Realistic Tips to Make 2024 Joyful

Realistic Tips to Make 2025 a Year of Joy .pdf

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Introduction: It is the most wonderful time of the year! The holiday season is filled with treats, festive celebrations, holiday meals with loved ones and hopefully, some down time to reflect on the year. After the beautiful and reflective holiday season though comes the chaos of the new year. On the tails of dashing, decorating, delightful December comes jogging, gymming, juicing January. While the new year can be an amazing opportunity to reset and build some healthy habits, it can often become overwhelming trying to establish all the trendiest routines at one time. With January only a few weeks away, where should we begin? 

Move Your Body: We all know that moving our bodies has a myriad of benefits. In the short-term, physical activity immediately leads to “improved thinking or cognition,” “reduced short-term feelings of anxiety,” improved “thinking, learning and judgement skills,” a “reduced risk of depression,” and improved sleep (CDC, n.d.a, p.1). Physical activity helps with weight management, reduces your risk of heart disease and stroke, “reduces your risk of developing type 2 diabetes,” and reduces “the risk of serious outcomes from infectious diseases,” (CDC, n.d.a, p.1). Physical activity also strengthens your bones and muscles, prevents falls in older adults and increases longevity (CDC, n.d.a). 

Now, how do we get started? My biggest recommendation is to start with walking 3-4 days a week to develop endurance. After you feel comfortable walking 30 minutes 3-4 days a week and have established this baseline, it is important to find activities that you enjoy! Selecting forms of physical activity that you enjoy makes it much more likely that you will adhere to moving your body consistently. Some examples include yoga, gardening, dancing, hiking, biking, weight training and even deep house cleaning. Establishing a routine of movement that includes 30 minutes of movement most days a week will provide all the benefits listed above WITHOUT the added stress of trying to keep up with the newest trend or performing grueling exercise that you dread. 

Drink Water: We all know that it is important to drink water and that water is the healthiest beverage for our bodies. About “60% of the body is made up of water,” (McIntosh, 2024, p.1). Drinking water helps to lubricate the cartilage in joints and forms saliva that helps with digestion (McIntosh, 2024). Our blood is “more than 90% water,” and our blood carries oxygen throughout our body (McIntosh, 2024, p.2). Water boosts the skin barrier and cushions the brain and spinal cord (McIntosh, 2024). Water helps with temperature regulation and the excretion of waste (McIntosh, 2024). Finally, water helps to dissolve minerals and nutrients making them accessible to the body and helps maintain healthy blood pressure (McIntosh, 2024). 

We are able to obtain about 20% of our water intake needs from fruits,vegetables and nonalcoholic, non-caffeinated fluids (McIntosh, 2024). It is recommended that women drink 11.5 cups of water each day and that men drink 15.5 cups of water each day (McIntosh, 2024). On average, adults drink only about 5.5 cups of water per day (McIntosh, 2024). How do we bridge the gap? Start your day with a glass of water before consuming any caffeine. Drink a glass of water before and after each meal. Having a reusable water bottle can help ensure that you consistently have access to water. Adding fruit or spices to water can help with the monotony. Start slow and remember that some water is always better than no water!

Make Your Food Function: We all know that eating a balanced diet is important. Eating a balanced diet can lower your risk of “heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and even certain cancers,” (UHC, n.d., p.1). Consistently consuming fruits and vegetables helps to maintain a healthier immune system meaning “you’ll be able to fight off the germs that cause colds and flu,” and “you’ll likely recover more quickly if you do get sick,” (UHC, n.d., p.1). Eating a balanced diet with protein, unsaturated fats and whole grains “raises blood sugar slowly,” meaning “you’ll have enough fuel to last you until your next healthy meal,” (UHC, n.d., p.1). Processed foods can interfere with deep sleep or “the stage of sleep that allows you to feel your best when you are awake,” (UHC, n.d., p.2). Low-fat, high protein foods are high in B vitamins which “may help regulate melatonin,” aka the sleep hormone (UHC, n.d., p.2). Eating a balanced diet can “lower your risk of dementia,” and helps keep your brain sharp (UHC, n.d., p.2). It also can help build strong bones, strong teeth and promote eye health (UHC, n.d.). Finally, eating a balanced diet can “help ease joint pain and improve other symptoms of arthritis,” (UHC, n.d., p.2).

