OK, that’s it – the party’s over.
And we partied, didn’t we? On Thanksgiving we ate enough to feed a small village; on Christmas we ate well AND spent a mint on gifts for Bae and the kids; then, on New Year’s Eve they gave us drinks to drink, so we drank ‘em and got drunk.
We played like MVPs this holiday season, but since we’ve turned the page on a new year, it’s time to reset. Because, while the holidays are fun, all that eating and drinking takes a toll on the body and, for many of us, dealing with family and friends – or celebrating without loved ones we’ve lost – takes a toll on the mind and spirit.
So here are five suggestions on how to get your physical and mental back in order for 2023:
Don’t be thirsty… Drink more water
This is one tip that never gets old. We literally need water to live, but its benefits go far beyond that. It aids in digestion and will help flush all that holiday revelry out of your system. Staying adequately hydrated also promotes clear thinking, as dehydration can leave you all foggy. And if you substitute some of those sweet drinks you like with water, you’ll instantly cut your caloric intake since water has zero calories. Drinking water also helps with managing body weight, which leads us to our next suggestion…
Join a gym… And actually GO
A staple of New Year’s resolutions since forever, signing up for the gym is a great step towards improving your health. Problem is, too many of us don’t get much further than that first step before we mentally check out. Then, we repeat it all next New Year.
So how do we break that cycle? For starters, don’t just “join a gym” – do some research and join the right gym. There are boutique gyms around town that offer custom membership packages, many of which include personal training sessions, or offer fun classes you can drop in on that break the monotony of traditional “reps and sets” workouts. Finding your thing is key to maintaining a workout regimen, as what works for them might not work for you.
Working out is a great way to relieve stress and expel frustration in a healthy way, but if you don’t wanna sweat that hard maybe you should…
Take yoga classes… Center yourself
If peace and calm are what you’re after, yoga might be what you need. The stretches and controlled breathing work wonders at calming an overactive mind while also lengthening, strengthening and toning your muscles. Our stress often manifests itself in the form of pain, sleeping problems or other physical ailments, and yoga can help manage and alleviate these ills. It also improves cardiovascular and circulatory health and helps maintain a balanced metabolism.
Sometimes you just gotta be still and…
Disconnect… Do a “Digital Detox”
Have you ever forgotten your phone and felt like you absolutely could not survive the day without it? Or even worse – thought you lost it! Oh, the horror!
This response proves we have an unhealthy attachment, almost an addiction, to our devices. The constant stimulation is making us anxious, shortening our attention span, causing us to procrastinate and destroying our real-world communication skills. Holding and staring at our devices for hours on end is ruining our posture and might even be damaging our eyeballs. Yet we do it every single day.
Let’s stop doing that, or at least agree to take a break semi-regularly, OK?
And finally…
Sit your butt down somewhere… Get some rest
Some say “sleep is the cousin of death,” and others say “I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” but guess what? They’re stupid. All of them.
Because without sleep, you cannot live.
Sleep deprivation adds to your stress while simultaneously affecting your memory and alertness, and that’s just in the short term. Long-term effects include reduced immune system function, increased risk of heart attack and stroke and, possibly worst of all, potential ugliness. Seriously – not getting enough rest can have you out here looking rundown with big bags under your eyes, it can even give you bad skin!
So, instead of being tired and stressed, make it a point to get some quality rest onto your schedule this year. Meditate. Take a nap. Thumb through a book. Just slow it down sometimes and remember that caring for YOU is just as important as all those other tasks you’ve gotta complete.
This, of course, is not a complete list of ways to have a healthy year, but these tips will definitely get us off to a good start. Let’s be great in 2023.