Every year people sit around their fireplace watching the ball drop with their friends and family in hopes of what a new year will bring. There are new habits and resolutions formed by millions of people in order for the coming year to be better than the last. Unlike previous years, I actually decided to do my best to stick to something that I thought was important; my health. During the whirlwind of work and school, it is easy to forget how important it is to take care of ourselves. When you look around you will see deals on gym memberships and dozens of new people rushing to get their workout. A month in, the majority of people have left their resolutions behind and the gyms and nutritional cooking classes go back to their normal numbers. This year I have decided on seven things that will help me be happier and healthier.
1. Do More Cooking at Home
Not only will cooking at home save you money, but it will most likely be healthier too. It is easy to focus on what tastes good and what is easy to get. Believe me, when I want chipotle there is almost nothing that can stop me. Then I think to myself, is it worth walking half a mile to spend ten dollars on a burrito, when I could spend nine dollars for a whole day’s worth of meals? I can spend nine dollars getting multiple items from the grocery store and feed myself for a whole day. Not only will cooking at home save you money, but when you make your own food you will always know what is being put in your food. Seeing what goes in to your food equals being healthier subconsciously. Not to mention, being able to cook your own food is always a plus!
2. Get Enough Sleep
I am sure you have heard this from your mom, your grandma, and everyone in between. Here’s the thing, getting enough sleep is more necessary than you will ever know. Your body needs time to repair itself and recharge from what you did during the day. The toxins that can collect throughout your day can remove themselves when you get enough sleep. That is why it is easier for people to get sick when they do not get enough sleep. It is easier to get enough sleep if you keep to a schedule. It is important for your body to get used to shutting off at a certain time, that way it is easy to fall asleep.
3. Learn to Manage your levels of stress
Obviously stress is inevitable. With school, work, homework, and everything else we have going on, it is obvious why stress is a part of most college students lives. When you allow your stress to stick around without doing anything to help it, it can really affect your health. For example, stress increases your blood pressure, your heart rate, and can also weaken your immune system. With that being said it is important to channel the stress in a healthy way. First and foremost, it is important to organize your thoughts and breathe. When I am very stressed I have learned that it is usually because I am unorganized or unprepared. I eliminate stress by keeping a planner and writing down everything I need to do for the week. When I finish what I am doing I cross off the item from my list. I also take five minutes a day to close my eyes and just breathe. It may seem ridiculous at first, but I am telling you it will relax you so much more than you could imagine.
4. Find a Hobby You Love
Finding something that you do just because you love it is so important. There are so many things in life that we do because we have to or because that is what we are supposed to do. When you do something that is only for yourself it will bring so much extra joy to your life. My first semester of college I forgot how much I loved to draw. I was so focused on new friendships and the amount of schoolwork I had to do, that I forgot that I needed some time for myself to do something that I loved. At the beginning of this year I decided that was something I was missing from my life. When I started drawing again it was a way I could distress and completely focus in my own creativity. I think it so important that everyone finds something that they love so they have something for themselves.
5. Exercise
There are so many new exercise trends that are easily confused with being healthy. Everywhere I turn I see titles such as, “one month to a toned booty,” or “the best drinks for losing weight.” Here is the important thing to remember, these titles are just TRENDS. They do not lead to a healthy lifestyle, a healthy mind, or a healthy body. Exercise is about getting yourself in to a routine. Going to the gym three to five times a week because it helps you distress, is healthy. Spending an hour or two working out because it is the only time you do not have to think about the stress that life brings, is healthy. Exercise is good for your mind and for your body. Allow yourself to become the best version of yourself starting this year.
6. Drink More Water
Okay, so this one seems pretty obvious. Everyone knows you have to drink water to survive. What a lot of people do not know is that it is estimated that around 75% of people are dehydrated. Dehydration can cause so many more issues than people realize. Being dehydrated can cause headaches, fatigue, dizziness, digestive issues and many more problems. With that being said, drinking water is an easy way to make your life healthier overall. When you drink enough water throughout the day you will be able to fall asleep easier and sleep better throughout the night. To help yourself get enough water throughout the day, put your water in a bottle and drink a few bottles full a day. Being hydrated will not only help you feel better, but it will make your skin smoother and softer as well. Can’t you just see the benefits rolling in?
7. Stop talking about yourself negatively
Each day I find it so easy to talk bad about myself. I have always said that it easier to see the bad, but the good takes a little searching. I have gotten in to a bad habit over the past few years of jokingly making negative comments about myself. On a daily basis I catch myself laughing and saying “Oh my gosh, I am so dumb,” or “I just ate so much, I am a cow!” In my mind these comments come out as a joke and I do not even think twice about them. But then I got to thinking, if I say negative things about myself, what stops others from doing the same? I also thought if someone said the things to me that I say to myself, would I be okay with it? Most of the time the answer is no. For 2017 the most important habit I need to have is learning to build myself up, not tear myself down. I think 2017 should be the year of self love. Let’s start right now! You are awesome!