Top 5 Healthy New Year's Resolutions You Can Easily Keep

2020 is just around the corner, and I bet everyone has New year's resolutions that they want to start and keep going. The question is how do you secure these goals, how do you make sure you accomplish them and don't quit after 2 weeks?

Start Small. There's a high importance of emphasizing small steps. By starting small and placing down small, quantitive goals for yourself you have a better chance of accomplishing your bigger goal.

We can look at the example of fat loss

If your goal is to lose 20 lbs in 1 year. Keep that larger, long-term goal, you should make incremental progress every day so that the ultimate goal of 20 lbs is much easier.

By doing so you have a much higher chance of achieving this goal, you will provide yourself with positive reinforcement that you are indeed capable of doing so.

I follow the 1% improvement principle, which says that if you improve every day by 1% you will become a 37x better person in a year.

This makes the entire process more enjoyable because of more frequent rewards and easier as you are able to quantify it closer towards now.

The key is doing easy things that are easy not to do.

Here is a list of 5 healthy new year's resolutions you can easily keep.

1. Cut/Avoid Sweet Drinks

Cutting back on sweetened beverages is a smart idea considering that sugary drinks are linked to an increased risk of obesity, fatty liver, heart disease, insulin resistance, and cavities in both children and adults

2. Get more quality sleep

Sleep is an essential part of overall health, and sleep deprivation can lead to serious consequences. For instance, lack of sleep may increase your risk of weight gain, heart disease, and depression.

There are many reasons why people don’t get enough sleep, so it’s important to focus on your schedule and lifestyle to determine the best ways to improve sleep quantity and quality.

Decreasing screen time before bed, reducing light pollution in your bedroom, cutting back on caffeine, and getting to bed at a reasonable hour are some simple ways to improve sleep hygiene.

3. Starting a new sport/activity

Taking a half-hour walk, jog, or bike ride before work, or swimming at a gym that’s on your way home, are simple and sustainable exercise resolutions.

Then, set an attainable goal, such as planning to walk a few specific days per week instead of aiming for every day.

Making a more realistic goal can enhance the chances of making your new routine last, especially if you’re new to working out.

4. Cook more meals at home

Of course, eating out all the time is convenient and usually tastes better, however research shows that people who cook more meals at home have better diet quality and less body fat than people who eat more meals on the go.

In fact, a study in 11,396 adults found that those who ate 5 or more home-cooked meals per week were 28% less likely to be overweight, compared with those who ate fewer than 3 home-cooked meals per week.

Start by making one meal a day, then increase the frequency over time until you’re making the majority of your meals and snacks at home.

5. Limit screen time

Many people depend on their phones and computers for work and entertainment. However, spending too much time on electronic devices — particularly on social media — has been linked to depression, anxiety, and loneliness in some studies

Setting a resolution to cut back on the time you spend scrolling through social media, watching TV, or playing computer games may help boost your mood and enhance productivity.

Source: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/realistic-new-years-resolutions#9.-Limit-screen-time

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