One of the best parts about the New Year is the opportunity to feel like you are starting fresh. With the start of the New Year, you can leave everything behind and begin a new chapter focused on bettering yourself. When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, one of, if not the most common resolution is to lose weight.
While this may be a healthy and feasible resolution for some, it does not necessarily have to be your main focus. Plus, focusing on the scale alone is not beneficial to your overall wellbeing. Your health is much more than just the number on the scale, and it is important that you have a well-balanced “diet” that feeds both your physical and mental health simultaneously.
Check out some New Year’s resolutions that you can think about pursuing that do not involve weight loss and get ready to make the upcoming year the best one yet.
1 – Plan a trip.
Gather together some family or a group of friends and plan a fun trip so that you have something to look forward to for the year. Look at what your overall budget is and figure out what makes the most sense in terms of the destination and length of the trip.
If you are finding that you do not have a large budget to travel somewhere far, simply plan a long weekend somewhere that is drivable and will still feel like a nice getaway. If possible, pick a place that you have never been before so you can experience new scenery and have a true sense of adventure!
2 – Start journaling.
Regardless of whether you are a writer or not, journaling can be great for your mental health as it is an awesome way to get all your thoughts out on paper so that they are taking up less space in your brain.
There are many different types of journals that you can choose from, some of which have prompts that you can respond to each day, or if you prefer regular loose-leaf paper to totally mind dump, that is a great option as well!
Journaling is super cathartic and should be added to everyone’s daily routine, either first thing in the morning or before you go to bed each night.
3 – Practice gratitude.
Times can get busy and stressful, but it is important to practice gratitude as much as you can and focus on what you have, not what you do not have.
Make it one of your resolutions to wake up each day and spend some time thinking about what you are thankful for and all that you have going for you in life, especially during times that you are feeling overwhelmed or going through a worrisome time.
4 – Drink more water.
Do whatever it takes to drink more water throughout the day! Staying hydrated is key to both your physical and mental health and is extremely important.
If you need some help kickstarting your journey of drinking more water, treat yourself to a new cup (yes, go for the Stanley), and mark it as your official Emotional Support water bottle (if you know, you know).
If you are someone who finds the taste of water boring, often opting you to go for more unhealthy beverages, check out companies such as Liquid IV that can hydrate you with the help of some flavor.
5 – Try new recipes.
Whether you are a regular cook or not, make it a goal to try a new recipe each month that you totally cook from scratch. This is a fun activity to do by yourself or with a roommate, family member, or friend!
Make sure each month that you are trying a recipe that you have never made before, and make sure to take some pictures so that you can look back at all the fun recipes you made over the year!
Who knows, by the end of the year you could consider yourself a gourmet chef if you make this one of your resolutions!
