Wellness Resolutions to Make the New Year Happy and Healthy

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The new year is quickly approaching, meaning it’s time to reflect on what you have accomplished this year, and what still needs work. What will you do to improve yourself in the coming year?

Why not adopt a resolution that rewards instead of punishes you? After all, you don’t have to train for a triathlon to get in better shape or adhere to a strict paleo-vegan diet to make strides. Small, manageable daily and weekly changes have more impact than major life changes.

What should you add to your to-do list for the coming 12 months?

Here are eight wellness resolutions to make the new year happy and healthy.

Wellness Resolutions for the New Year

1. Adopt a Skin Care Routine

If you wait until your skin shows visible aging signs, it could be too late to reverse much of the damage time can do without resorting to painful (and expensive) surgery. Unfortunately, people who avoided acne’s ravages during their teen years are most at risk, as they may not have established much of a skincare routine.

Your best bet at any age is to start wearing sunscreen daily even if you don’t typically burn. Products with SPF protect your skin from new damage and they give existing cells time to heal, free from bombardment from additional UV rays. Select one with an SPF of 30 or higher.

2. Prep Meals Three Days a Week

Radically restricting your diet usually only works for a few weeks. Human beings evolved to crave various foods for a good reason – you need a wide array of nutrients to keep everything running smoothly.

Instead of resigning yourself to a diet of wheatgrass and kale, improve your eating by prepping your meals three days a week. When you do, pay attention to healthy, grab-and-go favorites you can pop in the slow cooker before work and have dinner awaiting your arrival. Knowing you have a hot, nourishing meal at home helps you skip the fast-food drive-thru.

3. Try One New Workout Each Month

Let’s face it – riding the elliptical gets boring after a while. Work more muscles and regain your zest for exercise by trying one new workout each month. You don’t even have to join a gym in many cases. YouTube is a glorious resource for all things fitness, and it’s free.

What should you tackle? Why not try one of these exciting workouts in the new year:

Tabata: This style of HIIT class features 20 seconds of hard work followed by 10 seconds of rest. It’s the ultimate way to train your heart.
Mini workouts: Only the fortunate few have a full hour to devote to the gym each day. Fortunately, several shorter workouts provide the same benefits.
Outdoor exercise: The COVID-19 pandemic illustrated the dangers of breathing heavily with others indoors. Outdoor workouts swept the scene, and insiders expect the trend to continue.

4. Add a Touch of Turmeric and Ginger to Your Morning Cuppa

Both coffee and tea have demonstrative health benefits. However, you can increase them even more and add flavor with herbs.

Turmeric and ginger are two root herbs with impressive anti-inflammatory properties. Ginger is perhaps best known for helping tame tummy trouble, while turmeric is glorious for body aches. Add a touch of black pepper to amplify the effects. Both will give your brew a lovely chai flavor.

5. Start a “Friends Night Out”

How’s your social health? Humans are inherently communal, and denying our nature to pursue money and career can lead to negative health outcomes.

Instead, why not start a friends’ night out among your social circle? Set a date, like the last Friday of every month. Send out mass invitations. You might get different folks attending every time, but it’s a fun way to reconnect with your tribe and remind the folks in it how important they are in your life.

6. Volunteer in Your Community

Volunteering helps you as much as those you assist. It bathes your brain in positive neurotransmitters like oxytocin and serotonin, providing mental health perks that last the rest of the day.

You don’t even have to help your fellow humans. Scores of pet shelters need dog walkers and kitty socializers – if you can resist adopting them all!

7. Begin a Five-Minute Meditation Practice

Meditation is a powerful healing practice. Studies show it can reverse some of the damage the brain endures through trauma or regular aging. For example, people with PTSD and a high dementia risk often have a smaller hippocampus. That’s the part of your brain involved in learning and memory. Studies show that meditation increases hippocampus volume, helping improve cognition.

You don’t have to spend hours sitting on a yoga mat in a lotus pose. A few minutes a day is enough to reap the benefits. Why not begin your day with a short guided meditation or reciting affirmations and spend five minutes each evening reflecting on your day? You can use tools like a candle or crystals to help you focus your attention if your mind tends to wander.

8. Outfit Your Bedroom for Slumber

Getting sufficient sleep matters. Insomnia can lead to physical ailments like weight gain and high blood pressure, and driving drowsy makes you as accident-prone as getting behind the wheel after a few drinks. Scientists have yet to unravel all the mysteries of slumber, but it’s clear humans need it for positive health.

While you can’t guarantee a great night’s sleep, you can create an atmosphere that’s conducive to rest by taking the following steps:

Say no to electronics: The blue light they emit keeps you awake. This advice includes televisions.
Silence is golden: Does your partner snore? Try earplugs or a white noise machine. Noisy roommates? Try placing a draft blocker under the door or even soundproofing your walls and ceilings – it’s not as intimidating as it sounds.
Comfort is king: Use as many pillows and blankets as you need to feel swaddled and indulged when your day draws to a close.
Try aromatherapy: Lavender activates scent receptors that send messages to your brain, telling it to relax.