Have you thought about a Plan B or a reset when it comes to resolutions? When we make or set our New Year’s resolutions, our intentions, actions, and decisions are all meant well, but is the decision of an “all or not” one setting us up for failure.
What happens when three weeks roll around and the steam of your work-out plan is interrupted by a home- or work-related situation for a couple of weeks or your promise to avoid carbs is broken when you meet the love of your life and he takes you to an Italian restaurant for your first date because he loves pasta – failure sets in and the New Year’s resolution is set aside.
According to Dr. Roberta Anding, a registered dietician and nutrition professor at Baylor College of Medicine, moderating your resolutions could be the difference between giving up in February and creating a lasting lifestyle change. Anding suggested to the Huffington Post that a better approach is to view the New Year as the chance for a “reset.” Instead of drastic life changes that resolutions require, resets provide an opportunity to start over, and set one’s habits differently. And with resets, you commit to moderate, realistic goals and making small changes every day, not just the first day of the year.
It is the same as looking at each waking day as a new day, a new beginning… and if you did make a resolution and three weeks later you broke it – give yourself a reset.
The top ten resolutions suggested for a healthy lifestyle are:
1. Sleep more. Commit to those eight hours. Proper shuteye is linked to better mental health and a lower risk for physical health conditions.
2. Cut back on sugar. It’s difficult but it can be life changing if you pull it off.
3. Limit sodium intake. Dietary guidelines recommend consuming no more than 2,300 milligrams per day (but the average American may consume more than 3,400 milligrams in a day ― yikes!). Too much sodium is linked to heart disease, high blood pressure and more.
4. Start meditating. The benefits of a meditation practice are boundless, from improved mental health to better concentration to a lower risk for disease.
5. Pick up crafting. Experts say activities like knitting can ease anxiety and put you in a meditative state. And you get a scarf in the process.
6. Spend time alone. Introverts are onto something. There’s power in a little “me time.”
7. Plan a trip. You’ll boost your mood instantly. Research suggests planning a vacation can increase happiness ― and just think, you’ll have an adventurous city or a white sand beach to look forward to after you book it.
8. Keep a journal. This could be a book that gives you prompts or just an empty place to scribble out your frustrations. Studies show journaling can be cathartic for your mental health.
9. Go for strolls more often. It’s actually a really healthy exercise, according to science. Hit the pavement.
10. Cut back on complaining. Negative thought patterns can increase stress levels. Try a mindful experiment where when you catch yourself complaining ― or thinking negatively ― you counteract it with something positive.
