7 Healthy Habits For The New Year to Set You Up For Success

Picture this:

You wake up on New Year’s day ready to attack your resolutions!

Things go great for the first few weeks of January, but towards the end of the month, you notice some of that motivation has gone away.

Sound familiar? 

You’re NOT alone. In fact, 80% of people fail their resolutions by mid-February. 

Why is that?

There could be a few reasons. From vague goals to a negative framing of what you want to achieve.

So maybe we should look at it a little differently. Instead of forcing yourself to follow strict diets or drastic lifestyle changes to achieve desired outcomes, you should look to your habits.

Habits are extremely powerful, 40% of your daily actions aren’t actually conscious decisions you make, they’re habits. 

Habits only get stronger over time, to the point that they become a daily routine. So rather than focusing on resolutions that are easy to fail, here are 10 healthy and easy habits you can start implementing now and set your new year up for success!

Start Your Day With A Glass of Water

A good night’s sleep can do a number on your hydration. Even if you don’t feel it, your body wakes up dehydrated, so drinking a few glasses of water first thing is a great habit to get into.

About 75% of your brain is water, which emphasizes that point even further! The earlier you hydrate yourself, the earlier you are giving your brain the fuel it needs for the busy day ahead. 

It also gives you a great jump on hitting your daily intake of water. You should be drinking about 2 litres or half a gallon of water PER DAY. The benefits to drinking enough water include:

• Increased energy and brain function
• Can relieve constipation
• Can aid weight loss
• Boosts your performance during exercise
• Promotes healthy skin

Start your morning off right and drink your water! 

Speaking of mornings…

Eat a Great Breakfast

It’s called the most important meal of the day for a reason! 

After a long night’s rest, your body needs replenishment of glucose to provide you with the energy needed for your day. Breakfast fires up your metabolism as well, which helps you burn calories throughout the day. 

If you miss breakfast, then you aren’t providing your body with the fuel it needs early on. This can leave you lacking energy throughout your day. Additionally, most breakfast foods are full of essential nutrients and vitamins that are big contributors to your daily nutrient intake. 

Breakfast is commonly skipped because of a lack of time. So consider planning ahead! Make overnight oats, breakfast quesadillas, or omelettes before going to sleep. This allows you to wake up, heat up your food and get that important meal into your body.

Stay Active In Ways That Work For You

The health benefits of regular exercise are immense. 

• Reduces depression and anxiety
• Better sleep
• Weight management 
• Reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease
• Improves your mood and energy levels
• Can be fun and a way to socialize

Physical activity looks different for everyone. You don’t have to spend 2 hours a day at the gym in order to meet your fitness goals. 

This is especially true for New Year’s resolutions. If you’ve never gone to the gym in the past, it is unrealistic to automatically make spending hours at the gym your goal.

As mentioned earlier, it’s better you tackle small habits that can lead to influential changes and routines in your life.

Maybe it starts with a 5-minute walk around your block. You’d be surprised how quickly a 5-minute walk turns into the desire to walk for 10 minutes, or 30. This is because the body releases endorphins in response to exercise, it’s why it’s easier to continue a workout than it is to start.

So whatever fitness looks like for you… whether it’s small walks, a stretching routine at home, or making time for the gym. Just get started with small steps. You will be amazed at how much more energy you feel, and how quickly your daily workouts turn into a routine.

Laugh More

There is a lot going on in the world today that can make laughing seem almost impossible. But there are some serious health benefits that come from laughing, no joke!

Believe it or not, laughter can boost your immune system, your mood, and can trigger the release of endorphins! 

In fact, laughter encourages numerous positive effects on the body from physical to mental, to social benefits! 

A good habit to work on is finding more things in your day that bring you humour and laughter. Consider watching funny shows or movies, listening to a funny podcast during your commute, or hanging out around people with great senses of humour! 

Meditate

The popularity of meditation has been drastically increasing in recent years. For good reason, meditation has many health benefits and it’s a great way to reduce stress.

Did you know?

About one-third of adults suffer from insomnia symptoms? In a study conducted by Oxford, they found that people who meditated sleep longer and have improved insomnia severity versus people not taking medication for insomnia.

Meditation may also reduce memory loss due to age, control anxiety and emotional health, and even decrease blood pressure!

A common obstacle many people face when it comes to meditation is not being able to actually do it. Your thoughts race too much, and you find you can’t focus. 

There are many guided meditations on YouTube that are extremely easy to follow. Try and get into the habit of doing a 10-minute meditation before going to sleep. You’ll find yourself getting better at meditating and your mental health improving as well!

Get Enough Sleep

Speaking of sleep, try and get into the habit of getting enough of it. 

Of course, life gets in the way sometimes and there may be nights where you can only get 5 or 6 hours. But as often as you can, try and get a full night’s sleep in (7-8 hours).

Studies have shown that high-quality sleep can improve a range of issues you may experience, from blood sugar to energy for working out. 

As we mentioned in point 2, during sleep the amount of glucose in your body drops. However, if you don’t spend enough time sleeping, or in “restorative slow-wave sleep” you aren’t giving your body enough time to lower glucose levels and allow a reset. Poor sleep has been linked with high blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. 

So not getting enough sleep may be increasing your risk of developing diabetes or prediabetes.

We live in a busy, demanding world, and it can be easy to neglect your sleep. But getting into the habit of prioritizing your sleep will have you feeling energized and empowered to tackle all the challenges your day throws at you.

Visit Your Healthcare Providers Often

Get in the habit of visiting your healthcare specialists at least once a year. 

Routine checkups with your doctor can be important for catching issues before they become major problems. It is always good to get routine blood work, physicals, and blood pressure, among other important tests to ensure your health is in tip-top shape. 

Likewise, visit your dentist for an annual check-up to ensure you have no periodontal issues. In case you didn’t know, infections to the structures that support your teeth can contribute to heart disease and diabetes.

Finally, no matter how healthy you live your life, you may still find yourself experiencing aches and pains. That’s where we come in! If it hurts, come see us at Core Chiropractic. Regularly visiting your chiropractor can help alleviate many types of chronic pain, and can improve your posture and fitness! 

Implementing

The most important thing come the new year is that you set yourself up for success. It is better that you set up easy, attainable habits that you know you can achieve day in and day out, rather than lofty goals that you may not reach. 

This will improve your determination to stick with it, and ultimately turn your habits into routines you carry for life!

These were 7 healthy habits for the new year that you can start nice and easy. When it comes to any new habit, just make sure it works for you and your body. If you have any questions about a new habit you want to try or general health advice, book a consultation with us. We’d love to hear from you!