Is it time for a change?
Do you feel stuck in your routine and old habits? Read on for five ways you can carve out a new niche and support new ambitions.
Commit to a fitness regimen
Exercise is renowned for aiding in weight control, reining in many health conditions and disease, lifting mood and helping with sleep.
Focus on activities you love—not the latest trends. Try working out with a friend or co-worker; you’ll be more likely to stick to your routine, and studies show you’ll also work out longer.
Extra credit
Try a protein powder to complement your fitness plan. (Always check with your health care practitioner before starting a new supplement.)
Head back to school
Whether you want to keep your skills fresh or pursue a hobby, you may find yourself hitting the books this year. Check with your employer to see if they recommend specific courses, or research what’s on offer at your local college or university continuing education department.
Or, consider a fun course to enjoy outside of work, like beekeeping, creative writing, jewelry making or craft brewing.
Extra credit
To keep your noggin nourished, snack on beans: they’ll give your brain a steady supply of glucose. Also, get sufficient B vitamins for energy and healthy brain function.
Circumvent stress
In the short term, stress can cause low energy, headaches and upset stomach; in the long run, it can cause or worsen mental health issues, cardiovascular disease and obesity.
Meditation and yoga can help your worries wilt. To get started, enrol in a yoga class for beginners or download a meditation app.
Extra credit
When you need a mood boost, reach for complex carbs: chewing on whole grain bread, pasta, oatmeal or other complex carbs will create a steady uptick in serotonin levels.
Make a meal plan
Plotting out your meals saves time, money and your health!
Here’s a flexible approach: plan for two to three main dishes to last the week, and focus on dishes that are easily transformed. For example, you could serve chili with quinoa on the first day. The next day, make salsa and guacamole and use the leftover chili in tacos.
Extra credit
Try roasting whole squash and scooping out the flesh for curries and soups, or pre-bake sweet potatoes.
Slumber soundly
A sleep shortage can lead to an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke, as well as decreased immunity. Lack of sleep even interferes with leptin production, a hormone that helps your body recognize you’re full.
Start by keeping regular bed and wake-up times, and do not deviate more than an hour between days to maintain your sleep/wake cycle. Sleep for the recommended seven hours minimum, and keep your bedroom cool, dark and quiet.
Extra credit
- Melatonin, the hormone you naturally produce before sleep, can help re-establish your sleep/wake cycle.
- Tryptophan, found in warm milk, nuts and seeds, bananas, honey and cereal, may also lull you to sleep.
