Happy New Year!! 2019 is here!! Now is a great opportunity to think about positive habits for 2019. We have three of them for you. As you will notice, these habits focus on basic habits will set the stage for future topics to come. And try not to worry about your ability to stick to your resolutions. Well, we’ve got you covered. In future posts we will tackle how to keep your resolutions. So for now, let’s establish some basic goals that will get you off to a great start.
1. Get to Bed at a Reasonable Hour
The first of our three positive habits for 2019 is to get to bed at a reasonable time. We all know we should be getting to bed at a decent hour, but how many of us are actually doing that? The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that about 1 in 3 Americans do not get their recommended amount of sleep each night. And the recommended amount of sleep is at least 7 hours each night. Unfortunately poor sleep habits lead to a number of physical and mental health problems. Conditions like heart disease and depression that significantly impact daily functioning. We will tackle specifics on getting more sleep in a special series on sleep. But for now, watch Dr. Cindy’s discussion on how to handle the negative impacts that daylight saving time has on sleep.
2. Find an Exercise Routine That Works for You
The second of our three positive habits for 2019 is to find an exercise routine that works for you. Busy lives and the comforts modern technology mean we do not get the amount of exercise we need. About 23% of Americans are not getting enough strength or cardio training in a week according to a report published in June 2018 by the CDC. The critical thing to keep in mind when setting resolutions about fitness is to keep it realistic. If all you have is 5 minutes to walk the halls of your office building, or 10 minutes to go up and down the stairs of your home, then start there.
3. Eat More Home-Cooked Meals
The third of our three positive habits for 2019 is to eat more home-cooked meals. The goal here is to eat out less. But eating out is sooooo easy!! It is quick. It is everywhere!! And we are too busy to make a meal from scratch!! But the problem is fast food and prepackaged foods are associated with heart disease, stroke, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and depression. Also, preparing meals at home has to fit around work schedules, parenting, kids’ after school activities, mindset, and more. Don’t worry, we will also tackle all of these obstacles on our blog this year. For now, think about how you can reduce your fast food or prepackaged meal intake by just 1 meal a week.
In case you are curious about what other habits you could leave behind in 2018, check out Dr. Cindy’s post over on her blog.
Need a place to keep track of your goals and other important tasks for 2019? Check out our Brighter Planner (TM) in our online store!!
Also be on the look out for other exciting posts to our blog here including perspectives from a high school student. Until then, we hope that in 2019 you are learning to Live Brighter.