Jumpstart Your New Year With These Wellness Tips

Jumpstart Your New Year With These Wellness Tips

By: Liv Briley

December is a time to eat, drink, and be merry with the people you love the most. January, on the other hand, has the unfortunate job of getting our lives back on track after a couple of weeks off from work, school, and routines. The post-holiday slump is real, but there are fortunately a few simple areas to tackle to help start 2024 on the right foot. 

Set intentions instead of goals

While January is known as a time to make resolutions, these goals are often difficult to follow through with. Despite popular belief, the new year does not act as a reset button that erases our past behaviors, and we should not treat it as such. Instead of setting larger than life goals, try setting a couple of intentions for the new year. Measuring ourselves and our growth in numbers or achievements may be the norm, but it does not have to be the way you choose to refocus your year. 

Limit your processed sugar intake

We have all heard time and time again about the dangers of processed food intake, yet many do not realize just how bad the amount of processed sugar the average American consumes in a day is for their health. This year, instead of focusing on the countless fad diets and calorie counters, try to take a simpler step toward overall health by staying on the edges of the grocery store and eating more whole foods this year. 

Do not compare your journey 

Every day on social media, there are hundreds of new posts by people sharing their health and wellness journeys. While this is a great way to seek inspiration and learn new ways to better yourself, it can become dangerous when you start to compare your own health journey to those you see online. Try to remember that nobody, no matter how they seem on social media, has the perfect wellness routine. Whether you are still trying to figure out what health means to you or you already have an established outlook on wellness, focus your energy on your own journey this month. 

Focus on your sleep

Sleep is one key to health that is too often sacrificed for the sake of so-called productivity. While it may seem important to stay up late to finish an assignment or work on a project, there is truly nothing as important to your well-being as sleep. To achieve better, deeper sleep, try to not eat or look at any screens for at least an hour before you go to bed and avoid harsh, overhead lighting at night. 

Find hobbies that do not include screens

Due to the ever-evolving nature of technology, most of our lives are now spent staring at screens. Whether you spend the day working on your computer or binge watching your favorite show, there is no shortage of time to be spent behind a screen. Try to limit this time by finding hobbies and activities to do that do not involve technology. Take up hiking, read a new book, or learn a new skill like sewing or pottery. 

Health and wellness are buzzwords in the world today, but they also have the power to be active pieces of your life and routine. Take things one step at a time this year and remember that you are the most important part of your life. 

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