Popular New Year’s Resolutions

Popular New Year’s Resolutions

The beginning of a new year brings with it the tradition to make resolutions for self improvement for the upcoming year. The previous year’s end presents an opportunity to look back and reflect on our lives. It presents an opportunity to analyze our personal lifestyle and make systematic changes in order to better equip ourselves. A new year resolution is a good opportunity to create strong, stable long term goals. These goals can range from any aspect of our lives: physical, financial, psychological, the opportunities are endless! In this post, we will explore multiple new year’s resolutions we all can make to bring about a significant change in our lives.

How to Choose Our New Year’s Resolutions?

Before we decide to make a resolution for the new year, there is some homework we must complete. This will ensure we won’t be making a plan which we will fail to meet. It happens too often that most of us make new year’s resolutions early on in the year only to forget a couple of months later.

Understanding the motivation behind a new year’s resolution is the key to fulfilling it. When we make a new year resolution, we must realize why we are doing it in the first place. Solutions can only be found when we understand the problem. A good piece of homework is to list out five different aspects of our lives which we feel we need to improve. This will give us a sense of purpose when following through with our resolutions.

Popular New Year’s Resolutions

Let’s try to understand a few of the most popular new years’ resolutions.

Getting In Shape

New year’s resolutions to achieve our dream physique are probably the most popular. This can be a healthy resolution that is applicable to many people. Good health should be one of the most important aspects of our lives. Resolutions to reduce or gain weight in order to meet health guidelines established by medical providers is a great new year’s resolution. The results of this resolution can be extremely beneficial for us long term. The ill-effects of being overweight or underweight range from high blood pressure and cholesterol to many more. These conditions also place additional stress on the heart. Improper food intake also takes its toll on our digestive system. A moderate and balanced food intake is not just healthy for the body, but can help save money as well. Some common steps to reduce or gain weight include:

•         Avoid junk food

•         Eat a balanced Diet

Limit Consumption of Alcohol

Limiting drinks is another great new year’s resolution. For those who have a drinking problem, reducing the amount of alcohol  they consume can be very beneficial. The ill-effects of alcohol are well-known. Alcohol abuse can lead to bouts of depression, anxiety and hypertension among many individuals. Let’s also not forget the financial costs that alcohol carries over personal finances. Reducing alcohol will not only help in psychological well-being but helps improve our bank balance as well.

Exercise Regularly

Another healthy new year resolution is exercising regularly. Regular exercise is known to have many benefits for our body. It helps us maintain our body weight, regulate our blood pressure levels, keep high metabolism rates, improves the nervous system and others. Regular exercise also keeps us physically active, releases dopamine and endorphins in our body, which helps elevate our mood. It is also good for our memory, reduces the risk of injury, and keeps our immunity strong. This is a must-have new year’s resolution for most of us. If you are unable to make exercise as part of a routine owing to any personal issue, it can be replaced with few fundamental changes instead. These could be simple day-to-day activities such as:

•         Taking the stairs instead of an elevator whenever possible

•         Use a bicycle instead of a car for commute

•         Do yoga, stretching exercise for 15 to 20 minutes daily

•         Drink ample water during the day

•         Ensure at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep daily

Quit Smoking

The harmful effects of tobacco are widely available and are based on various statistics. Tobacco has also been linked to lung cancer throughout several studies. There have been many campaigns attempting to raise awareness about the negative effects of tobacco use. For instance, cigarette packets in some countries show grim pictures of mouth cancer and lung cancer to deter people from consuming them. Another thing to consider is that smoking not only affects the smoker, but also people around them. But despite all the factors, smoking continues to be prevalent. A new year’s resolution to quit smoking is great step to a healthier lifestyle for smokers and their loved ones.