Closure of the previous year and the emergence of a new one can cause us to reflect on the past and what we might’ve done differently in hopes of applying these changes in the New Year. For some of us, these might be work-orientated changes, differences in our family lives, plans to be more social with friends, or endeavours to make ourselves happier and healthier throughout the upcoming New Year. Making ourselves more comfortable and healthier is an encompassing topic. Many different things and factors create a happy and healthy individual, which might not apply to everyone and is ultimately what makes us individual.
Some of us may feel happier and healthier through social means, such as spending time with friends and family members and creating memories. In contrast, others may feel more fulfilled dedicating time to themselves and working on personal goals/aspirations. Whichever of the previous statements apply to you, we’ve created a list of lifestyle tips to help make you feel happier and healthier in the New Year. Our suggestions range from self-improvement to tips on leading a more stimulating social/personal life and fun, fulfilling activities to consider this upcoming year.
It’s surprising how much social media dominates every aspect of our lives nowadays and how much time we dedicate out of our day to thoroughly check what’s going on in other people’s lives and post about our own. We do it unconsciously, too, as soon as our phones or smart devices illuminate with a notification. We get suckered into not only checking what caused the distraction but will find ourselves about half an hour later endlessly scrolling through Instagram or watching a thirty-minute unsolved crime case on YouTube. Next thing we know, our working day is almost over, and we still haven’t managed to touch the workload due for tomorrow. Does this sound familiar? Perhaps you should consider taking a social media hiatus or detox?
A social media detox aims to monitor our screen time and put preventative measures in place so that we don’t indulge too much or get distracted. Therefore, giving us more time to spend with our family members or partners and focusing on getting tasks done, which we might have ordinarily spent online. Kick-start your social media hiatus with the following suggestions;
- Set a cut-off time for social media, and turn all of your smart devices (or your internet connection!) off at that time so that you’re not tempted to cheat.
- If you live with a partner or have a flatmate, have them detox with you so that you can both motivate each other and won’t be tempted to peak. You could even set a reward for the person with the least screen time at the end of the week as an extra incentive!
- Delete your social media apps, therefore removing all temptation.
- Get into the habit of not reaching for your phone. Leave it in the other room, or if you’re out with friends and family, store it in your bag.
Make time to explore and travel
Taking time out of your day-to-day life is necessary for making yourself feel happier and healthier, even if it’s simply getting out of the house each day. Being surrounded by the same environment and sights day in and day out can become tedious. Often we end up not appreciating what is around us because we’re so accustomed to our hometown. So in the New Year, endeavour to make as many plans as possible with friends and family members. Strive to go somewhere new each time, even if you deviate from your typical restaurant and choose to eat somewhere else, or you head into the neighbouring town and do some exploring for a couple of hours.
On the other hand, you and your partner could plan a weekend trip to a neighbouring country like Italy, France, or Spain, or you could rustle up a small group of friends if you don’t have a partner. Going abroad is an ideal opportunity to get away from work stress and make memories with loved ones, which you can then bring back and share with friends and family. Just remember, if you are planning to go abroad for any length of time, to take out the relevant insurance and make sure you have ample coverage for any worst-case scenarios. It’s worth being on top of your overall health so that you can receive the required vaccinations and medical procedures before and after your visit. Leading broker Switch Health work with some of the best private health insurance providers who offer a variety of insurance policies. Check out their website for health insurance quotes and more information on their services. This can help reassure you that you are medically acceptable to travel and that you can seek expert medical advice on your return if needed.
Maintain a positive mindset
As well as making physical changes to promote a healthier and happier lifestyle, it would help if you also considered what changes could be made to your mental build-up to solidify these changes. Maintaining a positive and compassionate mindset towards yourself and others is a great way to change your outlook on the world and manifest positive life changes. Instead of being tempted to dwell out how things could go wrong or the negatives in life, encourage yourself to look on the bright side and point out the positives to each situation you become tasked with.
For instance, if you see a stranger wearing something that you wouldn’t, instead of judging them for their style choices, you could think about how it’s nice that their comfortable in their own skin to wear what they want, or you could admire parts of their outfit without necessarily wanting to wear it yourself. Practicing a positive mindset and applying it to others helps prevent negative self-reflection, which can be exhausting and keep us feeling happier.
Eat healthily and workout often
Ultimately one of the most preached about aspects of healthy and happy living is making sure that you maintain a balanced and varied diet and participate in regular exercise. However, these two lifestyle choices are two of the easiest ways to achieve good physical and mental health, and you can do it in various ways. Regardless of whether you’re looking to improve your overall happiness and health through physical activity and dietary changes for medical or weight-loss reasons. Or, if you’re looking to improve your quality of life, you can find various fun and non-punishing ways to optimise health. For instance, you could use the internet to search for exercise classes or gyms in your local area and join one with a friend or family member to turn it into a social activity that benefits your health and happiness.
Make careful considerations when it comes to changing your diet, as you want to implement healthy choices, and make sure that you’re not restricting yourself and not cutting out the foods you love entirely. Successful diets are all about moderation. As long as you calculate allowances and support your unhealthier decisions through moderate and regular exercise, you should find that you can enjoy eating healthily and dispel some of the negative connotations associated with diet changes. As well as helping you become healthier and happier, eating well can help improve your mood and reduce symptoms of mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, which will enhance the overall quality of your life.
This Invisalign dentist in West Point also points out that you should visit your doctors regularly. At the very least, this should include a physician and a dentist.
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