, sleep better and ultimately lead a healthy lifestyle. You can be on your way to a new year new you in no time!