The New Year is nearly upon us and all around the world, people gear up to make (and let’s face it, probably break) New Year’s Resolutions. If you are one of the many who are concerned with possibly breaking your resolutions, one of the key things that you can do to help ensure you are off to a good start is to make those resolutions realistic in the first place. So, could your stress levels do with a makeover for 2014? Here are a few ideas that can be achieved realistically and become part of an every day healthy lifestyle…
1. Exercise!
Exercise is a well-known stress buster but is also a regular starter in the broken resolutions list. The US Department of Health and Human Services recommends that healthy adults get a minimum of 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise (e.g. brisk walking), or 75 minutes of vigorous activity. If you want to put yourself in a better position to stick with the exercise, why not do it with a partner or friends? Studies show that having the support of others is a key factor in sticking to resolutions and the camaraderie can provide a boost to the fun-factor. Exercise could be as simple as taking 30 minutes out of your day to go for a walk. The more it becomes part of your everyday routine, the more likely that exercise will be a normal part of your lifestyle.
2. Healthy eating
With all the temptations available out there this is another resolution often broken. Our lifestyles are often very busy and this can lead to grabbing food on the run, often less healthy takeaways. If time is not on your side, a bit of preparation can help you to stick with healthier eating. You could;
– Prepare lunches and healthy snacks at home the night before.
– Buy a slow cooker, prepare ingredients the night before, turn on in the morning and return home to a healthy and delicious cooked dinner!
– Make extra helpings of healthy meals that you can serve the next day or freeze for another time.
– Choose healthier ‘fast food’ options such as sub sandwiches with a healthy cut of meat and plenty of salad, sushi or Asian dishes with a lot of vegetables (such as stir fries done with a healthier oil).
3. Take more time for you
Leading a busy lifestyle and the seemingly never-ending to-do list can leave little time to just relax and center yourself. Be brutal with your to-do list and chop it down to only those things that are absolutely necessary and that you want to give your time to. Have a friend or family member help you if you are the kind of person who finds it hard to say no to extra responsibilities. For all those tasks that you do need to do, use a planner or calendar and mark in milestones or deadlines to complete. With this same planner, make sure you include set times to do your own thing and stick to it!
Wishing you all a happy holidays and that you are able to have reduction of stress in the New Year! How do you stick to resolutions? Let us know in the comments below!
