Do you set New Year’s resolutions each year? You’re not alone.
The practice of setting New Year’s resolutions dates all the way back to ancient Babylon. Whenever a new king was crowned, Babylonians would commemorate the coronation by making promises to their gods. In order to stay in their god’s good favor, they kept their promises for an entire year. Historians believe that this is the origin of New Year’s resolutions.
While most of us no longer make promises to our gods, we do make New Year’s promises to ourselves. New Year’s resolutions don’t just make us proud; they help us incorporate new habits into our lives that set us up for success.
Are you looking to set yourself up for success in this coming year? Read on for our 3 favorite tips.
1. Eat Your Breakfast
It’s the most important meal of the day for good reason! During the nighttime, our bodies go into a fasting period. By morning, our bodies’ stores of nutrients are all used up, and they need to be refreshed.
A healthy, balanced breakfast gives us a boost of energy that we need to get our day going. Breakfast provides glucose, your body’s main energy source. It also provides your body with nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that we need to stay healthy.
Studies show that if and what you eat for breakfast can also have a lasting effect on your day. People who eat breakfast are more likely to make healthy choices for the rest of the day. They’re less likely to snack on unhealthy food or look to energy drinks for the boost they need.
Try one of the following for a breakfast to start your day off right:
- An egg and veggie scramble
- Oatmeal with fruit and nuts
- Yogurt with granola and antioxidant-rich berries
- Toast with nut butter and sliced banana
2. Move Your Body
A commitment to regular exercise is one of the most common New Year’s resolutions. Gyms around the nation see a significant spike in memberships each January. But, sadly, only 1 in 5 of those new gym goers will last. Studies show that 80% of people who sign up for the gym in January quit by May.
If you don’t want to become yet another failed gym statistic, here’s a tip for you: think outside the gym. Like, literally, outside. Humans weren’t made to run on a machine and stare at a wall for an hour a day. We were made to walk, climb, explore, and discover. It’s no wonder so many people fail at going to the gym—it’s downright boring!
Rather than getting your daily exercise inside of a room, consider one of the following:
- Explore one of the many walking paths in your city
- Buy a second-hand bike and ride to work or your errands
- Join a recreational sports team
- Go for a swim at a nearby swimming pool or ocean
3. Get Better Sleep
Sleep is essential for humans. It provides an opportunity for your brain and body to recharge. Sleep allows us to feel rested and alert. It also keeps us healthy and protects us from disease.
Without sleep, we become slow, groggy, and moody. People who suffer from chronic sleeplessness are more susceptible to heart disease, high blood pressure, and poor mental health.
This all begs the question: if sleep is so essential, why is it so hard for some of us to do?
There are a lot of reasons that you may get poor sleep. For one, stress and anxiety can be a significant contributing factor to sleeplessness. In addition, three’s significant evidence that the screens we interact with on a regular basis can disrupt our circadian rhythm, the 24-hour cycle to which our bodies naturally align. Plus, the cycle of sleeplessness can be never-ending; we look to caffeine after a night of poor sleep, but that same caffeine keeps us up at night.
If you’re looking to improve your sleep this upcoming year, here are a few ideas:
- Create a bedtime and stick to it
- Turn off all screens an hour before bedtime
- Try incorporating a sleep supplement like CBD into your routine, like these best CBD gummies 2020
If you’re ready to set yourself up for success this year, implement these three simple tips in your daily routine, and you’ll be good to go.