December is when people reflect on what transpired throughout the year, taking stock of whether they ended up following through on the resolutions they started the year with. Resolutions, made especially at the start of a new year, signify a strong beginning — both for the year as well as the positive changes that you want to bring about in it.
While resolutions are personal, here is one that can go on anyone’s list: staying happy and healthy. Many people grapple with some sort of lifestyle disorder nowadays, making it all the more important to put a stop to such issues. The best way to do that would be to implement healthy lifestyle changes during the new year.
Despite awareness about the importance of lifestyle in health, it is often ignored. Perhaps it has something to do with the significant investment required in terms of time, commitment and habit. However, it need not be that way, says Nidhi Jalan, a wellness enthusiast and coach from Bangalore. “Making lifestyle changes isn’t difficult, as they need not be very drastic,” she adds. “They can be some habits you develop or small changes that you make in a gradual manner. Having been diagnosed with thyroid issues, I thought I was in for lifelong medications. However, I realized that making lifestyle changes would help me lead a life free of the condition as well as medicines, which is not impossible.”
Lifestyle changes for a healthy new year
Some healthy habits that one can implement in the coming year and reap their rich benefits include:
♦ Exercise every day
The common notion that exercises are only for those who want to lose weight needs to be debunked. Exercise is important for everyone to stay healthy, period.
“Work and lack of time can’t be excuses for not working out, as exercise stimulates the release of happy hormones such as dopamine [endorphins] that help you become more productive and efficient in your work,” says Jalan. “You can also keep yourself physically active by walking to nearby stores instead of ordering online or taking the stairs instead of using elevators.”
Keeping tabs on your weight and undergoing regular health check-ups is beneficial. However, the frequency of check-ups will reduce if you make necessary lifestyle changes and follow a healthy lifestyle.
♦ Watch what you eat
Food is one of the major culprits behind lifestyle disorders. Ordering food from outside and eating at irregular times is slowly becoming the norm. These habits have deleterious health impacts. “We need to have a holistic approach and be aware of what we eat. The food made at home may not be appealing, but it is healthier than the junk available outside,” emphasizes Jalan.
While resisting the temptation to indulge in your favorite foods outside can be challenging, you can begin by reducing the number of visits to food joints and online food orders.
♦ Follow a bedtime routine
The benefits of having a bedtime routine include undisturbed, sufficient and improved sleep.
“Our body functions continuously and needs time to rest, repair and recover,” emphasizes Jalan. “There is a rhythm that the body follows, and breaking that rhythm or cycle can affect your immune system and have other health effects too.”
So, creating a healthy bedtime routine is crucial; you can start by staying away from gadgets just before going to bed.
♦ Limit screen time
The infusion of technology into the farthest corners of the world has made gadget use an unavoidable aspect of everyone’s life.
“While working professionals can’t avoid screen time, they can take breaks, walk around, refresh, wash their eyes and do some basic eye exercises like eye rotation and blinking,” advises Jalan.
A sure-shot way to limit screen time is by reducing the time spent playing online games or scrolling through social media. “People who tend to read books online can try getting physical copies and reading them. In addition, those living in the same city can meet in person occasionally instead of video calling,” adds Jalan.
♦ Communicate and socialize
Gadgets, busy work schedules or even heavy traffic in cities can be cited as reasons why people aren’t able to socialize. However, lack of communication and socializing is one of the major reasons for the mental health issues that individuals face today.
“Being in one’s own company, also called ‘me time’, is becoming common,” says Jalan. “But that shouldn’t take away the time that you spend with your family or friends. Going for a walk with the family members or playing board games with them are also needed. Meet people or friends and connect with them through social media. Start building a relationship with the people in your life. You need to create an environment for yourself that’s healthy and uplifts you.”
♦ Take care of your mental health
Stress is one of the major causes of mental health problems. While communicating can help, there are other things one can do to manage stress.
“Spending time in nature helps deter stress,” says Jalan. “Meditating has its benefits too. Having good company to spend time with and talk to whenever needed is also important.” You can overcome the difficulty of talking about mental health issues by sharing little things with your friends and family whom you are close with and can confide in. As the trust builds, it becomes easier to address these problems.
♦ Prioritize self-care
People who associate self-care with selfishness may feel guilty prioritizing it. But self-care is important to be happy.
“For some people, self-care involves reading a book, while for others, it includes shopping or going to the spa; for some, it could be just sleeping or going out for a coffee or dinner. You need to work on yourself and figure out activities that give you happiness,” says Jalan.
While these are simple things, such changes can be very beneficial in the long run. “You can’t go back in time. Start working on your lifestyle, figure out the changes and routines that work best for you and invest time in yourself and your health,” emphasizes Jalan.
