Here we are again, with the holiday season about to wrap up up into the nice little bow that is the new year, we will all be pondering how to make this year a little healthier and a little happier.
However, health goes far beyond just what you eat. 2015 is the year to start fresh and get your “whole self” healthy from body, mind and spirit to finances and relationships. Here are a few tips to get you started!
- Do the best you can to adopt healthier eating habits. Food is your medicine and watching what you eat both in portion size as well as what is and isn’t on your plate is the best way to stay healthy. Try to increase your veggie intake on a daily basis as well as whole grains and complete proteins while decreasing your sugar, fat & animal product consumption. Your body will thank you as will the earth!
- Fit in fitness wherever you can. Be it a 20 minute walk after dinner or a dance class a few times a week, find ways to get the blood pumping and it will help you cope with stress and might even be something you look forward to every day. Especially when you make your exercise social like a class our group hike!
- Go green as lightly as you can. Some people are able to go green easier and faster then others but every little bit helps. Recycle bottles, cans and bags at home; watch your water and electric usage and try to carpool, ride your bike or walk when you can. Making a difference doesn’t happen over night and no one expects you to live completely off the grid – yet ; )
- Watch your spending. 2011 was a financial bust for many so let’s learn from that and make 2010 a more financially responsible year by implementing healthier money habits at home.There are a variety of financial tools and applications available that can help, most are free too. In fact, you can find several good tools here. Cut down on impulse buys and services you don’t really need or use; make a list of what you can and can’t do without and find alternatives (i.e. quit your Starbucks habit & make healthier lattes at home – you can save up to $150 a month this way!); see how you can barter services and/or items for things you need (i.e. baby sitting for house sitting, etc). Get creative and see the savings!
- Make this the year you go for what you love. 2011 also taught us that sometimes we need to adjust our lives depending on our finances. Many folks lost their jobs and used that to their benefit to start their own business. If you’ve always wanted to be a chef, look into affordable classes. If you want to start a home business, make time to do the research on what you need to get started – and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Be the Phoenix that rises from the ashes of 2011!
- Surround yourself with a good support system. No matter what you situation, nothing is worth having without being able to share it with people you love. Remember what is truly important in life & no that when times are tough, you have people to lean on & that you can be supportive to others. Bad times shall pass and we can all be, and use, a hand to hold for better or for worse; )
- And as Ghandi once said “Be the change you want to see in the world”
