“New year, New me!” many say on January 1.
Traditionally, people like to start over as a new and improved person as the year begins by leaving behind their unhealthy habits and creating new and refreshing ones. As most of us know through experience, New Year’s resolutions do not always work out as we want them to.
Some people like to work out as a fresh new start. They will pay for a gym membership, work out for a day, miss one day and promise themselves that they will do it the next day. Six months later, they do not lose anything but $300.
It is going to be different this year in 2020…hopefully.
Instead of changing your entire lifestyle and giving up in a week, here are some easy and healthy options you can start doing without any hard work.
1. Juul is Not Cool
An electronic cigarette called Juul has become very popular these last couple of years, especially among teenagers. Inhaling the nicotine and other toxic chemicals that Juul contains may cause a lot of health issues like addiction, damage in lungs, and a higher risk of cancer, according to health.harvard.edu. To start the year in a more healthy way, put down the Juul and try inhaling the air around you. It is free, easy, legal, and it keeps you alive.
2. Go to Sleep
Most people need to have at least eight hours of sleep on average in order to function well. If you need to wake up at 6:00 in the morning, then try to fall asleep at 10:00 at the latest. Once you get those full hours of sleep, you will be able to focus well in school, be at your top notch, and get good grades. So to start, say goodnight to your significant other, social media, Netflix, friends, or whatever keeps you up at night, and put your phone on the other side of the room so that you have no distractions keeping you from sleep. If you can not sleep, try to meditate, play some soothing music, or read. We all love to sleep, especially during class, so instead of sleeping on a hard desk, try a comfy bed at home where you are in peace with no disruptions for hours.
3. Go Out for a Walk
Many people’s goal for the year is to work out. It is not easy to go from sitting all day and having no physical movement to waking up early and doing intense exercises.
First, you have to start off easy. Go outside and go for a walk and listen to music. Soon you may slowly start to go out with the intention of running, which will keep your mind off of life’s stressors.
4. Start a Healthy Diet
It is time to put away the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, McDonald’s cheeseburgers, and all of the other junk food, and start eating food that gives you the right nutrients. Many restrictive diets are unnecessary and can be dangerous, according to uhs.berkely.edu. All you need to do is have a well balanced diet where you are not starving yourself.
A well balanced diet contains at least five servings of fruits and vegetables, dairy (keep an eye out for reduced fat or fat free products), protein (such as chicken, fish, beef, or nuts), and whole grains.
For breakfast, instead of eating bacon and sugary cereal, eat some fruit, eggs, tea, yogurt, oatmeal, or a smoothie. For lunch, have a sandwich with whatever form of protein you enjoy and some vegetables like carrots or cucumbers on the side. Finally, during dinner you can be creative when it comes to cooking. There are many options like rice, pasta, chicken, salmon, and salad.
5. Read A Book
Our education is what will lead us to the future. We may not be needing the Pythagorean theorem but we will need to read everyday, so it is good to practice everyday. According to lifehack.org, if you read a book everyday, it will enhance your memory, educate you, teach you new vocabulary, relieve stress, and entertain you. Take advantage of the libraries full of thousands of free books, or if you would rather pay for online or store-bought books, you may do that as well.
2020 is your year to shine, so try new things and live your life by going out, having fun, and doing healthy things that will make you happy. Do not let anything get in your way and think positively this year.