Ready to get started? Here are a few ideas to get you on the path to a healthier lifestyle:

• Reduce Stress
• Clock in More Sleep
• Eat Home Cooked Meals

Reduce Stress- Ohhh! Stress. It seems to creep up so often. Doesn’t it? Stress can significantly impact your ability to maintain a healthy weight and your exercise routine. Stress produces the hormone cortisol. Research shows that cortisol triggers food cravings and increases insulin levels, which affects the ability to burn off those comfort foods (1). There are many ways to control stress in your life. Some examples are writing one affirmation about yourself every day, starting your day with a five-minute meditation, and writing a journal entry every day.

Clock in Enough Sleep- Most people need between 7 and 9 hours each night. This year putting more sleep on your new year’s resolution list will set you on a healthy path. Sleep deprivation sets up your brain to make not-so-smart decisions. Research shows lack of sleep slows activity in the brain’s frontal lobe, the decision-making hub. Plus, your brain’s reward centers rev up when you are tired and sleep-deprived. So, you reach for those late-night treats. This year take easy steps to improve your sleep hygiene, and you will be on your way to a healthier you. Some of the easy ways to clock more sleep are; setting a reminder to go to bed early, stopping electronic usage thirty minutes before bed, and stopping caffeine consumption after 4 p.m.

Cooking at Home- Put some cooking classes and meal planning on your new year’s resolutions list. You can learn to shop for and prepare healthy meals. Cooking at home will save you time, money, and all those extra calories. When you cook at home, you know exactly how much salt, fat, or sugar is going into your dish, and you can replace the ingredients to cater to your nutrition needs. Some of the easy steps to start cooking at home are planning dinners for the week, making a list of the ingredients, and buying your groceries on Friday. 

You can choose these resolutions that focus on improving your health. At the end of the following year, you might be surprised at how much weight you lost without putting weight loss on your resolutions list.

References:

1-DOI: 10.1146/annurev-psych-010418-102936

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In my experience, New Years’ goal setting isn’t for a complete 360 on your life. It is an opportunity to reflect on the past year’s behavior and make positive behavior changes in the coming year. This year, I am focusing on making small behavior changes towards a big goal in a particular area of my life. According to Psychology Today, this approach will make the resolutions more realistic and easier to sprinkle throughout the year. Here are a few tips to keep your new year’s resolutions.

Dream Big- Big audacious goals are motivating. Don’t shy away from big goals. The key is to focus on one or two big goals in a year and particular areas of your life. For example, set a big goal for your health like training for a marathon or triathlon and a big goal for your financial future to have a certain amount of savings by year-end. Both these goals are specific and aim at two significant areas in your life. Ambitious goals are not only good for you, but they will inspire others around you. You might end up building a big support group of people who want to see you win.

Think Small- Now think small. The big dream will have to be broken down into small steps. Small steps will keep the big dream manageable without overwhelming you. Start with foolproof measures like for marathon running it could be just walking 10 minutes every day, buying a pair of running shoes, and creating a playlist for running. I love making lists of steps to do. Lists of steps, starting with the most doable ones, will give you the confidence to continue. 

Commit Yourself – Accountability is the single most crucial incentive for action. I like to keep myself accountable by entering a contract with myself and sticking the signed contract on my vanity’s mirror. You can get a family member involved to hold you responsible for your goal. There are many ways to create a commitment device. Stickk is one such platform. You can create your goal, assign it a timeline and a penalty. Another way is to pledge your resolution on social media and share your journey throughout the year.

One Step at a Time- Trying to conquer all the steps on your checklist simultaneously is going to be daunting. Soon you will lose motivation and fall back on old habitual patterns. An easy way to get to the big dream is to focus on one small step at a time. A small habit change will lead to a bigger change over time. 

Celebrate Small Wins- Don’t wait to celebrate till you’ve crossed the finish line. Behavior changes are progressive.  Encourage yourself to keep at it by observing a win each time you complete a step. Every small step in this long journey counts. For example, schedule some ME time or get a manicure for logging in 5 miles the first time.

