I — like most everyone else — am not good at making or keeping New Year’s resolutions. Normally, I resolve to clean out my overstuffed closets every year. It always sounds good. This year, it might actually happen — maybe. My goal to quit writing this blog was when the country reached herd immunity since the title is “Corona Don’t Wanna Know Ya,” but with the new omicron variant that affected both of my sisters during the holidays, I’m not sure that is going to happen anytime soon. But it did teach me that I can carve out time to do other things. When I quit writing this blog, I think I will finally have the time to clean out my closets. A recent Facebook post from a friend shows two women having coffee together. One woman says, “My New Year’s resolution is to top putting my foot in my mouth all the time. I’ll bet yours is losing weight, huh?” Sometimes you just can’t win. Another friend on Facebook shared a post about a Declutter Challenge: 30 Bags in 30 Days. The goal is to clean out cupboards, closets and drawers in the next 30 days. Fill one bag a day to throw out, donate or sell. It even gives a detailed list of what to declutter when:
Day 1 – Kitchen Cupboard
Day 2 – Kitchen Pantry
Day 3 – Kitchen Drawers
Day 4 – Under Kitchen Sink
Day 5 – Junk Drawer
Day 6 – Cleaning Supplies
Day 7 – Fridge & Freezer
Day 8 – Linen Closet
Day 9 – Bedroom Closets
Day 10 – Nightstands & Drawers
Day 11 – Shoes
Day 12 – Master Bathroom
Day 13 – Guest Bathroom
Day 14 – Medicine Cabinet
Day 15 – Makeup
Day 16 – Under the Beds
Day 17 – Toy Box
Day 18 – Desk Drawers
Day 19 – TV Cabinets
Day 20 – Laundry Room
Day 21 – Old Magazines & Newspapers
Day 22 – Paperwork
Day 23 – Art & Craft Supplies
Day 24 – Holiday Decorations
Day 25 – DVDs & CDs
Day 26 – Car
Day 27 – Garage Shelves & Storage
Day 28 – Board Games
Day 29 – Purse
Day 30 – Electronics
This is a very thorough list. I should make a resolution to follow it when I quit writing this blog. Let’s learn more about resolution ideas.
According to Zee Krstic and Kate Rockwood’s Dec. 31, 2021 article “60 Achievable New Year’s Resolutions for Healthier and Happier Living” in Good Housekeeping, “If there's anything that we've learned in 2021, it's not to take our health for granted; in 2022, a renewed focus on your own lifestyle and priorities may be top of mind.”
1. Build a Better Budget
If there's one New Year's resolution that will help you the most in the long run, it's making a vow to save more money.
Before you head back to the office, outline a budget that works for you — and make a plan for how you'll stick to it. Apps like Mint and You Need a Budget can help you do this as painlessly as possible.
2. Cook Something New Each Week
Everyone wants to eat healthier in the new year, but you should also try to eat more diverse foods. After all, variety is the spice of life. This year, choose an easy dinner recipe you've never tried before at least once a week. Pick up a copy of Good Housekeeping’s “Easy 30-Minute Dinners” cookbook for 85 new ideas that you can try every week this year.
3. 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's out.
4. 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, the 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.
5. Drink Less Alcohol
You already know you don't need to drink to have fun — and so why not make this year the one you cut back and join the sober curious movement? Doing so could improve your mood, sleep, skin and immune system. Plus, it'll also help you save money.
6. Make Healthier Lunches
Who has time to eat healthy!? You do, thanks to the power of your handy Instant Pot — and recipes, of course! With ideas from Good Housekeeping's Test Kitchen, the cookbook makes it simple to use your Instant Pot to make nutritious, yummy meals.
7. Make a Weekly Meal Prep Planner with Grocery Lists
Spending more time in the kitchen isn't always easy, but meal prepping can save you time and money during the week. Revolutionize your meal prep sessions on Sunday with the Good Housekeeping guide that helps you save time and prevent food waste, also impacting your wallet. The planning methods simplify cooking and work to organize sessions around your schedule.
8. Quit Smoking
Cigarettes are extremely harmful for your health, particularly your lungs — but tobacco products in general — including vapes! — pose a serious threat. There are so many resources to help you get a jumpstart on ditching tobacco: Many are outlined by officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you've tried before but need a bit more help, experts at the American Cancer Society outline a few tools that you can turn to this year.
