Written By Jennifer McGregor / Reviewed By Ray Spotts
Most of us are crossing our fingers for a better 2021 after all the challenges of our current year. Rather than setting unrealistic resolutions, however, it may be worthwhile to choose a few healthy habits that you can stick to successfully.
Stress relief and sustainable healthy choices can bring joy to the coming year - and these tips can get you started on the right foot.
Relieve Tension Within the Home
Stress levels have been brutal in 2020. The Annual Stress in America study by the American Psychiatric Association has shown the most significant increase this year than any year since the study began.
Many families are noticing increased levels of conflict as a result of spending more time cooped up under the same roof. If your family is experiencing relationship challenges due to stress, make sure you check in with yourself about your thoughts and feelings and try some healthy communication skills to relieve tension.
Another common source of family stress is clutter. You can inject some positivity into your home by reducing clutter, organizing, and cleaning problem areas. There are endless ways to declutter and strategically organize your home for stress reduction.
Try to get everyone to agree to a unified plan ahead of time so that everyone can be working toward the same result. If your family struggles with staying on track, consider a chart or calendar to help remind them of their weekly responsibilities, or set a reminder on a digital device for daily or weekly chores.
Clean and Refresh Your Home
Having a clean home is a sure way to reduce stress and tension. Using natural cleansers is a safer alternative to chemical cleaners and is often far cheaper.
You can make your own household cleaners out of everyday items in your home. Remember to stay safe when creating cleaning products and never mix bleach and ammonia, as this combination creates toxic fumes.
Refreshing your room with a vibrant new look can make a world of difference. Adding a fresh coat of paint and rearranging the furniture can offer a new perspective to a room.
Create a small area within your living space devoted to reading or listening to audiobooks, complete with an overstuffed chair, cozy blanket, noise-canceling headphones, and a reading lamp. If possible, make the reading nook away from high traffic areas to avoid distraction.
Having devoted spaces for personal time is important when the family is spending extra hours at home. A hobby area for exercise and crafts is another practical way to create space for health and interests.
Healthy and Sustainable At-Home Habits
Healthy, longstanding habits are cultivated over time. Making healthy food choices and buying local is a great place to start. Consider shopping at local health food stores to support the economy and access fresh goods in your area.
Farm shares or CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) are an excellent way to put nutritious meals on your table and support local farm families. Shop organic when possible, as this reduces the toxins entering your body and the environment.
Habits are formed through repetition and accountability. As you approach the new year with intentions of clearing negativity and maintaining a healthy home, make sure you are clear about what you are working toward.
Goals are more successful when they are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound). It could be fun to make goal-setting a family activity; this is a great way to learn more about each other and support each other’s progress.
A healthy and positive new year awaits, and with a bit of planning and strategy, we may find it is even better than we could have anticipated.
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Written By:
Jennifer McGregor, a pre-med student, co-created Public Health Library to make it easier for people to find high quality health information. Through this site she aims to push reputable information on health topics to the forefront, making them easier and quicker to find.
Reviewed By:
Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.