New Years Resolutions: 10 Easy Health Tips You Can Stick With in the New Year
Posted: Tuesday, December 30, 2008
by Val Silver
TapInfinity
Do you make New Year's Resolutions with the best of intentions only to fizzle out or not even start to deliver on them? Here are ten health tips that are easy to implement and make part of your every day life.
Choose one or two tips to start and when that becomes habit, add another tip. Better to be consistent with one, then try too much to begin with and end up giving up on all of them. Regularly practicing even one of these tips will have a cumulative effect and help you be healthier in the long-term.
2- Drink plenty of fresh water. Refillable water bottles with a built in filter can be filled at any faucet and have the added benefit of reducing the expense and waste generated by pre-filled water bottles. Aim for several glasses a day, especially if you are increasing fiber.
3- Move your body every day. If you aren't into exercise equipment or regimens, build opportunities to lift, bend and walk often throughout the day.
4- Take a few deep belly breaths. Do this outside or by an open window if you can. Your mind and body will appreciate the oxygen boost and instant stress reduction.
5- Air out your house or apartment at least once a week. Indoor pollution can be several times greater than outdoor pollution, especially when your home has been closed up.
6- Practice micro-meditations throughout the day. Snatching a few moments to focus on your breath or an inspirational quote can help you center and feel renewed.
7- Practice gratitude. Give thanks every day for the big and little things in your life even if you might not classify some of them as "good". Offering thanks for the mundane, and even some annoying things that happen can instantly shift your perspective and relieve stress.
8- Build face-to-face relationships. Social interaction and a sense of community provide a support system that benefits our health on all levels. Turn off the computer and TV and spend "live time" with friends and family.
9- Learn something new. Learning something of interest keeps your brain sharp and lifts your mood. So does playing games like Soduko or Scrabble.
10- Combine some of the above tips for even more health benefits. For example, if you take dance lessons, you are moving your body, building relationships and learning something new!
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Top-level comments on this article: (6 total)hi val,these are really good tips, simple, and not so regimented as others that are quickly forgotten. thanks for sharing them with us,have a nice new year's,best regards,sueThanks again, Sue. Easy is what I was looking for, yet tips that could really help people be healthier and hopefully happier if they implement some of them.
Have a great year. Val
That is the very reason I don't make New Year's Resolutions--they always fizzle out. But great article at any rate, Val. Thanks for keeping us on our toes.SandraYou're welcome Sandra,
I know what you mean. That's why I set goals instead of making resolutions. Having said that I figure that most of these tips are such easy things to do that even I might do them!
Happy New Years!
HI Val,Great tips! I love how you ended with a well rounded and easy way to impliment several of these tips with one activity. Many blessings to you in the new year!Hi Teresa,
Thanks for commenting. I too love it when I can get the most bang for my buck, so to speak! Have a great New Year.
Val, All your suggestions are positivep; however, because I teach diaphragmatic breathing, I especially enjoyed this article. Breathing with support is truly the best means of reducing stress. It is a shame more people are unaware of that fact. All others mammals breathe with support; it is just the most intelligent of the mammals that stops this practice sometime during childhood developement.Hi Nancy,
I agree- a full deep breath really opens the breathing up, which tends to tighten when we're stressed. The funny thing is we don't even notice the constricted breath until we release it. A lot of stress goes with it. What specifically do you mean by supported breath? Sounds like you have an article idea here!
Smugly checked off all your tips until I got to Number 10 until you reminded me it was an ongoing development. So, I went back to Number 7 where I believe I could focus on doing it a much higher level following your one-at-a-time advice.Wouldn't it be easy if we only had to do things once! Like your idea of moving to a higher level.
I really like these Ideas I will definately start at least the drinking water one. I love that idea. I dont know where to get one with a filter though...I wish I did. If you could let me know where I can find one that would be great! Thanks for the idea!Congratulations on making a healthy choice- water is a great tip to start with! I have a Brita water bottle with a carbon filter built into the spout. Maybe you can find them on-line. Otherwise check major department stores or a big natural foods store.
Good luck and thanks for commenting.
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