To build a healthy diet we need to know how to build a healthy plate. First, we need a palm sized portion of lean protein such as fish, yogurt, legumes, poultry, lean beef, low fat milk and eggs. Next, we need a fist sized portion of healthy carbs including whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Next, we need a thumb-sized portion of healthy fats like olive oil, avocado, chia seeds, flaxseeds or nuts. If we use this formula to build a healthy meal 3 times per day and make sure we are including a variety of healthy foods, we have set the foundation for a balanced eating plan without the challenges of adopting the trendiest, restrictive diet

Sleep 7-9 Hours: We have all experienced the impact of poor sleep and deserve to experience the many benefits of quality sleep. Some benefits include getting sick less often, maintaining a healthy weight and improved mood (CDC, n.d.b). Additionally, getting quality sleep reduces stress, improves your heart health and improves metabolism (CDC, n.d.b). Sleep also reduces the risk of developing certain conditions including Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke (CDC, n.d.b). Finally, getting high quality sleep improves your attention and memory and reduces the risk of motor vehicle crashes and other unintentional injuries (CDC, n.d.b). 

For adults, the goal is 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night. There are some sleep hygiene practices that can help improve sleep. First, establishing a consistent bedtime and wake up time each day is beneficial when trying to improve sleep quality and quantity (CDC, n.d.b). Next, making your bedroom a relaxing and quiet place including turning off electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bed can help you fall asleep with ease by encouraging timely melatonin production (CDC, n.d.b). Avoiding large meals, alcohol and caffeine in the evening can help us to have more restful sleep and fall asleep easier (CDC, n.d.b). Avoiding napping, especially longer naps during the day can also promote more restful nighttime sleep. Finally, both exercise and consuming a balanced diet help improve both quality and quantity of nighttime sleep (CDC, n.d.b). 

Mental Health Boosters: In addition to exercise, water, nutrition and sleep, including mental health boosters throughout your day is extremely beneficial when fostering healthy habits. What these boosters will include varies greatly from person to person and depends on preferences, schedule and access to materials. One set of possible options include meditation and journaling, both of which help us “slow down, tune in, and gain greater insights into our inner world,” (Wright, 2024, p.1). These options can serve as “positive coping strategies,” to help us “deal with stress and anxiety,” (Wright, 2024, p.1). Journaling can come in many different forms and consists of “daily reflections,” for the “purpose of self-reflection and self-expression” in order to “better understand your behaviors and gain insights into your strengths and weaknesses,” (Wright, 2024, p.1). Meditation is basically a mental exercise “with the goal of improving your attention span and bringing your attention to the present moment,” (Wright, 2024, p.2). This can range from very long, guided practices all the way to pausing for a few moments to focus your attention on your breath (Wright, 2024). 

In addition to mindfulness, crafting and hobbies are another way to boost our mental health. Hobbies “improve your creative problem-solving abilities, help you build better relationships,” and “makes you more empathetic,” (Venkat, 2024, p.1). Engaging in creative activities leads to “an increased sense of well-being,” and leads to “a sense of positivity and upliftment,” (Venkat, 2024, p.1). Engaging in a creative hobby also “lowers your stress levels,” and “leads to improved mental health,” (Venkat, 2024, p.1). Hobbies can include athletics, crafting, reading, continuing education, clubs, building collections, cooking/ baking, playing games, spending time outdoors or any activity that is “done regularly in one’s leisure time for pleasure,” (Venkat, 2024, p.1). If you do not have any hobbies now, try taking a local class or asking friends what hobbies they enjoy. 

Key-Takeaway: You do not need to revamp your entire life each January. In fact that leads to overwhelm, decision fatigue, relapse and eventually, shame. Let's make January a time to seek joy and develop habits that help us feel good in our bodies. 

References

CDC (n.d.a). Benefits of physical activity. CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/physical-activity-basics/benefits/index.html 

CDC (n.d.b) About sleep. CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about/index.html 

McIntosh, J (2024). 15 benefits of drinking water. MedicalNewsToday. 

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/290814 

UHC (n.d.). 8 mind-body benefits of eating healthy. UHC. https://www.uhc.com/news-articles/healthy-living/8-mind-body-benefits-of-eating-healthy 

Venkat, S. (2024). Health benefits of hobbies. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/balance/health-benefits-of-hobbies 

Wright, K. (2024) How meditation and journaling can enhance your life. DayOne. https://dayoneapp.com/blog/meditation-and-journaling/