Team Effort Counts- Share your goals with friends and family members. Ask them for support and make them part of your team. Often, we fail because our environment, which our family and friends dictate, isn’t conducive to keeping our resolutions. When you ask your circle of people for help, you make them part of the goal. Tell them precisely what help looks like to achieve your goal. If you can’t get help from your immediate circle, consider seeking professional help. Psychologists understand the connection between the mind and body and can recommend helpful strategies to achieve your goals. 

Offer Thanks- Don’t let perfection be the enemy of good. Any amount of progress is better than none. Sometimes you might even go backward. It’s okay! Please don’t beat yourself up for it. If your goal is a 40-minute workout, but you only squeezed in 10-minutes, be grateful for the 10 minutes. You showed up, and that counts. Practicing gratitude will acknowledge that you are giving it your best. In the long run, that’s what matters.

Dream big, think small, take one step at a time, and practicing gratitude will help you keep your new year’s resolutions way past the first few weeks of January.

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This year, I have decided to focus on three big goals and then divide them into smaller chunks. My big goals are to improve my Marathon race time, scale my business by networking with other wellness professionals, and organize my home. These goals involve many smaller resolutions like better nutrition, meal planning, better sleep, decluttering the home, donating items I don’t use, scheduling time for weekly networking, and growing Tone and Strengthens team of coaches and instructors, to name a few.

You can fill your resolution list with easy, good-for-you goals. Keep them simple and focused on a particular area of your life. These help you destress, organize the crazy in your life, and be more productive at the same time. So, try to put these easy ‘new year new you’ goals on your list this year.

Cook at Home- Cooking at home can even take less time than eating out. There are plenty of quick, simple, and less time-consuming recipes. When you prepare your meals, you have more control over the ingredients. You can ensure that you and your family eat fresh, wholesome meals by cooking for yourself. 

Feed the Bookworm in You- Try to get more reading done this year. Books are knowledge, and who knows where that knowledge will take you. Try Goodreads App to keep track of the books you have read. Don’t discount the audiobooks. I love listening to books while working out. You can get two things done at once, and you’ll look forward to your workouts.

Delegate Chores- Delegate the chores that have been on your to-do list for a while to another person. You can hire someone to do the chores. If money is tight, try exchanging chores for those you enjoy doing with a close friend.

Use Your Lunch Break- You can get a lot done in 60 minutes. Take a lunch break and use it for a hobby or workout. You will return fresh to your desk and be more productive. Need any ideas for things you can do while on lunch? Read Gone for Lunch by Laura Archer.

Write to Yourself- Reflecting on your day and acknowledging emotions is calming. Try being kind to yourself and quiet that inner critic when you write to yourself. When you’re stressed, keeping a journal can help you recognize the cause of stress. Once you know the cause of stress, you create a plan to resolve the problems and reduce your stress. Journaling can improve your mental health.

Create a Power Phrase- Mind is a powerful tool, but we don’t use it to our advantage often. Negative thoughts and self-talk primarily consume us. Create or find positive mantras for yourself and repeat them throughout the day.

Create a Calming Space- Declutter one or two chaotic areas of your home. It’s important to make the space around you as peaceful and calm as possible, even if it’s just your desk or a corner of the room. By consciously making your home decluttered, your daily life will be easier and elicit a sense of calm and relaxation. You won’t have to add non-essentials to your to-do list. A clear and clean space will help you have more clarity in your life and take action towards your goals.

Be Mindful- Pledge to be present by staying in the moment. Do some small exercises to pay attention to your current experiences and accept them without judgment? Practicing mindfulness promotes empathy, love, compassion, and joy. 

Join a Club- Joining a club will help you meet new people who have the same interests as you. Maybe it’s a new hobby you have wanted to take up or a current interest you want to get better at. Clubs help you find new friends and learn something new.

Volunteer- This year, challenge yourself to try something new and practice using your current skills while making a difference by volunteering. Volunteer work may become more valuable than your regular work! You’ll notice a slight shift in yourself as you volunteer. You’ll feel more connected to others and become less absorbed in the everyday stresses of daily life.

These are some ideas for your new year’s goals that come with social, emotional, physical, and professional perks.

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