Welcome to the final stretch of 2018! As the year is winding to a close, it’s time to take out those New Year’s Resolutions and get your goals together for 2019. For some, New Year’s Resolutions are no big deal, maybe a few generic goals like working out more, or saving money. Meanwhile, others are taking it very seriously, assessing specific goals where the fell flat last year and reworking them for more success in the next year.
Improving your health is the number one resolution across the board, and the one most often ignored. But we care about your health, and want you to succeed. We want you to achieve your goals, and that means setting up specific goals that you can reasonably achieve. So let’s get right into it with 3 ideas for positive change to improve your health.
Make sure ½ of Your Groceries are Produce
We like this one because it’s a very specific thing you can do right away to start improving your health. You want to a specific number of reusable grocery bags, and dedicate half of your shopping to produce. Meaning if you bring 2 bags, one bag can only contain produce. This means only fruits and vegetables. No meat, dairy, cheese, or anything like that. This rule not only gets you eating more fruits and vegetables, but it forces you to plan your purchases ahead of time, and forces you to make some choices if you start running out of room. I.e. do I sacrifice the milk for that box of oreos? Smarter grocery shopping is not just healthier for you, it also saves you a ton of money.
Schedule Weekly Me Time
In our overworked society, we tend to forget to make time for ourselves. We end up in such a constant state of stress and anxiety that makes self-care next to impossible. But it’s necessary. You spend so much of your time working for other people, you deserve to spend some of that time on yourself. Meditation, listening to soothing music, journaling, or a special aroma-filled bubble bath are all excellent options for your Me Time.
And we recommend you schedule it in at the same time every week so that it becomes a tradition. And don’t be afraid to make this chunk of time significant. Also try making it a daily routine, for about 30 minutes. Of course, your schedule is up to you, some do well with 20 minutes everyday and others need a few hours every week.
Commit to a Regular Massage Schedule
We cannot overstate the benefits of a regular massage. Regular massage therapy increases circulation, drastically improves mental health, boosts your immune system, and lowers your blood pressure. You get all of these benefits for the short term after one massage, but they start becoming long-term benefits when done consistently. We recommend scheduling 1 massage a month.
We like these goals because they’re specific, easy, and healthy. Be sure to hold yourself accountable to these new habits, but also forgive yourself if it doesn’t work right away. As long as you are working towards a healthier you, you should be proud.
