Health & Fitness
How To Turn Your New Year's Resolutions Into Healthy Habits
Worried about your resolutions falling flat by February? Here's how to make those 2021 goals stick.
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The clock has struck midnight and, with the arrival of the new year, you're likely eager to chip away at those resolutions you've carefully created for yourself. But if you find that by the time February rolls around your resolutions are getting left in the dust, you might need to rethink your approach. One way to change your approach is to look at your resolutions more as healthy habits or lifestyle changes.
When you incorporate healthy habits or change your lifestyle, there's a sense of permanency that can lead to your goals and resolutions being mastered in the new year. The American Psychological Association even notes that when it comes to your goals for the new year, you should think of them "not as a resolution but as an evolution."
With that said, here are some tips on how to turn your 2021 goals into healthy and long-lasting habits.
Keep Yourself Organized With A Planner
Gone are the days when your goals, daily schedule and motivational quotes were all stuffed into one crammed planner. These days, there are fitness planners, wellness planners, budget planners, meal planners and beyond. If there's a healthy habit you'd like to adopt, there's more than likely a planner for it.
For those who do prefer an everything-in-one-place method for their day-to-day planning, the Productivity Planner is a worthwhile option for jotting down and staying on top of your daily and long-term goals. It even comes with a money-back guarantee.
When the world begins to open back up and it's once again safe to travel, a planner is a great way to put your itinerary, reservations and places of interest all in one place. With the Clever Fox Travel Journal, you can create a travel bucket list, document memorable moments while on vacation and more. The Clever Fox Travel Journal comes in three different colors, and they all conveniently include an elastic band and a pen loop, a ribbon bookmark and a pocket at the back.
Related: 10 Products That Will Help Relieve Stress And Anxiety
Play With Your Food (Well, Kind Of...)
If improving your health and wellness is one of your goals for the new year, healthy eating is a must. But if the idea of slurping down green smoothies all day or downing bowls of quinoa is one you'd rather pass on, there's an easy way to fix that: Make your food exciting! Even fruits, veggies and whole grains can make for delicious, creative dishes. All you need are the right tools.
There are plenty of kitchen gadgets on the market to help add flair to your dishes. Craft a restaurant-worthy, protein-packed breakfast with Dash's Egg Bite Maker. You can add various meats, cheeses and veggies depending on what you have in the fridge and what you're in the mood for.
And if you want to up your water intake but find that still water leaves a little to be desired, pick up a fruit infuser water bottle. This fruit infuser water bottle from Hydracy is a great option for on-the-go sipping. The water bottle has an impressive 32-ounce capacity and is made of premium BPA-free eco-friendly Eastman Tritan plastic for safe reuse.
Maintain An Active Mind
Fitness is another top goal for the new year, but it also pays to have an active and healthy mind. While activities such as jogging and swimming are known to help keep people fit, activities to work out the mind aren't quite as well-known. A great start is to pick up a few brain games. These games are your typical puzzles and brain teasers, but they also help keep your brain active.
For a hands-on option, there's the Powder Keg Puzzle. It might look simple enough, but putting this wooden keg back together is far from child's play. How does over 130 brain-boosting puzzles sound? "Tricky Logic Puzzles For Adults" is one of a plethora of books filled with puzzles to stimulate your brain.
Whether you choose to incorporate brain teasers and puzzles into your routine either daily or weekly, a strong mind will help you focus on turning your goals into healthy habits.
Make A Conscious Decision To Move
Keeping in shape isn't all about cardio and strength training — sometimes, it's about being mindful of how often our bodies are moving. For many of us, eight hours of the day are spent sitting at a desk. And according to Jumpstart by WebMD, sitting for long periods can raise your risk of heart disease, lead to weight gain and even shorten your life.
Related: 10 Books To Help You Reach Your Potential In The New Year
Since a midday jog isn't terribly realistic when you're at work, there are still ways to keep active. In fact, this FLEXISPOT Home Office Standing Desk Exercise Bike allows you to pedal away the calories while still being present at work.
Even when you find yourself enjoying a leisure activity such as watching TV or listening to a podcast, there's still room to move. The Stamina 55-1602 Inmotion Elliptical is a compact and lightweight mini strider that allows you to get in a little heart-pumping cardio as you take part in your daily activities. The mini strider also makes it much easier to get in those 150 minutes of physical activity recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention each week.
Related: Cold Weather Workout Essentials
Organize Your Space
If you're living in an unorganized space, you're bound to lose track of your goals and motivation. Thankfully, there are a number of tools and gadgets to help you create an immaculately organized home.
One of the most important spaces to keep organized is your office. All of those important documents you have scattered about in your desk, on top of your printer, etc. can be kept at bay with a file organizer. And since there's no need for unnecessary clutter, a paper shredder such as this top-rated number from AmazonBasics is also a wise investment.
For an aesthetically pleasing option to help you get organized, the Giantex 12 Drawer Rolling Storage Cart is a worthy pick. In addition to looking great, the 12 drawers can be used for just about anything, from organizing school supplies to serving as a place for your repair tools.
Related: Everything You Need To Organize Your Home Once And For All
Equipped with the right tools and the right mindset, 2021 is sure to be one for the books. Regardless of your resolutions for the new year, you have the power to make 2021 your year.
Sources:
APA.org: Making Lifestyle Changes That Last
Jumpstart by WebMD: Why Sitting Too Much Is Bad For Your Health
CDC.gov: How much physical activity do adults need?
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