Just like every other year, 2021 has come and gone. First of all, I welcome you into the new year 2022. Congratulations on making it into the new year. January 2022 is not just the first month of the year 2022, it is more than that. January 2022 is a chance for a fresh start, it’s a chance to shape your life with a new sense of purpose, and it’s also a year to rethink your approach to wellness and healthy living. That is why I have brought to you 20 ways to be healthier in 2022 and beyond.
Just like most people, you must have probably, written down some resolutions already, and not here to tell you to add more to the list. As a matter of fact, you are free to live freely, there is nothing wrong with setting resolutions, but you might want to make some simple changes as the year goes on.
2019 to 2021 have been challenging years for everybody, especially health-wise because of the coronavirus outbreak. But the good news is that there are ways to be healthier in 2022 and beyond.
Now that 2022 is finally here, there’s no better time to welcome the new year than with a renewed passion for wellness and your wellbeing, focusing on everything from your brain health to your inner peace, your diet and your workout routine. With just a little bit of consistent effort and some small steps, you will slowly change your lifestyle for the better. According to health practitioners, researchers and experts, these are the best ways to be healthier in 2022 and beyond in years to come.
Ways To Be Healthier In 2022 And Beyond
1. Set Goals That Are Realistic:
Most people start the new year with vague goals like “work out more, eat healthier, stop smoking and drinking. ” But the truth is those are less likely to stick than some specific manageable ones, like going to the gym three times per week or replacing cookies with fruit for dessert or snack time. According to health experts, if you can actually keep up with your resolutions, you are much more likely to create healthier habits and lifestyles.
2. Make Anti-Resolutions:
Devon Price, Ph.D., a social psychologist and an author of a book titled “Laziness Does Not Exist”, previously said, I recommend that people should make anti-resolutions. What is that something you want to stop doing this year 2022? “What is that insecurity or obligation that you wish to drop? Find ways to say no instead of taking on more.”
3. Relax:
It is a new year, but that doesn’t mean everything has to start on the go, right now. Every day is a new day, so cut yourself some slack, as it’s absolutely okay to start slow and build up the pace as the days pass by.
4. Move Those Legs:
Developing the habit of walking daily walking increases metabolism by burning extra calories and by preventing muscle loss, which is particularly very important as we get older. In New York City, a personal trainer at Crunch gym (Ariel Iasevoli), previously said that walking can lessen your risk of type 2 diabetes, ward off cardiovascular issues, and lower your blood pressure. Walking, jogging or running are ways to be healthier in 2022 and beyond.
5. Try To Be Creative In The Kitchen:
if you get stuck in cooking, and you find yourself resorting to making the same old meals day after day which is totally the opposite of how energizing you should feel when making a meal. Every week, seek out a new recipe to try, go online and join food groups so that you can get new recipes and ideas, whether it’s a hearty soup or a protein-packed smoothie; you might spark a newfound love of cooking, on top of increasing your motivation and self-esteem.
6. Try New Forms Of Self-Care:
Motivating yourself to be productive every day requires you to care for yourself first. It’s not limited to just how you look but also how you feel. Focus on your mental well-being as much as your physical well-being. Sareena Rama, a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor in Orange County, CA recommends taking action into your hands by setting aside about one hour or one hour thirty minutes each week to try out a new self-care practice.
Some ideas to help you get started are reading a new book, exercising, going for a body massage, talking to a therapist, sitting in nature, or mindfully sipping a drink while listening to music. By the end of the year, you will notice that you have tried out lots of new self-care practices. Self-care a great way to live healthier in 2022.
7. Make Use Of The Stairs:
Another great way to be healthier in 2022 and beyond is to fall in love with the stairs. In 2017 study, researchers found that just 10 minutes of walking on the stairs was more effective than 50 mg of caffeine (about half a cup of coffee) in helping sleep-deprived women feel more energized. So on top of burning more calories and contributing to your overall fitness, climbing the stairs daily could keep you awake, with no caffeine necessary.
8. Make Music:
According to a 2021 meta-analysis, playing music can positively impact your thinking and memory, potentially warding off dementia. Singing, playing the piano, and even joining a drum or musical group will help activate multiple areas of your brain, helping you stay sharp even if you already have mild cognitive impairment and live healthier. In general, music-making might also help you feel happier overall.
9. Lose Weight:
Losing weight is one of the most common New Year’s resolutions most people make. You can start a new approach to your health to live healthier in 2022. “There is no strong evidence to suggest that higher weight automatically leads to poorer health. A Ph.D holder and an assistant professor of psychology at Miami University of Ohio, Jeffrey Hunger told Prevention. “Instead of trying to shrink your body, start to appreciate everything it does for you.”
10. Upgrade Your Sneakers:
Believe it or not, your shoes should be changed at least once a year, and more frequently if you are mostly on your feet most of the time. With more distance and time, your sneakers lose their cushioning, grip, and ability to keep your feet healthy. So if you can’t remember the last time you replaced your walking shoes, the start of 2022 is the perfect time to give them an upgrade.
