New Year, New You! 3 Tips to Maximize Your Wellness This New Year!

Learn tips to feel your best through the New Year

New year, new you! In this blog post, learn three pivotal wellness tips that can help elevate your overall well-being. From the many benefits of embracing the great outdoors, the positive impacts of increased physical activity, and steering clear of restrictive diets, these insights are designed to guide you towards sustainable wellness this year. Continue reading and dive into the practical strategies that help foster lasting habits that prioritize your health and happiness.

1. Take it Outside 

Nature as a Mood Enhancer 

“There is mounting evidence, from dozens and dozens of researchers, that nature has benefits for both physical and psychological human wellbeing” says Lisa Nisbet, PhD, a psychologist at Trent University in Ontario who studies connectedness to nature.  Dr. Nisbet has also noted that you can improve your mood by exploring urban nature; and that the sense of connection you have with the natural world seems to contribute to happiness even when not physically in nature. 

Benefits to Cognitive Health 

In addition, University of Chicago psychologist Marc Berman, PhD conducted a review in 2019 which noted that green spaces near schools promote cognitive development in children, and that experiments have found that being exposed to natural environments improves working memory, cognitive flexibility and attentional control.  Furthermore, findings have also noted that just a few moments of viewing green space can perk up a tired brain, and that simply listening to the sounds of nature, such as crickets or chirping may be recuperative.

2. Move It 

Although many influencers, celebs and fitness companies promote exercise to achieve weight loss goals in the New Year, this is not the angle we’re coming from. If you’re like most, setting a goal of doing a certain amount of exercise per week, or working out as a means to lose weight tends to backfire. Not only do we feel a sense of shame and failure if we don’t end up achieving the goals we set out to accomplish, but we can also develop a negative relationship with physical activity.  Rather than looking at exercise as a chore, or a means to change your shape or size, try to instead focus on how it makes you feel. 

Non-Weight Related Health Benefits of Physical Activity: 

• Improved mood 
• Stress Reduction 
• Increase in Energy 
• Better Sleep Quality 
• Maintenance of bone and muscle health 
• Pain Reduction 
• Reduce Risk of Chronic Disease 
• Improved Brain Health 

Movement Ideas to Try: 

• Free online Yoga videos 
• Tobogganing or skating with the family 
• Dance lessons 
• Trail walks in the woods 
• Disc Golf 
• Swimming 
• Badminton 
• Biking

Visit this website for more information on including exercise for wellness vs weight loss.

3. Chew On It 

Have you ever set out to change your eating habits in January, only to “fall off the wagon” and feel like you’ve let yourself down by February? You certainly aren’t alone. Studies have shown that approximately 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail, and many companies or businesses tend to place the blame on the consumer for not “working hard enough” or “sticking to the program”. The fact is, just like forcing ourselves to do exercise that we don’t find pleasure in isn’t sustainable, neither is trying to follow specific and rigid food rules. 

Dieting Pitfalls 

There is now a body of research that indicates that not only does dieting not work, but it actually can cause harm. Some negative ‘side effects’ of dieting include: 

• Weight re-gain 
• Yo-yo dieting can lead to worsened cardiovascular and metabolic states 
• Increased preoccupation with food and cravings 
• Negative mental health outcomes 
• Increased risk of developing a negative relationship with food or eating disorders 

Learn more about the harms of dieting.

Rather than creating strict rules around food, or removing entire food groups all together, consider adding to your routine instead.  By doing so, you’re continuing to give yourself permission to include all the foods that feed your soul, alongside those that support your overall wellness. 

Ideas For Things to Add to Your Routine 

• More meal or snack opportunities if you’re currently not eating often 
• Water between meals 
• Home cooked meals with family or friends 
• Ground flax seeds to your favourite breakfast cereal 
• A new vegetable side dish each week 
• Plant-based proteins 
• Sources of whole grains 
• Vitamin D 
• New recipes to your regular rotation 

Finally, it’s important to note that we are all on our own separate journeys, and what works for you might not work for anyone else.  We all have our unique preferences and sometimes it can take some trial and error to discover what resonates best for you. 

Here are 3 recipes to get your creative culinary juices flowing in the New Year: