With the New Year approaching, everyone is considering their resolutions. Instead of piling on more commitments and stress in 2024, stick to this general list of health and wellness tips that are sure to be easy to maintain. The only commitment you need to make is to do your best and to show up for yourself!
Begin your day with mindful practices
Mindfulness is a practice in which you focus your awareness and emotional energies on the present moment while acknowledging your feelings, thoughts, and whole-body sensations.
You can simply start your day with breathing exercises and a break from your smart devices. This reduces the present-state distraction most people normally begin their day with.
More purposefully, you can take a yoga class, actively stretch, or sit quietly for meditation. Whatever you choose, practicing mindfulness in 2024 is an important exercise in starting your day relaxed and prepared to see your intentions through.
Move your body
Make the time to move your body in a way that makes you happy. There is no need to jump off the couch and book a new gym membership just to adhere to New Year’s Resolution pressure. Exercise can be a wonderful tool to keep your body healthy, but this year we encourage you to simply find a way to move your body that you enjoy. Go for a light jog, try a local class, or go for a hike if your area permits it. Watch an online tutorial or even have a living room dance party with your family. Whatever activity you choose, find some joy in it and use it to celebrate what your body can do for you!
Make more food at home
If convenience remains king in our fast-paced lives, nourishment should be queen! Preparing meals at home is (still) a healthier option that should be done as much as possible in 2024.
Eating out increases your intake of sodium, fat, sugars, and calories even if you were to make the very same thing at home. Even replacing a few of your take-out meals with home-cooked meals can make a significant difference in overall nutrition. Prepping on the weekend allows you to continue to have on-the-go convenience throughout the week and saves money. Skip the coffee line, too. Sugar-free coffee flavors punch up the flavor of homemade coffee and keep the added sugar down, too.
Make time to read more
Take the time to nourish your brain by picking up a good book. Even if you only read a couple pages per day from the newspaper, a novel or an online article like this one about the benefits of reading can help in more ways than one. The one thing no one can take away from you is knowledge, so soak up as much as you can this year. Who knows, you might learn something surprising!
Make time for self-care
Give yourself the grace to slow down and practice self-care. Take a nice long bath, reorganize something in your home, make your bed, enjoy a hot cup of tea, or treat yourself to some alone time. Whatever your self-care preference is, make sure you are setting aside enough time for yourself this year. Remember that you can’t show up for others unless you can show up for yourself, too.
No matter your 2024 personal goals, it is important to be mindful of both your health and your happiness in the months to come. Use these tips to care for your body and your mind this year, not out of guilt, but out of appreciation for what they are capable of. It’s time to celebrate everything you can do!