Why wait until New Year’s Day to make adjustments that will support a healthy lifestyle? If there are things you want to stop or start doing, you can begin today. Even with only a few weeks left, small changes can have a positive impact on your life and give you a lift as you welcome the New Year. I’ll share five tips to end your year healthy.
1. Set Aside Alone Time
In our hyper-connected world, you may need to consciously set aside time for yourself. 
Taking time for yourself is actually good for your overall health. According to an article by Forbes, time spent by yourself can help you do everything from planning your life to improving your mental health.
We experience a lot on a daily basis and not all of it is positive. For this reason, occasional solitude is extremely important, as it helps you process everything occurring in your life at the moment. If you are feeling overwhelmed or stressed out, some time to yourself can help you mentally recharge.
2. Get Adequate Sleep
Everyone understands that sleep is essential for your body to properly function, but you may not realize how significant it is to your mental well-being. Too little sleep can lead to moodiness, anxiety, depression, weight gain, and more. When you don’t get adequate sleep, you may find it harder to keep a positive attitude and enjoy the day ahead. That’s why it’s important to make sure you’re getting the recommended amount of sleep – seven to nine hours for most adults. Your needs may vary based on age and other circumstances.
If you have trouble sleeping, it’s helpful to identify the root of the problem. Analyzing your sleep patterns and habits is one of the easiest ways to do this. Do your best to identify what causes you to wake up and how many times during the night you awaken. A sleep app can assist you with this. If you’re having trouble falling asleep, examine what you’re doing before bed that may prevent your mind from shutting down. After your assessment, you may find that fixing your sleep issues can be as simple as buying a new mattress or changing the temperature in your bedroom.
3. Eat Healthy
A healthy diet has many benefits, like reduced risk for disease, improved mood, increased energy, and weight regulation. If you don’t know how to begin your healthy eating journey, look online for some recipes or guides. Many of them will help you learn what vegetables or fruits you need to add
to your diet and how to turn them into a delicious meal.
As with most big changes, start small. Incorporate fruits and veggies into your meals. Make changes in moderation because if you overwhelm yourself with healthy foods too fast it may discourage you from continuing. You may enjoy greater long-term success if you gradually phase out unhealthy food options while adding healthy alternatives to your diet.
4. Get Physical
Most people know that exercising can help them lose weight, relieve stress, and improve overall health. Despite knowing the benefits, they still don’t do it. Why? Some get discouraged by the idea that they have to work out at a gym for an hour or longer. Not all exercise routines have to be strenuous for you to see results, and there are many things you can do without going to a gym.
How, when, and where you work out depends on your level of comfort. Incorporating any type of physical activity is better than none at all. Just 15 minutes of exercise can change your life. Doing an activity as simple as walking up and down stairs can qualify as exercise.
For more assistance with optimizing your health, check out my guide, 12 Daily Habits to Improve Your Health & Well-being. I’ve also written a blog containing 9 Tips to Get Healthy While Saving on Fun & Fitness.
5. Remember Your Blessings
It’s easy to get consumed by negativity when things aren’t going right in your life. While you can’t stop negative things from happening to you, you can control how you deal with them.
One of the best ways to keep a positive mindset is by remembering all of the good in your life. Write down everything that you’re grateful for and place it somewhere that you can see every day. 
When you find yourself shifting to a negative mindset, remember the many things you are grateful for. Remember that whatever you focus on, you get more of.
If you need help with this, check out My Gratitude Journal.
If you want to take it one step further, express your gratitude to others. There are many benefits to doing so, which I’ve written about in previous blogs: The Power of Expressing Gratitude and Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life!
If you’d like a fresh perspective – someone to help you design a healthy life plan — let’s schedule a no-cost, no-pressure Discovery Call today.
Additional Resources
- Managing Holiday Stress
- Four Essential Building Blocks for Practicing Self-Care
- Five Things to Know About Stress
- The Power of Expressing Gratitude
- Your Thoughts, Change Your Life!
- My Gratitude Journal
