Start the Year Off with These Great Health Tips

"I'm gonna get to the gym EVERY DAY this year!"

"I'm going to journal every day."

"This is the year that I give up Social Media!"

"No more alcohol.  Ever again!"

Does this sound familiar?

New Year's Resolutions are wonderful, but often we take on these lofty promises to ourselves without a strategy and plan to carry them out and before we know it, it's mid-month and our resolutions fall to the waste side and our efforts to improve our self-care becomes an all or nothing.  All too often, we set ourselves up to fail and play catch up the rest of the year.

Let's try something different! 

Let's break down your health and wellness to 5 essential categories and make a plan to address these on a daily basis, starting with your sleep! 

Reclaim Your Sleep: We can't stress this enough.  Without enough sleep, everything else pays a pricie.  Try these simple strategies to up your sleep game!

• Set a firm "devices out" time 30 minutes before bed. (60 is ideal, but you can start with 30.)
• Create a consistent pre-sleep routine: dim lights, lower the temperature, and perhaps enjoy a warm shower.
• Your bedroom should be a sleep sanctuary, not an entertainment center. So, once you get in bed, try something low key like reading, journaling or even doodling.

The key is to train your brain to recognize these cues as signals for sleep, which makes the ability to wind down and get sleepy a natural process. 

Reimagine Your Approach to Exercise: Moving your body doesn't require a fancy gym membership or marathon-level training. The key is to:

• Find an exercises or movement activities that you genuinely enjoy!
• Enlist a buddy to either exercise with you or to be accountable to.
• Sneak in movement time by doing things like taking walking meetings, dance while cooking or making time to actively play with your kids or pets.
• Start with five-minute movement sessions and build up from there!

No matter what you decide to do, schedule it into your calendar 3 days a week for a few weeks, then add in a 4th day and ideally get yourself up to five days a week! 

Revolutionize Your Plate: Instead of focusing on complicated diets that restrict eating, try adding things to your plate instead of removing them. 

• Add in one vegetable each day
• Incorporate fresh fruit into your meals or desserts
• Include a protein source in every meal
• Keep pre-cut vegetables in your fridge
• Prepare power snacks (fruit, nuts, yogurt, etc.) to munch on during the day
• Keep a water bottle nearby to stay hydrated

 Remember, nutrition isn't about perfection – it's about making healthier choices more often than not. 

Mind Your Posture: Your body is not designed for prolonged sitting or standing.  Remember that small adjustments throughout the day can make a big difference on your health and comfort levels. 

• Position your screen at eye level and roughly at an arm's length away.
• Keep your feet flat on the floor or a footrest
• Sit with a neutral pelvis so that you can enjoy upright and balanced posture
• Keep your keyboard and mouse close to your body so you don't have to reach forward
• Take short breaks every hour: stand up, roll your shoulders, and take a brief walk.

Remember, the best posture is your next posture – regular movement and position changes are key to preventing strain and discomfort.

Melt Your Stress Away: Let's rethinking stress and rather than viewing stress as your enemy, make it your ally.  As you feel stress levels rise, try these techniques to get back into a calm state.

• Try the "pause and breathe" technique: when stress hits, take a 90-second break to breathe deeply.  In. Out. In Out. Slow things down. 
• In between meetings, try progressive muscle relaxation by tensing and releasing muscle groups throughout your body.
• Walk away. Literally. - When the stress starts piling up, whether it's for 1 minute or 20 minutes, walk away from your desk and walk off the stress.  
• Most importantly, this may sound crazy, but schedule some daily "worry time" – a dedicated 15-minute window to address your concerns.  You can write them down, talk them out with a friend and once you are done, consciously set them aside for the day. 

Remember, change happens gradually. So, it's best to pick one area that resonates most with you and focus on it for a a few weeks before adding another.  You've got this!