It’s almost the new year, and it’s moments like this that make weathering through the trouble that came with the past year worth it. There’s no doubt that you have had thoughts of giving up throughout the year, so you deserve to celebrate the new year with a bang.
The coming year promises no guarantee that it will be easier than the past ones, but you can take inspiration from your journey and be proud of how far you’ve come along to muster the courage to brave through the impending bends in the road.
Surviving the year is already an incredible feat, and what more fitting way to celebrate than continuing your journey to become better? Here are some ideas you can begin with as you prepare to take on the upcoming year.
Unwind by Traveling
Most people remained housebound because of the virus, and after working tirelessly for a year, you deserve a trip to paradise. Staying at home is safer and more comfortable, but it can give you cabin fever and make your yearning for the outdoors stronger.
A simple travel or day trip will do, but if you truly want to experience the place you’re visiting, you can plan for a week or even a month-long trip.
Distract Yourself with a New Hobby
Using the word ‘distraction’ to describe hobbies gives it an adverse connotation. However, distractions can be good and bad, so if it keeps you from thinking negative thoughts, then it’s a distraction that’s more than welcome.
If you have plenty of time to spare, you can get a hobby or two. Before you know it, it will soon be far from a distraction and become closer to passion. You can either engage in new hobbies or revisit ones from your childhood, as long as they help you become a better person.
Have Something To Look Forward To
The world has grown bleak, and there isn’t much to look forward to, but you can look at the little things and find simple joys in your daily life. This year, there are plenty of restrictions, making it challenging to stay positive and discover new things that interest you, but when you focus and work with what you have, you’ll have something to look forward to every day.
For starters, you can plan activities you’ll have for the week or note movie and TV series releases to binge-watch during your free time.
Monitor Your Progress
Monitoring your progress can take on different forms. For example, if becoming fit is your goal before the year ends, you can use a pedometer or an app that counts your calories burned during your workouts.
On the other hand, if you want to see how much you have changed in a year, you can create a scrapbook or start journaling and logging in your days, regardless of whether they’re idle or exciting. You’ll see yourself as someone strong considering the challenges you have surpassed through words and photos.
Keep Learning
When you stop learning, your days start to lose their luster. Having a canceled school day is a thrilling experience more than sitting in the classroom, but once you take on it in years, you have fewer chances to learn new things.
Learning keeps the mind active, and when you’re constantly thinking about something, you’re consistently enhancing yourself. For instance, you can help discover new knowledge by participating in paid market research studies. You can also go back to school and earn an additional degree or study a new language, both of which can help boost your career.
Make Fitness Your Passion
The bare minimum of exercise is seventy-five minutes per week, which you can split into three days. Maintaining a physically fit body is something you need to do with a more serious air as you grow older since it’s also the time when your health starts to decline.
You don’t need to engage in strenuous exercise regimens, simple jogs, performing whole-body workouts, and choosing the stairs over the elevator when you’re at work will already make you active.
Eat Clean
Exercise alone will not make you utterly healthy; you also must support your active lifestyle with nutritious meals. Food plays a significant part in your journey to health — it gives you the fuel you need to last through light and intense workout sessions.
If you have already decided to lead a healthier lifestyle this coming year, you need to change your eating habits and switch your staples to greens and protein, mineral, and vitamin-enriched food. While you’re at it, you also must aim to keep yourself hydrated and work on a better sleeping schedule.
The past years abound with challenges, but nothing too difficult to make you quit. The upcoming year might also brim with problems, which you’ll undoubtedly win over with the proper mindset and a more wholesome lifestyle.