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11. Dry January:
Dry January is a period during which people that are participating in it refuse to drink any strong drink for the first 31 days of the new year. This encourages people to rethink their relationship with alcohol. And the benefits of giving up booze are myriad, from boosting your mental health to improving your sleep. This time of year, those outcomes are especially helpful. Live healthier by cutting down on alcohol.
12. Wash Your Hands Regularly:
Make sure 2022 is the year you practise regular personal hygiene. Keep in mind that washing hands frequently is one of the biggest steps you can take to live healthier and reduce the spread of COVID-19 infection. It can also prevent the spread of other viral illnesses.
13. Take Multivitamins:
A balanced diet helps you maintain good physical and mental health. However, busy adults are prone to making unhealthy meal choices or skipping meals altogether, so they may not get enough nutrients on a given day. Taking a multivitamin is an easy way to fill nutritional gaps in your eating pattern. multivitamins are formulated for absorption with fermented nutrients and made with organic vegetables and herbs. If you need help remembering to take your vitamins, try setting a phone alarm or getting a vitamin case.
14. Find The Right Therapist:
Your mental health is very important. It is important to evaluate your mental health. Go for therapy and know which mental health plan works best for you. One of the most cost-effective things you can do is to select a therapist who is a good fit for you. When working with someone who is a good fit, you will make more progress, and you will make that progress more rapidly.
15. Eat Less Meat:
The less meat you eat, the more you live healthier and longer. If becoming a vegetarian seems like too much of a commitment to you, a flexitarian or plant-based diet might be right for you. On every plate of meal, there should be greens (vegetables), avoiding animal products like meat and cheese during some meals. The benefits of the flexitarian diet include weight loss, increased longevity, and decreased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and cancer. Always eat healthy.
16. Meditate More Often:
You can benefit from some form of meditation, according to the National Institutes of Health. Whether it’s just being more present and mindful in each moment or a daily half-hour practice. But getting started can be a challenge, especially without a guide. Start 2022 with a 14-day meditation challenge, and then you can keep it going throughout the rest of the year. Meditation makes you live healthier throughout 2022 and beyond.
17. See Your Doctor:
To live healthier in 2022 by always seeing your doctor. When was the last time you went to the doctor? It’s so easy to put off your visits by a few weeks or a few months that you might reach the end of the year without going through with any of them. Go ahead and schedule all your check-ups through the end of 2022, physician, dentist visits, and anything else you might need before you forget.
18. Practice Generosity:
Giving away your stuff doesn’t just benefit other people; you can reap the rewards too. A 2006 study found that people feel just as good when they donated money to a charitable organization as they did when they were given money. Another 2013 study discovered that at least 200 hours of volunteering per year is linked with lower blood pressure. So in these 2022, develop the habit of giving because it can make you live healthier and happy.
19. See The Light:
according to a 2016 study, Light therapy is exposing yourself to bright light during the darker half part of the year can be as effective for treating major depressive disorder as antidepressants are. Live healthier by investing in a light therapy lamp though getting outside in the morning can have a similar effect. Helen Burgess Ph.D., a professor and co-director of the sleep and circadian research lab at the University of Michigan said “There is evidence that sunlight can immediately increase serotonin levels in the brain”.
20. Go For Vacation:
Live healthier by taking vacations. If you have it, don’t let your vacation time sit unused; it could prolong your life. Meditation and vacation time have roughly the same outcome on overall wellbeing. per a 2018 analysis, and one nine-year study even found that men who took more vacations were less likely than their workaholic peers to die from any cause, including cardiovascular issues.
21. Stop Overthinking:
Stress can wait. Don’t spoil your present by stressing too much on the future and take one day at a time. Live healthier and stress-free.
22. Give Yourself Time To Heal:
Be it a breakup or postpartum depression or simply a bad decision, always give your mind and body time to heal. Do not push yourself too much, after all, Rome wasn’t built in one day.
23. Keep Your Company Positive:
The kind of company you keep matters a lot since their thoughts and energies often reflect on how we begin to perceive things. Hence, it is important that you stay away from people with negative thoughts as much as possible and let only positivity be contagious.
24. Practise Mindfulness:
Mindfulness is the ability to be fully present at the moment and is seeing positive results in their daily lifestyles, like reduced stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms. Try incorporating this technique into your lifestyle this year so as to live healthier.
25. Drink Water:
Hydration is extremely important at all times. Live healthier by drinking lots of water. Make it a point to drink at least eight to 10 glasses of water daily, your body will thank you.
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Conclusion
We may have crossed over to the new year, we may not be able to leave COVID-19 completely behind, but we could take better care of our health. We can live healthier and happier in this new year.
Take a pledge to make 2022 the best year of your life. Come what may never let your health and wellness take a backseat. Find all possible ways to be healthier in 2022 and beyond because health is wealth.
