It’s that time of the year when everyone’s making New Year’s resolutions lists and promising themselves they’ll going to do better in the year to come. Unfortunately, most of the resolutions are forgotten once the holiday euphoria stops, but forming healthy habits is important. That’s why you’ll need a system on how to develop and, even more importantly, stick to them. According to science, it takes a minimum of 21 days to form a habit, so here’s how to become a healthier person in 2017.
Start exercising
The age we live in forces us to sit a lot, both at work and in our leisure time and that’s not good for our back and posture. That’s why regular exercise is a must, at least for a few minutes each day. Find an activity you enjoy and set up realistic goals. Start by 5 minutes every day and soon you’ll build momentum and be ready for more challenging goals.
Try meditation
Meditation is one of the simplest things you could do for your mental health since it’s stress relieving, improves your focus, boosts your memory, and so on. In order to form a habit, you should pick the time of the day to do it – a morning, for example. Also, find you trigger – an activity that you do every day after which you’ll mediate. It could be after brushing your teeth. Then, find a quiet place and start meditating.
Switch to natural skincare
Your skin is your largest organ (and the most visible one), so you better treat it right. It’s very important to know at least how to pronounce the ingredients listed on the back of your face cream. You should pay special attention if you have sensitive skin. Besides, natural beauty products are better because you know they’re non-allergenic and haven’t been tested on animals. Furthermore, they’re better for our environment since their organic ingredients are biodegradable.
If you are worried there is not enough variety of products, you are wrong. The good thing is that natural cosmetics is now in: whether you need an effective anti-wrinkle cream, a DEET free natural mosquito repellent when you go camping, a beautifully scented shampoo, or a non-comedogenic foundation – you can rely on natural products.
Eating healthier
Ditching junk food and having proper meals is one of the best decisions you could make for the next year. It’s even better if you decide to learn to cook. First of all, you should eat the so-called real food: meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruit, nuts, etc. Next, make sure you bring your lunch to work – whatever it is, it’s surely better than a hot dog. Finally, you should realise that eating healthier doesn’t mean starvation – as long as you have regular meals and eat the right food, you won’t be hungry.
Drink more water
This is one of the simplest things most people forget and it’s very important. Water and other liquids are the best prevention of headaches, constipation, joint pain, etc. Besides, you can ask anyone who knows a thing or two about skincare and they’ll tell you the same – drinking water will make your skin glow. If it’s hard for you to keep track, there are plenty of apps to remind you to take a glass of water every half hour or so.
Get more sleep
Not only does it improve your brain function, sleeping well is beneficial to your emotional well-being as well. Not sleeping enough can lead to anxiety and depression, not to mention the risk of getting physically ill since ongoing sleep deficiency is connected to high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney diseases and so much more. The time when you go to sleep is also important. Make sure you go to bed earlier and get up earlier, so you can seize the day and feel energised.
Finally, you must be persistent. Every time you get to the low phase, remember why you are doing this – it’s because you want to become a better person. Develop these habits and stick to them and you’ll surely see the results in 2017.
Roxana is a travel enthusiast and lifestyle consultant from Sydney and she loves to write about her adventures. She is all about the healthy lifestyle, loves to run with her husband and dogs and has fun cooking exotic meals for her family. Being a typical Aussie, she often hits the waves and loves beaches and sunshine! You can find out more about her writing following her on Twitter and Facebook. She is also one of the editors at Highstylife Magazine.
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