9. Join a Club
Starting a new hobby is one thing but joining a club will help you meet new people in the process. Sites like Meetup can help you find a group of people with similar interests, and you can work on creating digital meetups with new friends in the process.
Creative clubs can also be a boon in helping you stick to mastering a new craft. A great example? Good Housekeeping's Stitch Club, which connects avid crafters and DIY newcomers together in a community to inspire.
10. Eat Veggies Regularly
Whether you're slimming down or just staying healthy, vegetables are your friends, explains Stefani Sassos, MS, RD, a registered dietitian in the Good Housekeeping Institute. Fiber-rich vegetables are especially crucial for healthy hearts and strong veins: "A heart-healthy diet emphasizes produce, balanced by fiber-rich whole grains, fish, nuts, legumes and lean proteins," she said.
The healthiest vegetables that you should try to eat daily often double down on gut-healthy fiber.
11. Prioritize Age-Appropriate Screenings with Your Doctors
Open your calendar app or planner and make your appointments for the year in one sitting — not only will you get the anxiety-inducing nuisance over with, but exams will be less likely to get squeezed out as life gets bonkers. Start with your primary care provider, and ask which screenings — e.g., mammogram, colonoscopy — you're due for. Slot those in, then move on to the dentist's office, etc.
12. Exercise Your Brain
Scientists are always learning more about how humans work to stave off cognitive decline — and while data may be divided, if one thing is sure, games can indeed play a role here. Researchers at Duke University studied participants’ brain activity while they completed simple math problems and found that solving them feels like a reward, helping to curb negative feelings.
Playing the types of mind games featured in this Prevention book can help manage stress and anxiety, as well as boost happiness endorphins at the same
time.
13. Become a Plant Owner
Swing by the garden center after brunch this weekend. Just the presence of indoor plants can lower human stress levels, research shows, and one study found that actively caring for plants calmed the autonomic nervous system and lowered blood pressure. And when people work near plants, they report greater concentration, satisfaction and perceived air quality.
14. Take the Stairs
Take 10 minutes to run up the stairs in your office or home. A published study in the journal Physiology & Behavior found that tired women who climbed stairs for 10 minutes got a bigger energy boost than those who had the caffeine equivalent of a can of soda or half a cup of coffee — and burned calories too!
15. Plan a Vacation
Plan a vacation when it feels safe to do so. Women who vacation at least twice a year have a lower heart attack risk than those who rarely take trips. And researchers have found that even thinking about an upcoming trip can boost happiness for weeks.
16. Start Doing Yoga with Your Partner
A Sunday morning couples' class could make Sunday afternoon much more fun. Experts at Loyola's Sexual Wellness Clinic believe partner yoga helps couples get more comfortable with each other's bodies, a boon for better sex. Solo yoga can increase enjoyment as well, affecting arousal, desire and satisfaction; the practice helps relax your mind and strengthen pelvic muscles.
17. Drink Up
You know you need to hydrate — but it's especially important when you get only six hours of sleep — or less! You’re more likely to be dehydrated the day after a disrupted night of sleep, because a hormone that regulates your body’s water conservation is released in later stages of sleep. So down some extra water on those days if you can — and remember that too much water can be tricky for your gut.
18. Chill Out
Literally — start working on letting go of all that anger! Constantly feeling angry and pissed off — especially for women — can lead to less than desirable long-term effects on your holistic health. Chronic anger can impact the body in more ways than just one; it can induce headaches, anxiety, digestion problems and high blood pressure, among other drawbacks.
19. Jumpstart a New Career
If this is your year to switch gears, you'll know it in your heart. Despite work routines still being impacted by the pandemic, there are ways that career experts say you can successfully negotiate what you need to stay happy at work or to stylishly and effectively move into the next phase of your life without burning any bridges.
8. Consider Therapy
We all lean on friends and family for support, but is this the year that you finally make a move to unpack your mental health? You don't even have to leave the house to start, and some of the best digital offerings are absolutely free. Start by checking out a few apps on your phone, even. But if you're ready, reach out to a care provider with the help of Good Housekeeping’s guide.
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