Wednesday, January 4, 2012

2012, it’s a New Year! (Part 1)


Part 1 & 2: 20 resolutions for your health and wellness’ sake, and
Part 3: 12 ways to make sure you don’t break them
 (Check back for concurrent posts!)

1.     Educate yourself about anything you want to change/make better in your life. Read books, magazines, talk to an expert or search online for information from reputable sources. (Check our Facebook for great articles on health and wellness.)
2.     Work smarter, not longer. Would making a checklist help you get through the day more-efficiently? Is Facebook causing procrastination at work? Figure out how you could spend more time with family and friends or just doing something for yourself once and a while.
3.     Tone down the multitasking, especially when you’re with people that matter to you. You don’t want a loved one to feel as though you care more about your iPhone than you do about them. Perhaps *gasp* you could turn off (or just silence) your phone at a certain time every evening?
4.     Focus on the positive at the end of the day, instead of the negative. Try to leave work in a good mood as often as possible, and when you get home, try to make everyday tasks a little more fun. (For example: put on the 80s station on Pandora and rock out to “Addicted to Love” while cooking dinner!)
5.     Interrupt your time sitting everyday. “What?” you might say, but most people are sitting for more hours per day than they are sleeping! Our bodies weren’t built for that! Walk, ride your bike or take the stairs whenever you can. We all love our computers but get up every so often to break free from your chair!
6.     Exercise your brain! Break out that crossword puzzle book or play Scrabble with a friend. Remember when you were younger and could remember everything at the drop of a hat? Not only will your memory improve, but so might your vocabulary!
7.     Make sure to get enough sleep, because most of us could use much more than we’re getting! Experts suggest that adults sleep seven to nine hours each night, and research shows that those who do are more likely to accomplish everyday tasks successfully.
8.     Take baby steps to a healthier you! A lot of people want to eat better or exercise more-regularly when January 1st rolls around, but there are easy ways to get the ball rolling. For example, choose yogurt and fruit instead of a bagel in the morning, or choose the farthest parking spot at the grocery store so you’ll have to walk more.
9.     Aching feet? Massage, anyone? If you’re not a sitter like we mentioned above than you’re a stander, and your feet probably hurt! Massage your own feet in this way: First, apply oil and condition the foot with medium-light strokes, using your thumbs and fingers. Next, starting with the ball of the foot, work across and down the entire foot using the thumbs to make small, circular motions. Use the thumbs to make long, deep strokes along the arch of the foot, moving in the direction of the toes. Gently squeeze, rotate, and pull each toe. End by cupping the foot between both hands and gently squeezing up and down the length of each foot.
photo credit: shoedigest.com
10.  Prevent headaches by drinking enough water! Dehydration can be known to cause disastrous headaches so make sure you drink the old adage: 8 8-oz glasses of water a day! Water can prevent both tension and cluster headaches, which are always pesky day-interrupters.
Stay tuned for the next 10 resolutions and then 12 ways to stick to them!