"New year, new me": you're probably hearing this phrase a lot right now. I know I've seen it scrolling through my Twitter feed on multiple occasions. But, in all reality, that phrase goes more like "New year, basically the same me as in the old year". Change is hard. That's just a part of human nature. We're creatures of habit and we tend to resist alterations to our everyday routine as much as we can.
And with the new year come all of the resolutions that many of us will not keep. Let's be real: if you don't ever go to the gym and your New Year's resolution is to start going to the gym every day, there is a big possibility that it won't happen. Like I said, change is hard.
However, that innate human resistance to change is not an excuse to not change. Changing up your routine can be extremely beneficial to your every day life. It doesn't have to be a big chore, and you can make a positive impact on the world around you while you're doing it. Little changes add up to big ones, and everyone has to start somewhere.
Exercise
I mentioned the whole gym scenario earlier and how a resolution to start going has a high chance to not happen. However, you can start small to increase your daily amount of exercise. Start walking more places; you can take the elevator or escalator less and park a little further away from the store entrance. Take the stairs.
In addition, you can also do a light workout regiment every day just to get yourself moving. Do a few reps of squats while watching that new Netflix show. Try to get to 20 crunches while telling your best friend about your day. This isn't super intensive exercise and in the long run, your body will thank you.
Drinking and eating habits
Okay, honestly corner here: no one likes to change the way they eat to make it healthier. Pizza is good. Fries are good. Chocolate is good. But they're not good for your body. The good news is that, while you should probably try to cut down on them, you don't have to cut them out entirely. But instead of having shoe string fries four times a week, maybe sub two times out for carrots or apples or another healthy snack.
Also, drink more water. Water is probably one of the best possible things you can put into your body. It can help with headaches, muscle pains, stress, greasy skin, pimples and help you sleep better. So, instead of a can of Coke with your lunch, why not a big old glass of water instead? It's that easy.
Sleep
No matter how much you say that your body can run on no sleep, you know that you're just lying to yourself. Stop staying up until 3 AM watching Netflix. Stop sitting on your phone for an hour and a half after you get to bed. You need sleep to function properly and let your brain get the rest it needs. So go to bed early and count those sheep.
Personal relationships
Take some care with how you relate to the people in your life. A lot of the time, we bottle up our negative feelings inside and let them fester. Then, they all explode later down the road at the drop of the hat. This year, try to improve the way you interact with the people around you. If something they do bothers you, tell them right away. Listen to them more instead of just talking about yourself.
At the same time, make sure you look after yourself. Try to curtail those relationships in your life where you feel unimportant. If someone isn't making time for you, don't do the same for them. Relationships are a two-way street. Look after your heart and take care of yourself.
