The New Year is a time for new beginnings. We get a new calendar, adjust to writing a new date, and enjoy the new things we received over the holidays. This season is a great time to refocus on what matters to you, and find fresh ways to improve. Many people use the momentum of a new year to commit to goals, build new habits, and often refocus on their health.

Cedar Springs wants you to choose a healthy lifestyle, but also be able to sustain it overtime. Here’s 5 Healthy Habits you can try this New Year, and hopefully maintain over the months to come!

1)Sleep before tomorrow comes

If you’re prone to going to sleep past midnight, this is one small habit you can change this new year. So much of our productivity, performance, and cognition is dependent on the quality of our sleep. If you want to see success and fruitfulness in others area of your life, optimizing your sleep habits is a great foundational tool. This includes getting enough deep sleep, sleeping 7-8+ hours a night, and going to bed early. Next time on the blog, we’ll talk about how you can develop a great bedtime routine that is relaxing and something you’ll look forward to!

2)Manage your apps

The apps on our phone can be a big distraction, and steal our attention from other responsibilities or endeavours. A good way to tackle this habit if you’re struggling with it, is to take as much control as possible. Go into your settings and turn off notifications for the apps that often distract you, so you’re not constantly using your phone. You can also hide your apps in folders, or on another menu, so it’s not the first thing you see when you unlock your device. Another tip is to set timers for how long you’ll use your apps during your free-time, and to make sure you have another activity at hand if you tend to scroll endlessly because you’re bored. Find podcasts or books in areas that interest you. Not only are these activities useful for learning, but they are inherently progressive, meaning that using them will require you to advance through them. Unlike social media apps, which are stagnant and repetitive, reading a book or listening to audio episodes gives you a small taste of momentum and progress, which feels good!

3) Find a word for the year

Is there a word that can bring more value to your life this year? You might look at your routine and habits right now and feel like something is lacking. Maybe its in the area of health, rest, community, exercise, or even more broad areas such as, joy, gratitude, or generosity. Pick one word you want to focus on this year, and then start making small decisions or changes that will help you improve in this area. Don’t think of this as a new year’s resolution, but as foresight for the year ahead. What do you want the next 12 months to be, and what small things can you do overtime to make your year the best it can be?

4) Make one positive change to your relationship with food

In the past, you may have used the new year to kickstart a new fad diet, or to start eating clean. Sometimes, these decisions work wonderfully, and people are able to see real change in their lives. But for others, restructuring their entire diet is too overwhelming and they lose steam very quickly. This is why it’s a good idea to make one change at a time. Consider eating breakfast if you normally skip it, or eating more fruit, fish, or whole grains during the week. Find healthy snack substitutes, start taking vitamins, or eat together as a family one more time per week. Whatever food-related habit you decide to formulate, make sure you’re excited about it, and can commit to it longterm, even by taking baby steps.

5) Drink water at the right times

Water is ultra-important for your mind and body! If you want prioritize your hydration routine, start by drinking water at the right times. These can include, when you first wake up, whenever you feel tired or hungry, and a couple hours before bed. You can also make a water schedule, and set regular reminders for yourself. Just make sure you’re staying hydrated in a way that works for you.

Taste and quality are attributes of water that often deter people from drinking it. Our Cedar Springs spring water is bottled fresh and has a wonderful natural taste. It’s easy to stay hydrated and healthy when you enjoy the water you’re drinking.

If you’ve resonated with multiple ideas here today, we suggest that you try them one at a time. This will be much easier to manage, and you’ll have a greater chance of forming longterm habits.