If you're looking to kick off 2015 with a pledge to get healthier, fitter, or happier, we have 100 (one hundred!) easy-to-implement tips to start you on your way. Whether you want to exercise more, eat healthier, stress less, booze less, lose weight, quit smoking, manage money better, get more sleep, learn a new skill, or go green the hints, tips, and steps below will help, guide, and support your efforts. Happy new year!
Working out isn’t just for getting buff. Exercising results in a ton of benefits, from reducing stress and anxiety, to improving self-confidence, to enhancing cognitive function. The good news is that adding regular exercise to your day isn’t tough. Just use the tips below and start moving!
1. Exercise any and everywhere.
With awesome home workouts, you can exercise even if finding the time, budget, or transportation to make it to the gym is tough.
2. Keep your workouts fresh.
Stave off the dreaded workout rut by trying something new or unexpected, working with a personal trainer, or rocking a new playlist.
3. Get motivated.
Keep your routine on track by reminding yourself of the incredible benefits of exercising, seeking workout inspiration, or becoming an “intrinsic motivator” (someone whose drive to succeed comes from within, rather than from external factors). If you don’t consider yourself a natural intrinsic motivator, you can work towards becoming one with a few simple steps that include charting your progress, practicing positive self-talk, and visualizing your goals.
4. Work out first thing in the morning.
The upsides to working out in the a.m. might just inspire night owls to become morning people! Exercising before breakfast has been linked to effective fat loss Breakfast and exercise contingently affect postprandial metabolism and energy balance in physically active males. Gonzalez JT, Veasey RC, Rumbold PL, et al. British Journal of Nutrition. 2013 Aug;110(4):721-32.. Plus, getting your workout done first thing ensures it’s completed before the day gets away from you.
5. Work out while you work.
Seated doesn’t have to mean sedentary. Any time you’re stuck in the cubicle or hunched over a keyboard, take a break for deskercise. Even if they don’t prep you for an upcoming Ironman, those breaks will get the blood flowing and burn a couple calories.
6. Make workouts fly by.
Having the right tunes, working out in a group, or exercising with that special someone are great ways to make workouts more exciting. And as we know, time flies when you’re having fun.
7. Make it quick.
Interval workouts—think tabatas and other high intensity interval training (HIIT)—can be done in as little as four minutes and provide an array of benefits, including building cardio endurance and burning fat.
8. Sneak it in.
Exercising without working out? NEAT! Non-exercise activity thermogenesis is everyday activity that burns calories like running errands, cleaning the house, chopping veggies, traveling by foot or bicycle. Days that you can’t make it to the gym are the perfect opportunity to up the ante NEAT-wise, whether that means taking the stairs, going on a mopping-and-vacuuming spree, or washing the car.
9. Make a plan.
Having a results-oriented game plan is a key to success when it comes to working out Fundamentals of resistance training: progression and exercise prescription. Kraemer WJ, Ratamess NA. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2004 Apr;36(4):674-88.. Whether you work towards that 5K, download a checklist to keep you organized, or set reminders to strength train three times times per week, arrange your weekly workouts in advance. Plus, research shows that imagining yourself achieving fitness goals can enhance athletic performance Benefits of motor imagery training on muscle strength. Lebon F, Collet C, Guillot A. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. 2010 Jun;24(6):1680-7.. Make a routine of rehearsing making healthy choices by visualizing the result of all your hard work.
10. Keep track online.
Logging your workouts allows you to keep track of what you’ve done—whether it’s miles run, reps lifted, or poses practiced. Plus, by paying attention to what kind of workouts you’re doing, you’ll know when to start changing things up, thereby avoiding the dreaded fitness plateau.
At the start of each year, many people are resolving to eat healthier so they can lose some weight or undo the results of an indulgent holiday season. But weight loss isn’t the only reason to change up our eating habits. Sometimes eating more healthfully simply makes us feel happier or better. Follow some of our tips to treat yourself to healthy eating in the new year.
