New years is a great time to start over and make goals for yourself. During the last few weeks of the year, you have the opportunity to reflect, but once the new year hits, you’ll need to begin sticking to your goals and resolutions. Common new year’s resolutions include weight loss, fitness goals, and aggressive dieting plans. Given the current pandemic, it is important to prioritize new year’s health resolutions to stick to. 

Many people quit their diets early on and believe it when they tell themselves they’ll start over the next year. When the next year rolls around, they still can’t manage to stick to their resolutions and get caught up in a cycle of making and breaking resolutions. 

Sometimes it’s not you that fails but the initial resolution that offers you no opportunity to succeed. Instead, you need to find a resolution you can stick to that doesn’t involve making major changes to your lifestyle. Here are some new year’s health resolutions to stick to this year. 

Eating Whole Foods

A full-on diet may not be in the cards for you, especially if you’ve had a diet as your resolution before and failed to stick to it. However, there are small dietary changes you can make that are much easier to stick to than changing up everything you eat, such as eating more whole foods. 

Whole foods include healthy vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and anything else that’s not processed. These foods provide your body with nutrients that your body needs to properly function. Additionally, you don’t have to start adding whole foods to your diet overnight. If you’re not someone who normally eats vegetables, you can start slowly by adding a serving of vegetables to your dinner. 

Move More

Many resolutions consist of getting physically fit, but an easier resolution to keep is to simply move more and be less sedentary. For example, instead of sitting all day at work, you can set the alarm on your phone to remind you to take frequent breaks. 

Making a resolution to sit for fewer hours each day is an attainable goal that anyone can accomplish. Instead of working up a sweat at lunch, you can go for a light walk around the block in comfortable running shoes. 

The more time you spend being active, the more likely it will become a part of your routine. A resolution to walk for fifteen minutes a day can soon turn into a hobby of walking for an hour a day.

Cut Back on Sugar

Cutting back on sugar can help you feel better throughout the day and promote weight loss. One way to cut back on sugar is to eliminate sweetened drinks from your diet. Instead of adding sugar to your coffee, try taking it black or adding a low-calorie sweetener instead. 

Quitting sweetened beverages is easier than cutting desserts out of your diet, but you can also gradually cut back on sugar. For example, instead of drinking soda at lunch, you can opt for something healthier like water or tea. 

Get More Sleep

One of the most accomplishable resolutions is to get more sleep so you can feel more energized throughout the day. Getting more sleep is easy once you start making it a priority. For example, you can start by going to bed just a few minutes earlier each night until you find the right amount of sleep you need to perform at your best. 

Many people have busy lives and don’t get enough sleep. However, anyone can start getting more sleep by turning off the television an hour before you go to bed and getting into a night routine that can train your brain to start getting tired earlier. 

Find a New Physical Activity

Many new year’s resolutions involve fitness, but too many people make the mistake of planning an extensive workout routine only to realize they don’t have enough time. Instead of forcing yourself to work out more, consider finding a physical activity you enjoy. For example, many people enjoy running while others prefer to do yoga. 

Finding an activity you enjoy can help you start making healthier choices to reach your larger fitness goals.

Practice Self Care

Taking more time to yourself for some quality self-care can seem like a pipe dream, especially for busy parents and professionals. However, taking time to yourself can help you feel happier, which can positively impact every aspect of your life, including work. 

Taking care of yourself can also boost your mental health, something that’s important to help you stay on track with your goals. 

People with busy schedules may initially have a difficult time practicing self-care, so it might take planning. However, you don’t need to spend hours focusing on yourself to take care of yourself. Instead, you can simply do something you enjoy or something that benefits your mental or physical health, such as taking your daily vitamins, spending time with your pet, or watching a show. 

Cook More

If you’re someone who wants to cook more at home to save money on food delivery, then you might need to find ways to motivate yourself. Cooking more at home can also help you achieve other goals, such as weight loss and saving money. 

To cook more at home, you can start by making yourself one meal a day and increase the frequency as you get more comfortable with your cooking skills and routine. 

Take a Vacation

Far too few employees use up all of their vacation days. However, these are free days where you’re not expected to worry about work. Instead of working through your vacation, consider taking an actual vacation where you can focus on yourself. 

If you’re someone who feels too busy to take a vacation, you can simply take a weekend trip to relax and rejuvenate your mind and body. 

Limit Screen Time

As you already know, we all stare at our screens too often during the day. If you work in an office, you’re also staring at a screen while you work. Then, when you come home from work, you likely watch television or sit on the couch scrolling social media. Limiting screen time can help you fall asleep faster and reduce stress. Limiting your screen time doesn’t mean giving up your phone; it simply means spending less time looking at screens. 

You can limit your screen time by setting a time for when you’ll turn your phone off every night. Instead of scrolling social media late into the night, you can help your body get the rest it deserves by avoiding blue light that can trick your brain into thinking it’s time to be awake. 

Marné Amoguis

Marné Amoguis holds a B.A. in International Business from UC San Diego. She is a contributing writer at 365businesstips.com where she loves sharing her passion for digital marketing. Outside of writing, she loves traveling, playing music, and hiking.