Every new year brings a fresh start. And typically, many of us greet this new beginning by challenging ourselves to complete various resolutions before the year comes to a close again. And while we’re all for achieving your goals, these resolutions can put a lot of stress on people, relationships and families. They can make things tense and unenjoyable and get us away from making 2019 the best and most enjoyable year yet. So rather than provide you with a list of resolutions you can set for yourself, we’ve decided to share a list of ways you can make 2019 a healthier year. The tips will focus on everything from physical health to mental health, and we encourage you to try implementing these tips into your existing daily routine. Rather than shock your routine and system and most likely end up failing, we want you to succeed by doing what feels right and what works for you. Continue reading below for a list of 10 ways you can make 2019 a healthier year. Happy reading!
PRIORITIZE SLEEP
Sounds easy, doesn’t it? But believe it or not, many forget to do this. All too often we all stay up far too late to watch a show, scroll endlessly on social media and even sometimes work. But did you know that not enough sleep can affect our focus throughout the day and in some cases, also affect our body’s cravings— resulting in weight gain? Make 2019 the year you take back your sleep. Adults need at least 7 hours of sleep a night to maintain our focus and judgement and ensure we maintain a healthy lifestyle. We’re all guilty of complaining about being tired, so let’s make 2019 the year we do something about it.
TAKE SELF-CARE BREAKS
As parents, partners and employees, our day-to-day lives can be hectic and stressful. But the key to making the most of every day, week and month is finding your perfect balance between stress and relaxation. For some, this might be taking 20 minutes out of a single day to grab a coffee with a friend, listen to music, go for a walk or do something else that sparks joy in your life, while others it might require 5 minutes every day dedicated to writing in a journal. Regardless of what works for you, prioritizing self-care is a great way to ensure you don’t spend all of 2019 pulling out your hair.
DRINK MORE WATER
Do you crave the fizzy bubbles of pop? Or how about the sweet taste of juice? Well then, 2019 might be the year for you to aim to drink less of these sugary drinks and more water. Pop, juice and energy drinks are packed with sugar that not only raise your blood pressure but also add empty calories to your daily intake— calories that were otherwise reserved for meals and snacks that add nutritional value to your diet. Now, we get that these drinks can be hard to cut out completely, and that’s why we suggest you start by minimizing your consumption of these drinks to once or twice a week (we like to reserve them for the weekend only) and then continue to reduce your intake until eventually, you aren’t consuming them at all. This way, you don’t shock your system all at once and risk failing. And even if you can’t seem to cut these drinks out of your diet completely, reducing their consumption and increasing your intake of water is still a great way to make 2019 healthier.
USE YOUR VACATION TIME
Many companies and organizations offer opportunities for employees to bank unused vacation days and then receive compensation for these days. Sure, it can be tempting, but for 2019 make it a priority to use your vacation days when you need them. You may not have a week-long getaway planned, but vacation days are designed to give you a break from the stress and chaos of the workplace— even if you use your vacation days mid-week. By listening to your body and mind and recognizing when you are rundown, you can reset and return to work the next day or week with a refreshed focus and attitude. Sure, bank as many days as you can, but when your body or mind needs a break, take it.
LISTEN TO YOUR BODY
Last but not least, if you choose to use none of the tips above, we strongly encourage you to use this one. As Guelph rehabilitation and therapy professionals, we see an endless number of patients who wait far too long to seek professional help when experiencing aches and pain. Sure, in the majority of cases we’re still able to help them restore full movement and eliminate the pain, but it’s vital that we all listen to our bodies when we are sore or achy. By listening to your body, you’re able to diagnose the problem early on and reduce the amount of therapy and rehabilitation required. This not only saves you time and money but also minimizes the time you are in discomfort. If you have any aches, pains or soreness that don’t feel normal, we urge you to reach out to us immediately so that a member of our team can help diagnose your problem and get you on the road to recovery.
We hope we’ve given you some ideas for how to make 2019 your healthiest year yet. Like we said above, our goal is to help you succeed and make 2019 more enjoyable for you and your family rather than make it stressful. In our books, even the smallest of victories is still a victory. Keep us up to date on your #HealthiestYearEver by tagging us on Facebook, @Guelph Rehab Centre, in your daily photos.
We look forward to seeing how you decide to make 2019 your healthiest year. And as always, if you have any questions regarding anything above or have suffered an injury or setback during your healthiest year, we encourage you to reach out to us by phone, email or even in-person. A member of our team would be more than happy to help you in any way we can.
