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Top 5 New Year's Health Resolutions

New Year’s Eve stands as a deadline for change and new possibilities. Many people plan out their next 12 months, sometimes with realistic resolutions and at other times with improbable resolutions. In any case, at least these people are trying to make a change for the better, especially for their health. So, here are the top 5 New Year’s health resolutions you can make:

1. Weight Loss

Probably the most common of all New Year’s health resolutions is weight loss. In fact, most people will indulge in holiday feasts because they decide that as soon as the ball drops, they will make a drastic lifestyle change. This resolution also has a high failure rate because people expect weight loss results overnight. To successfully stay true to your weight loss resolution, don’t have high expectations and prepare yourself for obstacles. Keeping a food journal and recording your goals and achievements will make your resolution realistic.

2. Get Social

Being socially active is not considered “healthy” but it actually is and most people resolve to stay in touch with their friends and family they met over the holidays. When you surround yourself with your loved ones, you feel a sense of support. In times of misery, the people you are close to will help you get back on your feet and you won’t keep spiraling down into depression. Thanks to technology, staying socially active is easier than ever.

3. Quit Smoking and Cut Back On Alcohol

Another of the common New Year’s health resolutions is giving up smoking and/or drinking. Quitting smoking is especially difficult because it’s easy to relapse. To stay true to your resolution, make a pros and cons list for smoking. Also, get a support group, such as your spouse or a friend, to keep you from smoking.

While it’s impossible to completely abstain from alcohol, it’s important to only consume it occasionally. However, more people are binge drinking without realizing its effect on their health. Drinking too much alcohol disturbs your brain’s neurotransmitters and causes depression, memory loss and, in worst cases, seizures. It also increases the risk of liver and heart disease, stroke, mental deterioration, hypertension and some types of cancers.

4. Work-Life Balance

This is one of the New Year’s health resolutions for people who are either workaholics or couch potatoes. Being a workaholic means for the most part you are under a lot of stress. Chronic stress can increase your risk of, or worsen, insomnia, heart disease and obesity. Sleep deprivation, long working hours and poor diet can negatively affect your mental health as well. So, take breaks and don’t overwork yourself. Couch potatoes need to stop procrastinating and it’s time they start taking control of their life by being more active and proactive. Write down your goals and then make a plan to achieve them.

5. Get More Shut-Eye Time

Finally, one of the top New Year’s health resolutions is to get more sleep. Our sedentary lifestyle keeps our mind busy but with zero physical activity. At night, our body isn’t tired and our mind doesn’t want to shut down. Sleep deprivation and insomnia are increasingly becoming common. To combat it, put away all electronics before going to bed and maintain a proper sleep schedule.

Other Popular New Year’s Health Resolutions 

In addition to the five New Year’s health resolutions discussed above, there are a lot of other ways that you can resolve to be happier and healthier in the coming year, according to Forbes. What are some other popular New Year’s health resolutions that are worth considering and pursuing? They include:

• Take up meditation – Many people who give meditation a try find that it is a great addition to their lifestyle, so this is one of the best New Year’s health resolutions to consider.

This might be as simple as doing a deep breathing exercise for a few minutes, during which you breathe in for the count of four and breathe out for the count of four. Or, you might just sit comfortably and quietly so that you can observe the rising and falling of your belly as you breathe in and out gently and without effort. This can be a good way to center yourself when you are feeling stressed, or when you simply want to take a few minutes for yourself during an otherwise busy day. 

In addition to breathing exercises, you can also consider meditations that use a mantra to help focus your mind on a single thought. This might help you if you tend to have a mind that goes out of control with a lot of different thoughts when you attempt to sit down to meditate.

Just bear in mind that, regardless of the meditation that you choose to do, it is not at all about stopping your thoughts. In fact, it is pretty much impossible to stop all of your thoughts. Instead, the aim should be to, at best, create a little more space between your thoughts, and to not judge any thoughts that arise. Rather, just let your thoughts come up, don’t judge them or hold onto them, and just let them fade away. Come back to your breath or to your mantra, and keep going.

• Reduce the amount of screen time you get – Sure, a lot of your life is online. You need to check your email for work, your text messages from friends, and you need to do some shopping online, while also keeping up with family on social media. And, of course, you also entertain yourself online, too, right? But, all of that screen time might be taking its toll on your health. The blue light might be damaging to your eyes, and it may interfere with your ability to get a good night’s sleep. Plus, being on your smartphone or on your computer all the time disconnects you from other aspects of your life, including your family and friends. Being social online is simply not the same as being social in real life! 

So, make some time to be with the people you care about, and put the phone down when you’re with them. Limit the number of hours that you spend online every day. Maybe even take a break from social media once a month for a week at a time. Whatever strategy you think would work best for you and your lifestyle, go for it. The goal here is to just reduce your screen time; it doesn’t really matter how you get it done. After all, everyone is different.

Then, take the extra time you’ve gained to do other things you enjoy, whether that’s reading books, going shopping at the mall, going for a hike, or getting in a workout. Your mind, your body, and your social life will thank you. If this becomes one of your New Year’s health resolutions, you likely won’t regret it at all.

• Make more time for yourself – Another one of the most popular New Year’s health resolutions is to make more time for yourself. This is especially important for anyone who spreads themselves too thin too often.

Do you find yourself feeling deprived of energy and vitality? Are you always stressed, frazzled, and fatigued? Then it is time to find balance in your life again. Even if it is just 15 minutes every day, set aside some time that is dedicated completely to doing something that you enjoy or helps you unwind. Take a relaxing bath at the end of your evening, do a meditation (as discussed above), grab a coloring book and revisit your childhood hobby (it’s surprisingly relaxing!), write in your journal, do some restorative yoga, or anything in between.

This goes along well with the work-life balance resolution we discussed above as well. However, it goes a step further to give yourself some much-needed “you” time, when you won’t be disturbed, and when you can take care of your mind and body in any way you need to. It’s about more than just figuring out how to balance your home life with your work life; this is about making sure you are taking proper care of yourself so you can then take care of others without burning yourself out. Now that’s one of the New Year’s health resolutions we should all get behind!

Which New Year’s Health Resolutions Will You Pursue? 

As you can see, there are a lot of New Year’s health resolutions that are worth considering when you want to take steps towards becoming an even better person this year. Which one will you try?

No matter what, don’t get discouraged if you falter. Just get back on track and keep going. There’s no need to give up on your resolution just because you missed a day, a week, or even a month. Remember, it is about mind and body wellness, so it’s worth your time and effort. Good luck!