The start of a brand new year is an excellent time to make some New Year’s resolutions. These don’t have to be difficult or unpleasant. Not sure where to start? Good Housekeeping has some excellent ideas about what you might choose to focus on this year.
Start a Gratitude Journal
Keeping track of things, people and events that you’re grateful for throughout the year can help to improve your mental and physical wellness. “It literally breathes new life into us. It recharges and it rejuvenates.” Dr. Robert Emmons, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis and founder of a research lab that studies the effects of grateful living, told ABC News. And it doesn’t have to take up much time. Just a few minutes a day can make all the difference.
Make Time for Family
With the busyness of our daily lives, it can be difficult to prioritize spending time with loved ones, especially if they live far away or have hectic schedules themselves. But this year, make a conscious effort to carve out that one-on-one time, whether its by planning monthly family dinners or simply FaceTiming once a week to check in.
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? The Good Housekeeping Book Club can help you get started on this and, together, you’ll have a clear snapshot of how many books you’ll end up finishing before the year is out.
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 ask. It’s true that you may be under cleaning some tricky spots, but it’s also true that you may be overdoing it elsewhere.
Carolyn Forté, executive director of the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Home Appliances & Cleaning Products Lab created a printable checklist to make sure keeping the house neat doesn’t suck up endless hours of time on weekends anymore.
Commit to a healthier sleep routine
So many issues can be traced back to a poor night’s sleep. And yet, there is so much more that we can aim to improve beyond a reasonable bedtime. Creating a plan to improve your sleep hygiene – the habits you maintain to get good sleep every night – may look different for everyone, as it depends on when you need to be active and working throughout the day.
Your brain actually relies on cues to regulate your internal circadian rhythm, and the choices you make throughout the day can interfere with these. Start taking charge of your sleep by mastering these 10 to-dos as the year progresses.
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