New Year’s resolutions are popular, and many of them are health-related. It seems most people want to get fit, healthy, and more attractive. These are often combined with resolutions that focus on financial situations, too. Everyone wants to be a better version of themselves in the coming year, and it’s easy to focus on that when one year comes to a close and another begins. It’s a fresh start, a time for self-reflection, and a time for understanding how you can better yourself. This time of year is popular for making lists of things you want to improve, but sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in making resolutions without focusing on the bigger picture.
Healthy Eating and Your Confidence
One of the most common resolutions people make is eating better. It’s a good one to make, but it’s not something people are good at sticking to in many instances. The problem is most people don’t give themselves a chance to indulge in the things they do love. Starting a fad diet that cuts out all the stuff you love the most is deprivation. If you want to eat healthy, you just need to fill your plate with healthier options cooked in healthier ways, and you need to keep your indulgences to a minimum.
The other best tip you can learn to live by is portion control. It’s easier to achieve if you buy smaller plates to eat on. Your body thinks you’re eating more because your plate looks full eating smaller portions. This helps you avoid overeating, which can cause a bloated stomach that has a negative effect on your confidence. It’s a very common problem, but it’s also unhealthy. Use a smaller plate and watch the bloating stop.
Exercise and Your Mental Health
Exercise is a resolution you should stick with. It’s good for you, but you already know that. What you don’t realize is that exercise is about more than just your physical health. Yes, you do get a better body and more self-confidence out of it, but you also get a better overall picture of health when you exercise regularly.
You sleep better when you exercise during the day. You eat better when you exercise because your body begins to crave foods that fuel it following a workout. You also have ample energy when you work out, so you feel less exhausted all day long. Your body releases healthy endorphins that minimize feelings of stress and anxiety, and you feel happier overall. That’s a big benefit.
Healthy Living and Your Life
Eating right, working out, and focusing on what makes you feel good is going to help you live a life with fewer illnesses, fewer health risks, and a lot more enjoyment. However, there is another small resolution you might to include on the list before the New Year arrives, and it has everything to do with healthy living.
Saying no is a healthy living change. You should learn to say no in your everyday life. It’s not always easy, but sometimes you just need to say no. Sometimes people get too involved in saying yes at work, at home, to their friends, to their family, and everywhere else. Now you’re just overworked, rundown, and you’re not enjoying your life. Saying no helps you take back your own life, schedule, and your feelings. When you’re spending more time doing what makes you feel good, you’re living a much healthier life.
Resolutions are only as good as you allow, and this year is ready for you to take it on with a vengeance. What makes you happy? What positive changes can you make in your own life that help you grow as a person and focus more appropriately on your health? It’s time to make those changes and focus on what helps you live the life you want to live.