Jan 1, 2022

Happy New Year - Something About New Year Resolution

EEvery year, as the bell rings on New Year's Eve, millions of people would make a promise to be different—better, healthier, and happier—and yet only 1 out of 4 will actually stick to his or her resolution. One reason for this may be that our resolutions rarely address our overall wellbeing—a sustained feeling of harmony, energy, safety, and peace.

Resolutions like "lose ten pounds," "learn a new language," or "quit smoking" are perfectly reasonable goals, but they each only address a small part of our wellbeing. It's not just our weight or our diet or our education that creates health and happiness; numerous factors are continuously affecting one another.

Health is always a priority heading into a new year, but amid the COVID-19 pandemic, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is more important than ever. In a survey about people's 2022 New Year’s resolutions, one-quarter of the respondents who were making resolutions reported that they set a goal to live healthier. With wellness front of mind, Leading an even more efficient lifestyle is of great priority. 

1. Exercise Regularly

Staying physically fit improves cardiovascular and muscular health and helps fight disease. Exercising also has been shown to reduce stress and improve your overall mood, so try to squeeze in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise each week, the minimum recommended by the American Heart Association, plus at least two days of muscle-strengthening activities.

For people who are working from home, regular movement during the workday can also help reduce aches and pains. Motion is medicine when it comes to spine health. For example, you can add 10 squats, 10 tricep dips on a solid chair, and wall pushups to your daily routine. Also, make a point to get up from your desk two or three times an hour to walk around and do light stretching, such as backbends, which will help counter being hunched over a computer.

2. Eat Right

In addition to getting enough fruits, vegetables, and whole grains throughout the day, focus on protein in the morning. Packing your breakfast with protein will keep blood sugar and some “hunger hormones” more stable throughout the day, helping to control your appetite. Egg-white omelets, Greek yogurt, and protein shakes are examples. Consuming excess sugar leads to a condition called insulin resistance, which is a precursor to type 2 diabetes, a fatty liver, and cardiovascular disease. It has also been associated with cirrhosis, neuropathy, kidney disease, general inflammation, and cancer.

3. Get Enough Sleep

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted many people’s sleep patterns — some have even suffered from what’s known as “coronasomnia” — but it’s critical to keep a regular sleep schedule and get about eight hours of sleep a night. Having a strong, healthy immune system gives us a little more of a barrier against developing a COVID infection, so it’s important to prioritize sleep. It is also suggested that establishing a regular bedtime and wake-up time, avoiding caffeine later in the day, turning off electronics before bedtime, setting boundaries around your media consumption, exercising regularly, avoiding naps, cutting out alcohol and etc.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted many people’s sleep patterns — some have even suffered from what’s known as “coronasomnia” — but it’s critical to keep a regular sleep schedule and get about eight hours of sleep a night. Having a strong, healthy immune system gives us a little more of a barrier against developing a COVID infection, so it’s important to prioritize sleep. It is also suggested that establishing a regular bedtime and wake-up time, avoiding caffeine later in the day, turning off electronics before bedtime, setting boundaries around your media consumption, exercising regularly, avoiding naps, cutting out alcohol and etc.

4. Stick to Your Plan

Whether you’re looking to lose weight, get in better shape, stay in better touch with family and friends, quit smoking or drinking, or have another goal in mind, there are simple strategies you can adopt to stick with your plan: First owning up to what needs to be changed and Writing out your goals and corresponding action plan in weekly parts, then starting with a journal entry of “Why?” and creating incentives during the whole process and share with friends about what has been achieved and what needs to be done next.

Staying in health is a dynamic process; each of these aspects influences the others. Notice that when you flourish in one area, you tend to do well in the others. And don't be hard on yourself if you slip up in one area. Achieving wellbeing requires patience, self-compassion, and the willingness to try again.

Take small steps along the way and trust that by nourishing yourself and those around you, a balance will emerge that's just right for you.

And last but definitely not least, Oclean wishes you all a happy new year and remind you to kindly stick to your new year resolution.