Maintaining Your New Year's Resolutions: Healthy Habits for a Healthier You

As the New Year begins to unfold, we start to put into practice the New Year's resolutions we made. For many, "be more healthy" is at the top of the list. Yet as we all know from years worth of forgotten and neglected resolutions, it can be hard to stick to the resolutions we establish on January first, especially when it comes to those involving our health. Whether it be a promise to improve our diet, exercise more, find more time to relax, or lose weight, it can be hard to maintain these promises for the entire year. As life becomes more and more busy and the buzz of the "new year, new you" mentality wears off, we tend to brush these resolutions to the side. Each year we promise ourselves that this year is going to be different, that we are actually going to stick to our resolutions. Yet somehow, this promise is often left unfulfilled. So why is it so hard for us to follow through on our New Year's resolutions?

There are many theories that address this very question. The one that this article will focus on has to do with habits. Our day to day life and routines revolve around our habits. Once developed, habits are hard to break. For those bad habits, such as the one too many cups of morning coffee or the afternoon cigarette, this is not so good news. Yet for those of us struggling to maintain our healthy New Year's resolutions, this is the key to our problems.

The key is to turn your New Year's resolutions into habits: that way they are easy to maintain and hard to forget. In other words, instead of making unattainable and vague resolutions, start by focusing on simple resolutions. These simple resolutions, with some initial dedication, will turn into healthy habits. These habits will form a foundation that will make it easier to make even more healthier changes in your life.

Here are some simple and healthy habits to start implementing into your every day routine.

Develop a healthy morning routine.

The way you go about your morning sets the tone for the rest of your day. If you start your morning off rushed and disorganized, it is likely the rest of your day will be the same. However, if you set some time aside in the morning to ground yourself and practice some healthy habits, your day will be off to a good start. Developing a healthy and mindful morning routine is one of the best habits for a healthy lifestyle. It allows you to incorporate healthy aspects into your day right off the bat. Here are some simple and easy habits to incorporate into your morning routine that will help you start your day off on the right foot.

• Drink a cup of tea or warm lemon water. This is a great way to instantly hydrate your body, kick-start your metabolism, and wake up your body gently and naturally.
• Do a few minutes of yoga or simple stretching. This will help relax your body and center your mind.
• Eat breakfast. This may seem like an obvious part of a morning routine, but so many of us skip breakfast. It is so important to consume something besides coffee in the morning. A morning meal gives us the energy our brain and body needs to perform at their best. Even a simple bowl of oatmeal makes a world of difference.
• Take a walk. If you have extra time in the morning, a quick walk outside is a great way to calm and center yourself for the day to come.

Daily Exercise That Doesn't Feel Like Exercise

It is well known that exercise is a crucial part of a healthy lifestyle. Yet many of us fear, or even hate, exercise because we assume it can not be fun. Sure, any good work out requires motivation and dedication, but just like any other habit, once you start doing it daily, it is hard to stop. So where can we find that motivation? Through making exercise fun! You do not need to go to a gym, lift weights, or run many miles to get in a good work out. The key is to find a form of exercise you actually enjoy and look forward to doing every day. In turn, it will be easier to develop a habit of exercising daily. Here is a list of fun forms of exercise that don't really feel like "exercise."

• Dancing or Zumba
• Yoga
• Kayaking or paddle boarding
• Hiking or nature walks
• Rock climbing
• Skiing or snowboarding

Another way to develop a habit of exercise is to incorporate simple forms of exercise into your daily routine. For example, walk or bike to work instead of driving. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Finding opportunities to work in a few minutes of activity each day can make all the difference.

Drink water.

They say we should be drinking at least eight glasses of water a day. The sad reality is that many of us fail to do so. Though for many water is accessible, we often forget to drink enough water throughout the day. Water is so important to maintaining a well functioning and healthy body. Not staying properly hydrated can lead to a foggy brain and fatigue.

Drinking more water is a easy habit to develop. Try drinking a glass of water every other hour. Set a reminder on your phone if you need to. Carry a reusable water bottle with you throughout your day so that it is easy to maintain this habit.

For those of you who do not like plain water, try jazzing it up by adding a splash of fruit juice or a slice of lemon. Though it may be tempting to drink soda and juice all day, these drinks do not do the same good for your body as pure water does.

Develop a consistent sleep routine.

Sleep is another aspect crucial to good physical and mental health. Yet just like our water intake, many of us fail to get enough sleep. Ideally, the average adult should be sleeping at least seven to eight hours a night. Some of us find it hard to get that much sleep each night. One good way to help yourself get enough sleep is to develop a consistent sleep routine. Having a sleep routine will make it easier to fall asleep. Here are some tips to developing a good sleep routine.

• Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. This will help train your body to be able to fall asleep through maintaining a good circadian rhythm. An inconsistent sleep schedule makes it harder for your body to fall asleep.
• Stop using technology an hour before bed. Many of us have a tendency to scroll through our phones as we wait to fall asleep. Technology, such as computers and smart phones, stimulate the mind and make it harder for you to settle into a relaxed and sleepy state.
• Include some relaxing aspects into your sleep routine. Things like drinking herbal tea, smelling lavender essential oil, or reading a nice book, will help you to relax and settle down before bed time.

There you have it, simple and easy habits to implement into your daily life to help maintain your health-related New Year's resolutions. These habits provide a foundation to help you achieve your resolutions each and every year.