Image Courtesy of Kike Vega on Unsplash
2020 has been one crazy rollercoaster ride. Starting a new chapter in 2021, we hope for positive changes in our lifestyles. That begins with making attainable wellness resolutions we can stick to throughout the year. While wellness can be divided into seven dimensions, we are going to place our focus on the physical and mental aspects of wellness.
Physical Wellness
Try new recipes and do meal prep at home
Since we’re encouraged to stay home more often these days, we can turn our dining area into a restaurant! Set aside time each weekend to prepare scrumptious recipes with a theme in mind – Mexican, Korean, French, anime food, cozy food, etc. Unleash your creativity in the setting-up process by decorating the table with a delicate cloth, lighting candles, playing your favorite music ‒ just to name a few ideas. What matters, in the end, is that we get to enjoy homemade food prepared with healthy ingredients (and love!).
Move, move, move
Fitness goals don’t have to be ambitious. There’s no rule that you should stick to a rigorous exercise routine that includes running, swimming, and aerobic dancing every day. Find an activity you like to do on a daily basis, into which you can incorporate some body movements. Perhaps walking your dog around your neighborhood park, getting close to nature via jungle trekking, or even playing Ring Fit Adventure or Just Dance on your Nintendo Switch if you like staying indoors.
Obtain adequate vitamins in your daily diet
Popping dietary supplements and multivitamins may be part of our daily routine, but we sometimes neglect the fact that the meals we consume each day are our main sources of nutrients. Learn about what nutrients your body is lacking, map out a meal plan that comprises food that supplies those nutrients, and finally include them in your grocery cart. It can be a certain fruit or vegetable, whole-grain food, protein source, a specific type of legume, etc. Besides obtaining nutrients from food and supplements, remember to go outdoors to absorb Vitamin D from the sun!
Go for a full-body checkup
How long has it been since you last did a full-body checkup? In case you haven’t signed yourself up for a health screening package for years, this is a perfect reminder for you to do so. A full-body checkup report can suggest which aspects of lifestyle habits you need to work on to achieve the optimal range. Apart from overall health screening, a visit to the dental clinic and eyecare clinic is also recommended as healthy teeth and eyes are an integral part of our daily functions.
Get at least 7 or 8 hours of sleep
Restful sleep is key to ensuring that our brain and body function well the next day. It improves our memory and mood, boosts the immune system as well as helps to prevent weight gain. If you have trouble falling asleep even after going to bed early, try these solutions an hour before bed: do stretching exercises, read a book, practice deep breathing, meditate, turn off digital devices, drink chamomile tea or hot milk, and listen to soothing music. You can even wear a sleep tracker to detect 4 stages of slumber – falling asleep, light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep, which helps you determine whether you’ve had quality sleep the night before.
Mental Wellness
Engage in your favorite hobby
Whether it is painting, gardening, playing with your pets, learning a foreign language, or volunteering, keep your free time occupied with your favorite pastime activity. Hobbies give us a sense of contentment and oftentimes, gratification. Allow yourself to get engrossed in them until you forget the time ‒ of course not your mealtime, share the fun with your loved ones, and experience the joy in sharing about your passion. Who knows one day you can turn your passion into a job you enjoy working for?
Practice gratitude and self-reflection
During these turbulent times, it’s more crucial than ever to appreciate the people and things we have around us. While what lies ahead for us is uncertain, we can take this moment to reflect on our present moment. What has given us the strength to keep us going? What has made our day-to-day activities possible? Who have you spent time with and how did you feel? Journal it down, either in writing or audio recording form. One day, when you re-discover your old gratitude journals, you’ll be able to see how far you’ve come in life, and you’ll come to appreciate that you’ve lived a wonderful life.
Stay in touch with people you care about
As the saying goes, ‘No man is an island’. We, as human beings, are social creatures by nature. Thanks to technology’s easy accessibility these days, we can easily connect with our friends and loved ones via video calls or text messages. Send a thoughtful gift to their home on their birthday or on a festive occasion. You can even take 2021 as an opportunity to rekindle a friendship with someone you’ve lost touch with a long time ago!
Unplug from social media from time to time
Online socialization can be beneficial for us if we use social media with the right intention. But, if we’ve spent the majority of our time on the screen switching between different social media apps, it’s a sign that we should cut down our social media usage. Do you ever find yourself feeling inadequate after getting caught up in a social media frenzy? Think about how staying away from social media for a few days can remove noise and clutter from your mind. If that sounds like a good idea to you, try deactivating your social media account or deleting the app for a month. Observe the impact it has on you. You’ll find yourself with a clearer mind after doing so.
Take breaks amidst your busyness
As hustle culture is a norm in modern society, we tend to see work as an important part of our lives. It becomes toxic to the point where we feel guilty if we aren’t productive on certain days. That said, humans are not machines, and we aren’t supposed to overwork ourselves‒even machines can’t run 24/7 within their lifespan. Therefore, we need to keep in mind the importance of resting to avoid burnout or mental breakdown. Find a do-nothing day that allows you to forget about to-do lists, work or study, and chores. Spend the day with minimal effort by ordering takeouts (if cooking is your favorite thing to do, go for it), listening to music, watching a movie, reading, meditating, or whatever hobby you enjoy. Essentially, a do-nothing day is a self-care routine in or by itself!
