22 things to make your 2022 better!

     As the year ends, we can sit and reminisce the gifts that these 12 months have brought to us. We may choose to be grateful for whatever we have received and learned from the lessons that came our way. The next step would be to work towards new goals. A year is enough time to gather a stack of new experiences. But everything would come to naught if we don't have defined goals to direct our actions. Have you thought about the resolutions for 2022? If not, resolve to do something fresh or make a promise to stick to goals that need more time to attain fruition. Here, I have shared a few of them to make your life healthier and happier in the upcoming year :)

1. Build a better budget.

If there's one New Year's resolution that will help you the most in the long run, it's making a vow to save more money. Before you head back to the office, outline a budget that works for you — and make a plan for how you'll stick to it. Apps like Mint and You Need a Budget (YNAB) can help you do this as painlessly as possible.

2. Cook something new each week.

Everyone wants to eat healthier in the new year, but you should also try to eat more diverse foods. After all, variety is the spice of life. This year, choose an easy dinner recipe you've never tried before at least once a week. Just look into a couple of videos on YouTube with available ingredients that you can try every week this year.

3. Read more books.

January is the perfect time of year to snuggle up with a new book. To keep yourself accountable all year long, why not link up with friends and peers to connect over the best pages you've read? Reading reduces stress, improves your state of mind, and positively impacts the overall wellness of oneself.

4. Create a cleaning schedule you'll stick to.

Keeping your home tidy without doing what feels like a deep clean every week can feel like a big task. You may indeed be under cleaning some tricky spots, but it's also true that you may be overdoing it elsewhere. However, this will keep your environment healthier and will delay or eliminate the need for expensive, professional cleaning or restoration. 

5. Join a club.

Starting a new hobby is one thing, but joining a club will help you meet new people in the process. Creative clubs can also be a boon in helping you stick to mastering a new craft. Here, you'll learn how to work with a team, also you'll learn how to engage with a diverse group of people. Another simple reason to join a club is to have fun.

6. Eat veggies regularly.

Whether you're slimming down or just staying healthy, vegetables are your friends. Fiber-rich vegetables are especially crucial for healthy hearts and strong veins: "A heart-healthy diet emphasizes produce, balanced by fiber-rich whole grains, fish, nuts, legumes, and lean proteins,"

7. Become a plant owner.

Swing by the garden center after brunch this weekend. Just the presence of indoor plants can lower human stress levels, research shows, and one study found that actively caring for plants calmed the autonomic nervous system and lowered blood pressure. And when people work near plants, they report greater concentration, satisfaction, and perceived air quality.

8. Take the stairs.

Take 10 minutes to run up the stairs in your office or home. A published study in the journal Physiology & Behavior found that tired people who climbed stairs for 10 minutes got a bigger energy boost than those who had the caffeine equivalent of a can of soda or half a cup of coffee (and burned calories too!)

9. Plan a vacation ...

... when it feels safe to do so. People who vacation at least twice a year have a lower heart attack risk than those who do so rarely. And researchers have found that even thinking about an upcoming trip can boost happiness for weeks.

10. Chill out.

Literally — start working on letting go of all of that anger! Constantly feeling angry and pissed off can lead to less than desirable long-term effects on your holistic health. Chronic anger can impact the body in more ways than just one — it can induce headaches, anxiety, digestion problems, and high blood pressure, among other drawbacks.

11. Jumpstart a new career.

If this is your year to switch gears, you'll know it in your heart. Despite work routines still being impacted by the pandemic, there are ways that career experts say you can successfully negotiate what you need to stay happy at work. Or to stylishly and effectively move into the next phase of your life without burning any bridges.

12. Volunteer regularly.

Research shows that pitching in regularly can lead to less stress and lower blood pressure. So use this day to jumpstart a longer-term personal commitment — and consider working on this goal with loved ones all year round.

13. Get in a body-positive mindset.

Social media can be a big asset in helping you jumpstart new health goals in 2022 — but it can also be easy to get led astray by certain trends and social pressures. There is a growing movement that embraces all shapes, sizes, colors, strengths, abilities (and disabilities!) if you know where to look. Some of our favorite body-positive accounts teach us more about all the amazing things each and everybody can achieve.

14. Listen to novels while you work out.

Exercisers who saved an audiobook for the gym worked out 51% more often than those who didn't, per a study in Management Science. Sweat while listening to an intense thriller, and the treadmill time will fly by.

15. Learn or hone a new skill.

Whether you're bored, have extra time on your hands, or want to get out of a rut, learning a new skill can give you the mental and physical boost you need. As you learn new skills, you'll discover more gifts about yourself and improve your confidence and sense of well-being.

16. Explore new hobbies.

Another sleepy Sunday? Today's the day you try Ethiopian food, attend a ballet, or take a painting class — whatever feels fun. When researchers followed 7,500 people for 25 years, they found that those who complained of major boredom were roughly twice as likely to die from heart disease.

17. Write to yourself.

When your inner critic picks up her bullhorn, jot down the kind words you'd say to a friend in the same situation. "We have such a hard time channeling compassion for ourselves," says Emma Seppala, Ph.D., of Stanford's Center for Compassion and Altruism Research. "Writing it down makes it easier to shift perspective"

18. Make your bed every morning.

Yes, it's time to grow past the messy bed look! Mastering the art of making your bed will simply transform your space, but also kickstart a productive morning routine. Taking care of your pillows, sheets, and the comforter is easy when you have an expert to show you how.

19. Give yourself more compliments.

Repeat after us: "Today is my day. I'm thankful for me." Positive self-talk can help you focus on what's good in your life, says psychologist Joy Harden Bradford, Ph.D.

Research shows that a little vitamin G (for gratitude) can make you feel happier and more satisfied and even improve your sleep. "If you repeat an affirmation related to gratitude in the morning, you're likely to show and feel more of it throughout that day," Bradford says. You're so welcome!

20. Be current about the news.

It can be hard to keep up with what’s going on in the world given the lightning-fast news cycles. But it’s more important than ever to stay informed. If you’re sick of sifting through the clutter on Facebook or Twitter, join inshorts.

21. Say goodbye to toxic friends.

It may feel impossible now, but there is a way to break up with a once friend turned frenemy without imploding your social life. Sometimes, ghosting is appropriate — but more often than not, approaching the situation with a structured conversation can help you get the closure you need to grow.

22. Start walking more.

Even if you can't keep track of a new fitness routine, keeping yourself moving on a simple walk around the neighborhood is a must. The US Department of Health and Human Services maintains that adults should spend as much time moving each day as possible — and some physical activity (even just walking!) is better than none.

From:
Ashwini Shinde
Chief Aptitude Developer, ELESA.