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Healthy Habits for the New Year

4 Easy Ways to Make 2022 Your Best Year Ever

Article by Mckenzie Joyner

Photography by Provided

Originally published in Boise Lifestyle

Want to make this year different from the rest but don’t even know where to start?  I’ve outlined simple ways you can make 2022 your healthiest.  You don’t have to do them all on at once, either.  Just start implementing one new habit a month, then start adding on when you feel the time is right for you. Keep it manageable and fun – that’s what life is all about!

These four tips touch on different areas and aspects of our lives, yet they all play a huge role in our overall health. Other good habits include eating more whole foods and cutting down on sugar, creating a nightly routine to improve sleep, and moving your body on a daily basis. Tackling these areas can really improve our physical and mental health, and our ability to live a life to our fullest capacity.

Cheers to a New Year and creating habits that set us up to feel and be our best!

DRINK MORE WATER

This is my #1 tip for living your healthiest year ever.   Did you know increasing your hydration as little as 3% could result in a 50% increase in productivity?  Drinking water helps you feel your best, move your best, and sleep your best. This one simple act to stay properly hydrated improves so much of your health. Keep a re-useable water bottle with you and set hydration timers on your phone to keep you on track.

DECLUTTER YOUR SPACE

We truly are affected by our surroundings.  A cluttered space can create a cluttered mind. When our environment is out of order, we feel out of sorts. Decluttering has the ability to energize, release negative emotions, and create both physical and mental space. By decluttering your desk or your home, you take control of your environment and free yourself to be present and productive. Tidying is not just for esthetics; it is proven to lower stress, increase productivity and provide physical health benefits.

MAKE TIME FOR SELF-CARE

Creating a routine for self-care has been clinically proven to reduce anxiety, depression, and stress while improving energy and overall feelings of happiness. Self-care doesn’t have to be extravagant spa days or expensive presents to yourself. It can be drawing an Epsom salt bath in the evening, sipping a cup of tea in a quiet place, reading for pleasure, or having a set hour of alone time.  The simple things that help us feel healthy are not a luxury -  they are a necessity.

MINIMIZE SCREEN TIME

This might seem like a hard one, but we need to spend less time looking at screens and more time enjoying the real life that is happening all around us. Connect with friends and family and stop mindlessly scrolling and comparing yourself to others. Finding joy and gratitude in what’s right in front of you can really help increase self-confidence. Start taking notice of your screen time and create healthy boundaries around technology.

  • McKenzie Joyner in the South Island of New Zealand, near Milford Sound