1. Moderate, don’t deprive.
No need to go cold turkey forever when it comes to your favorite treats. Aim to eat nutritious foods your body loves 80 percent of the time. Use that other 20 percent to treat yourself a bit.
2. Graze healthfully.
Tide yourself over between meals with healthier snacks. Whether your thing is sweet or savory, crunchy or chewy, there are plenty of options for snacking smart. Bonus: Not being too ravenous at the next meal might make it easier to eat slowly, notice your body’s fullness cues, and not overeat Eating slowly led to decreases in energy intake within meals in healthy women. Andrade AM, Greene GW, Melanson KJ. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2008 Jul;108(7):1186-91..
3. Eat fresh produce throughout year.
Keep an eye on what’s in season because eating fresh means eating the tastiest fruits and veggies around.
4. Indulge smarter.
Chocolate-dipped strawberries? Choco-Nut popcorn? Yes, please. Lower sugar doesn’t have to mean less deliciousness.
5. Understand emotional eating.
There is a link between how we feel and how we eat, particularly when it comes to stress Stress, eating and the reward system. Adam TC, Epel ES. Physiology & Behavior. 2007 Jul 24;91(4):449-58.. Figuring out what kind of eater you are and whether you look to food to comfort you in times of anger, boredom, stress, or sadness will help you formulate a plan for making different decisions when faced with those emotions.
6. Make holidays, birthdays, and special occasions a little healthier.
Holidays and special occasions are always a good reason to enjoy delicious food. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to celebrate without going overboard.
7. Be mindful at meal times
Staying tuned in to what you’re eating (as opposed to the phone or T.V.) is a great way to eat until you’re full, but not beyond. Being relaxed and mindful can also help you heed fullness cues.
8. …but don’t overthink it.
Recent research shows that the more time we take to think about whether or not we should eat something, the more likely we are to find a reason to justify eating it http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23867558. Checking in with yourself about your mood and are great habits to have, but remember to trust your gut (pun intended).
9. Start the day with healthy.
Studies suggest that eating breakfast is linked to sustained weight loss and weight management, particularly when that breakfast is nutritious and fiber-rich and high in protein Long-term weight loss and breakfast in subjects in the National Weight Control Registry. Wyatt HR, Grunwald GK, Mosca CL, et al. Obesity Research & Clinical Practice. 2002 Feb;10(2):78-82. Beneficial effects of a higher-protein breakfast on the appetitive, hormonal, and neural signals controlling energy intake regulation in overweight/obese, "breakfast-skipping," late-adolescent girls. Leidy HJ, Ortinau LC, Douglas SM, et al. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2013 Apr;97(4):677-88..
10. Use the buddy system.
Having a partner with the same healthy-eating ambitions has been shown to help both people reach their goals Involving support partners in obesity treatment. Gorin A, Phelan S, Tate D, et al. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 2005 Apr;73(2):341-3.. If you don’t yet know anyone with goals similar to yours, find community online. Use #healthyishappy to see what kinds of awesome choices people are making and to inspire your own.
Feeling crazy stressed, super tense, and stretched too thin? You’re not alone. A whopping 70 percent of Americans experience physical or emotional symptoms of at some point. Nip stress in the bud, or at least reduce its effects, with these tips.
1. Meditate.
Quieting the mind has been shown to relieve stress Mindfulness-based stress reduction, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, and Zen meditation for depression, anxiety, pain, and psychological distress. Marchand WR. Journal of Psychiatric Practice. 2012 Jul;18(4):233-52.. And because it can be done so many different ways, from sitting to walking to chanting or even dancing, it’s one of the most versatile stress reduction techniques around.
2. Start LOLing.
Hearty laughter is more than fun; it’s also therapeutic, having been shown to have positive effects on relationships, physical health, stress response, and fatigue Laughter and depression: hypothesis of pathogenic and therapeutic correlation. Fonzi L, Matteucci G, Bersani G. Riv Psichiatr. 2010 Jan-Feb;45(1):1-6.A case of laughter therapy that helped improve advanced gastric cancer. Noji S, Takayanagi K. The Journal of the Japan Hospital Association. 2010 Jul;(29):59-64.Effects of laughter therapy on postpartum fatigue and stress responses of postpartum women. Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing. 2011 Jun;41(3):294-301.
