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bunch of sticky notes with New Year's Resolutions

Addition Over Subtraction

With the arrival of a new year people often make resolutions to lose weight or give up something to be healthy, but all too often we fall short of our goals. What if we made a new kind of resolution to keep us on track? Achieving your goals without telling yourself “no” most of the time can often come down to a simple flip. For example:

Stop eating junk food

→ Eat more vegetables Maintaining your New Year’s Resolution

One thing many of us aim for when it comes to resolutions is to eat healthier foods. But usually when people begin and try to cut out everything all at once they tend to give up on their goal. So, instead of banning whole categories of foods, why not try resolving to add three more fruit and vegetable servings to each day? You will be more likely to stay committed and achieve lasting results.

Lose weight

→ Add more movement to your day

We hear these phrases every year “new year, new me,” “I am going to work out every day,” “I want to lose X number of pounds.” These are great, but when you set the bar too high you are more likely to quit. Instead of saying you are going to go to the gym every day, try starting by saying “I am going to move for 30 minutes every day” whether it be at the gym, taking a walk, going on a hike or doing a workout in your living room.

Quit diet soda

→ Drink more water

Water is essential in keeping nutrients flowing in the body, meaning water just makes you feel better overall. There are many benefits to drinking water including prevention of headaches, glowing skin, flushing out of waste and bacteria, and more. When you are dehydrated your body can’t function properly, so set a goal of how many glasses you’d like to reach every day (4 to 6 cups per day is optimal for most adults) and get hydrated.

Stop scrolling through social media in bed

→ Add a book to your bedtime routine

Struggling to fall asleep at bedtime? It could have something to do with how you spend those final minutes before closing your eyes: thumbing through Twitter, Facebook or Instagram before eventually stressing about the time and putting down your phone. Try reading for about 30 to 45 minutes instead. it’s a known fact that reading an actual book before sleeping is much more beneficial than scrolling. While the light from the phone keeps you awake for longer and makes you restless while you sleep, books are a great way to divert your mind and reduce your stress.

So when coming up with next year’s resolutions, keep this in mind: Even if your resolution is truly about stopping a bad behavior, it’s useful to couple stopping the bad thing with the addition of a new, positive habit. After all, it’s easier to replace a habit than to erase one.

 

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