11 Tips on Keeping New Year’s Resolutions

Happy New Year from EasyEcoBlog!

May the new year bring you lots of luck and prosperity, and more greenness! Only through education can we learn how to be eco-friendly, green. We all need to learn new ways of doing things and need to help teach our friends and neighbors how to do things the right way.

Did you know that the psychological stress that the holidays bring causes us to eat too much and automatically steer towards comfort foods full of fat and sugar?

Setting New Year’s resolutions can be a great way to focus on personal growth and positive changes.

We went through some of our old green information and extracted the best tips that can make an impact. How about adding these to your New Year’s resolutions..

• Ditch bottled water
• Take advantage of the Federal Tax Credit
• Buy an Electric Car
• Switch to Solar Power
• Stop unwanted junk mail
• Save money on your water bill
• Buy organic only when necessary and eat less meat
• Recycle electronics responsibly and reduce your trash
• Save energy with all our tips. Unplug items not in use. Use power strips
• Program your thermostat correctly
• Regifting is eco friendly

 

Tips for Watching our Weight

Do not resolve to lose weight AGAIN. This no trick, silver bullet, or shortcut to losing weight. Commit to eating better, avoiding buying junk food, avoiding fast food, etc.

• I find losing weight after being sick, a great time to keep a lower metabolism rate going
• Review the Healthy Plate Method and figure out what you have yet to eat, not what you should avoid
• Do not skip a meal – this causes overeating
• With each meal, try to have a whole fruit or vegetable (Not juice), along with a protein, and grains.
• Drink lots of water before and during a meal
• Don’t hover at buffets. Eat slowly. Wait 30 minutes before you get seconds
• Focus on low fat, healthy food
• Avoid fatty foods like red meat
• Skip carbohydrates like bread, including items that use processed grains
• Play games, go hiking, get outside afterwards
• If the weather is bad, go to a mall and do some walking
• Avoid mindless eating, be aware of what you put into your mouth
• Eat slowly and taste every bite
• Cook at home more often, you can control what you eat more so
• Don’t make too many of a single item, concentrate on quality not quantity

Tips on Keeping New Years Resolutions

Have you already broken your News Years Resolution to be more green? 46% stick to their resolutions for at least 6 months, but less than 20% of people stick to their resolutions after two years. Here are some tips to enhance the likelihood that you will keep your New Years Resolutions to be more environmentally conscious.

Plan Ahead

Create a realistic plan well before your New Year’s plunge. Practice self-control in other areas, in order to prepare yourself better. Gaze into your crystal ball to list possible obstacles in your way and ways to circumnavigate them. Do not pressure yourself to lose weight, change behaviors that lead to poor choices.

Take Small Steps

Remember, the key to successful resolutions is to set realistic and achievable goals. It can be helpful to break larger goals into smaller, manageable steps.

If you pledged to stop driving your car, stopping it completely on January 1 is unrealistic. Ease into it with car free days every week, then increase the frequency. Reduce other diversions or interruptions to help you concentrate on the task at hand.

Tell a Friend

Find like minded friends and family to share the pain. Get your better half to help you setup a resolution. Check in with them regularly to see how you are progressing. Announce your plan to co-workers, relatives, friends, etc. You are making a bigger commitment this way.

Change Surroundings

If you want to change, adjust the situations and locales that cause unwanted behaviors to occur. If you want to eat better this year, avoid areas where fast food is prevalent. If you want to stop smoking, avoid places where people smoke.

Expect Failure

Expect, ahead of time, that you will fail and bounce back from problems, rather than use them as excuses. If you are trying to save energy and then receive a higher energy bill, do not get discouraged, bear down and try harder to save. Make a plan for bouncing back from setbacks and slips.

Reward Yourself

A proverbial carrot or reward should be available if you meet certain milestones. On the other hand, a small slap on the wrist if you slip up, may be useful.

Improve Your Fitness

The proverbial pattern is to resolve to get more fit, join a gym, go a couple times, then revert to your sedentary past. Instead, change your lifestyle. Walk more, go for hikes, hang out with friends that are into fitness.

Use a fitness tracker like the Fitbit or Apple Watch.  They can track your activity and let you know how you are doing.

Being Happy During the Holidays

UC Berkeley scientists have studied how to be happy during the holidays and suggests people think about things in their lives that work well and being thankful for them. Being compassionate towards others and participating in family rituals that create togetherness also help increase happiness during the holidays.

Did you know that happy people typically make more money. By age 29, research in 2013 from the University College London, found that students who described themselves as happy when age 16 – 18, felt more satisfied when they were 22 and made more money at age 29. The difference was approximately $4,000. The conclusion is that happiness is helping to generate higher income.

Instead of Gifts, Give Experiences

Rather than giving more stuff to your friends and family, give time and experiences.  They can enjoy their time spent and the memories will last longer. It is hard to believe that taking someone to a concert or event, will generate more happiness than a new iPad, but studies show that this is true. There will be less impact on the environment, trash to dispose of and less clutter in their home.

Do you have any other New Year’s Resolution Tips?

Posted on December 26th, 2024
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