3. Move your bod.
The rush of endorphins (your brain’s “feel-good transmitters”) that comes after vigorous exercise is also known as the runner’s high. Whether it manifests as calm or a feeling of euphoria, either one offers stress relief.
4. Chill with Fido.
Become a Corgi-lover or a cat fan because spending quality time with a pet has been shown to activate oxytocin, a hormone that lowers stress Psychophysiological effects of human-animal interaction: theoretical issues and long-term interaction effects. Virués-Ortega J, Buela-Casal G. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 2006 Jan;194(1):52-7..
5. Get a massage.
Not only does a rub-down feel darn fantastic, it’s also a proven way to reduce stress Physiological responses to touch massage in healthy volunteers. Lindgren L, Rundgren S, Winsö O, et al. Autonomic Neuroscience, 2010 Dec 8;158(1-2):105-10..
6. Listen to music.
Get grooving because music chills us out. From music-beat to heart-beat: a journey in the complex interactions between music, brain and heart. Cervellin G, Lippi G. European Journal of Internal Medicine, 2011 Aug;22(4):371-4. Go for the classic(al) stuff; it’s been specifically shown to reduce anxiety, anger, and stress. Coping with stress: the effectiveness of different types of music. Labbé E, Schmidt N, Babin J, et al. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 2007 Dec;32(3-4):163-8..
7. Get in touch with your inner yogi.
Restorative yoga is all about stillness and being calm. Study participants who practiced it experienced positive changes, both for their mental health and their quality of life. Restorative yoga for women with ovarian or breast cancer: findings from a pilot study. Danhauer SC, Tooze JA, Farmer DF, et al. Society for Integrative Oncology, 2008 Spring;6(2):47-58..
8. Get creative.
Grab some supplies and start creating. In studies, art therapy (a program that involves creating art to explore feelings, reduce anxiety, improve self-esteem, and work through conflict) has been shown to reduce stress Art therapy may be beneficial for reducing stress--related behaviours in people with dementia--case report. Mimica N, Kalinić D. Psychiatria Danubina, 2011 Mar;23(1):125-8.. If you don’t have access to an art therapy provider, consider taking on some creativity-boosting habits.
9. Take five.
Make a habit of treating yourself to five minutes of relaxation a day, even if you have to schedule it in your calendar and set a reminder. If you have a few moments to look out the window or take a quick, mindful stroll around the block, you have time to de-stress.
10. Have sex or masturbate!
Good-feeling and good for you, sex and masturbation have been shown to make people less reactive to stressful situations Blood pressure reactivity to stress is better for people who recently had penile-vaginal intercourse than for people who had other or no sexual activity. Brody S. Biological Psychology, 2006 Feb;71(2):214-22..
Imbibing makes us pay—in dollars and in calories—and for whatever not-so-great decisions we might make while intoxicated Alcohol effects on performance monitoring and adjustment: Affect modulation and impairment of evaluative cognitive control. Bartholow BD, Henry EA, Lust SA, et al. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 2012 Feb;121(1):173-86.. So it’s no wonder that resolving to drink less in the new year ranks as a top priority for many people. Especially after a sodden holiday season, cutting out alcohol (or at least cutting back on it) makes perfect sense. The tips below will help you dry out in the new year — without sacrificing fun.
1. Skip the pub crawl.
For some people who are attempting sobriety (or just trying to imbibe less) it’s helpful to avoid certain social situations, especially the ones that tend to focus on drinking, like happy hours, pub crawls, wine tastings, etc. Choose other activities such as hanging out outdoors or going on an unconventional date. Don’t let FOMO get you down; if you’re worried about missing out, be sure to plan less drinking-centric group activities and ask friends to hang out before they hit the bar.
