Did you prioritize adopting better habits when making your New Year’s plans for 2024? You might be surprised at how simple it is to accomplish this.
When YouGov surveyed 1,000 Americans about their 2024 objectives, it should come as no surprise that the top three priorities were increased physical activity, a healthier diet, and greater mental health. Even so, Aflac reports that almost 60% of employees report having at least mild burnout in their current position, highlighting how difficult it may be to form healthier habits when one feels as though their bandwidth has already been fully utilized.
According to Kim Waters, a nutritionist and wellness educator at Wellbeats, a Lifespeak firm that offers employee wellness programs, moderation is therefore essential.
“Whatever new habits you’re taking on, think about it as something you will maintain for the long haul,” she advises. “Drop the ‘all-or-nothing’ mindset. Nothing is preferable to something.”
Waters exhorts everyone dealing with health-related
According to Kim Waters, a nutritionist and wellness educator at Wellbeats, a Lifespeak firm that offers employee wellness programs, moderation is therefore essential.
“Whatever new habits you’re taking on, think about it as something you will maintain for the long haul,” she advises. “Drop the ‘all-or-nothing’ mindset. Nothing is preferable to something.”
Waters advises anyone setting health-related goals to be very gentle with oneself. The worst thing they can do, she says, is to anticipate perfection and then, when that goal is unavoidably unmet, fall back into old behaviors. There are methods for improving one’s general health without being overly overwhelmed, regardless of whether one is concentrating on diet, exercise, mental health, or all three.
For those who want to make this year about their relationship with health and wellness, here are three suggestions.
Planning is necessary for a healthy diet
It might be challenging to find time between work and family to shop and prepare a healthy dinner every day, but Waters suggests preparing some meals ahead of time. Have a couple ready-to-eat meals that include protein, carbs, and veggies, for instance, if Mondays are especially hectic or taxing. This is not to say that everyone has to cook all of their meals ahead of time, but it can be useful to determine which situations would benefit most from prepared meals.
Waters advises employees to always have easy-to-graze breakfast and snacks so they don’t allow themselves to go without till lunch and dinner. According to her, protein-rich foods like trail mix and Greek yogurt can be especially helpful in boosting energy levels when they occur. Nevertheless, it’s critical to discover the healthful foods that an individual truly appreciates; meal planning ought to make employees anticipate their upcoming meals and snacks rather than despise them.
“The worst thing we can do is skip meals,” says Waters. “Our energy drops, and we end up eating way more food than intended. If we leave ourselves hungry, we just don’t tend to make the best choices.”
Workers are also reminded to stay hydrated by Waters. Even after eating enough, dehydration during the day might impact energy levels and increase feelings of hunger. In order to help employees become more conscious of their consumption, she advises them to bring a water bottle that displays the number of ounces they consumed (no, coffee is not included).
Sneak in some workout
Although many medical specialists advise people to aim for 30 minutes of exercise each day, according to Waters, even 10 minutes is better than none at all. She points out that not everyone can put their family or other obligations on hold for an extended period of time, so even if someone can only get in a quick 10-minute yoga session in the morning, they should still feel like they made progress.
Additional activity breaks can be taken by biking to do a quick errand or going for a quick walk during lunch. According to Waters, make the workout fit into your schedule rather than the other way around.
“One more vegetable per week is better than none. A 10-minute bout of exercise will be better than none,” she says. “Just keep plugging away, be consistent and that’s going to have the long-haul results.”
Conscientiously cultivate an optimistic outlook
Although there isn’t a quick answer for mental health issues, Waters thinks that writing in a little journal every morning can at least make people feel more in control of their lives. She advises individuals to try recording, on a notepad or in a phone app, three things for which they are thankful. Even when the person isn’t journaling, this practice might assist train their brain to look for the good things that are currently present. There may be one positive item or five, depending on how someone is feeling, but making an effort to push away negative ideas while maintaining a concrete log of life’s blessings can be a really beneficial mental activity, according to Waters.
Similar to how one should approach exercise and diet, Waters cautions employees not to expect to follow through on a new habit flawlessly. Instead, the most crucial thing to remember when implementing a new habit is to persevere.
As Waters puts it, “Health is a marathon.” “It’s achievable, but we have to be consistent and take the [journey] in bite sizes.”