Happy New Year! It’s time we talk goals. The following goals have made a substantial difference in my own life, and research has been done to support each of them and their overall effectiveness when it comes to boosting health and wellness. If one of your goals is to focus on and improve your personal health and fitness this year, keep reading!
Eat Food That Makes You Feel Good
Eat food that makes you feel good. This is a goal I have set for myself over the past few months, and it has made such a difference in the way I feel. It is different than a typical “eat healthy” goal because “healthy” can look different for different people, and maintaining a healthy diet all the time can sometimes lead to obsessing and being overly restrictive with yourself.
To work around this, try implementing this goal into your daily routine by asking yourself, “how will this food make my body feel?” before you decide to eat it. If you do decide to eat it, be sure to pay attention to how your body feels. Do you feel sluggish and tired or energized and focused? Adjust your diet accordingly.
Get a Consistent Sleep Schedule
Get a consistent sleep schedule. I cannot stress this one enough. If your current sleep schedule is all over the place and your night/morning routine is nonexistent, make it a goal for yourself this year to set a consistent sleep schedule.
According to Dr. Michael Twery, sleep affects almost every tissue in our bodies. A lack of sleep can even lead to an increased risk of heart disease and other serious health issues.
To start changing your sleep schedule, try going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day–even on weekends if possible. You can also try dimming the lights before bed and staying away from any electronic screens; this can help let your body know it’s time to start winding down.
Move Your Body for at Least 30 Minutes Each Day
Move your body for at least 30 minutes each day. Implementing this practice into a daily routine has shown to increase overall health and wellbeing. Walking, biking, running, or any mix of these has also shown to be a great benefactor for relieving stress levels.
Getting your body moving also helps to stimulate blood flow and increases day-to-day endurance. Exercise allows oxygen and nutrients to more easily flow to your tissues and helps many systems in your body to function more efficiently.
Make it a goal this year to get moving more–even if this just looks like walking around your house or down the block once or twice. Even small efforts can make a huge difference!
Drink More Water
Drink more water. Let’s be honest, there are days we all could do better at this one. Water helps our bodies to remain balanced and healthy inside and out, so set a goal for yourself to drink more water this year.
According to the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the adequate amount of water you should drink daily is 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) for men and 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) for women. Some things that have helped me to keep track of water intake in the past have been time stamped water bottles, reminders on my phone, and the My Fitness Pal app/website.
Learn More
Last, but not least, set more time aside for yourself to learn something new this year. By taking time to learn, you will stimulate the brain and create new neural pathways for your mind to follow. Gaining knowledge can also help you to grow and expand as a person and increase your self-confidence.
This learning goal can be accomplished in many ways. Try starting out with 10 to 15 minutes of “learn time,” and fill it with reading a nonfiction book, watching a YouTube video on a topic that interests you, or talking with someone who is knowledgeable about something you would like to know more about.
That’s all–thanks for reading! Comment below some of the goals you have set for yourself this year.
Mind & Body 