2. Keep a record.
Use an app to track what you’ve drunk in real time and also create a simple calendar that logs the details of your drinking—what you drank, how much, when and where, plus any consequences or other details. This can teach you more about your behaviors around drinking and help you change them.
3. Focus on the benefits.
For many people, cutting down on booze means a clearer head, more energy, and weight loss, all of which can beget healthier choices. Keeping all the positives in mind will motivate you to stick with it.
4. Enjoy alcohol in moderation.
As long as you’re not someone battling alcohol dependence, learn to party sensibly. Avoid the trap of depriving yourself so completely that you eventually break and end up overdoing it, by occasionally enjoying a drink or two.
5. Get enough sleep.
A study found that people who sleep less are prone to drink more Short sleep duration is associated with greater alcohol consumption in adults. Chaput JP, McNeil J, Després JP, et al. Appetite. 2012 Dec;59(3):650-5.. It’s not clear whether drinking affects the quality of sleep or lack of sleep drives people to drink, but it’s still worth getting the recommended seven to nine hours of shut-eye.
6. Get educated about alcohol.
Alcohol may be widely used, but many myths about alcohol, drinking, and hangovers persist. (“Beer before liquor, never been sicker, anyone?”) Knowing the facts about what you’re drinking (and not drinking) could empower you to make better choices.
7. Bounce back from slip-ups.
(And help yourself recover.) Try not to let a lapse in judgment or willpower torpedo your efforts. Studies show that when people slip up (by eating or drinking more than they’d planned), they fall into a kind of low self-esteem spiral—they dwell on their “failures,” their self-esteem takes a hit, and they end up making further poor choices Self-esteem, restraint, and eating behavior. Polivy J, Heatherton TF, Herman CP. Journal of Abnormal Psychology. 1988 Aug;97(3):354-6. Getting a bigger slice of the pie. Effects on eating and emotion in restrained and unrestrained eaters. Polivy J, Herman CP, Deo R. Appetite. 2010 Dec;55(3):426-30. If you find yourself leaving the bar a few rounds after you said you would or partying harder than you intended, try to reflect on exactly how and where you went wrong and what you can change next time. Remember, a slip-up leads to an opportunity to get it right the time!
8. Discover the wonderful world of booze-free beverages.
Learn to love coffee and tea, assorted non-nonalcoholic beverages, and mocktails. Get creative with juices, soda water, and garnishes, and you could find yourself becoming a sober barfly.
9. Make a plan and stick to it.
Scrap the ol’ “wing it and hope for the best” tactic. On lazy afternoons watching the game or wild nights at the club, one beer/pickleback/sake bomb can turn into many before you know it. Before going out, decide how much you’ll drink and stick to your limit.
10. If you’re going to booze, make the healthiest choices available.
Cocktails with less salt and sugar mean fewer calories, and the fancier the booze, the fewer the hangover-inducing additives.
If you’re looking to lose weight after an indulgent holiday season, you’re not alone. A 2012 survey estimated that the number of American adults who are dieting jumps from 34 million during the holidays to 50 million in the first two weeks of January. Use these tips to stay on track and meet your weight loss goals — plus check out our massive list of tricks for losing weight the healthy, science-backed way.
1. Set a realistic goal.
Think about what you can reasonably expect to be able to lose given your routine, lifestyle, upcoming trips and parties, and so on. Setting goals that are too lofty can hamper long-term weight loss. Unrealistic weight-loss goals among obese patients are associated with age and causal attributions. Wamsteker EW, Geenen R, Zelissen PM, et al. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2009 Nov;109(11):1903-8
2. Pump iron.
Strength training gets you toned, buff, and it boosts metabolism, which aids in weight loss. Effect of acute resistance exercise on postexercise oxygen consumption and resting metabolic rate in young women. Osterberg KL, Melby CL. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. 2000 Mar;10(1):71-81. Strength training increases resting metabolic rate and norepinephrine levels in healthy 50- to 65-yr-old men. Pratley R, Nicklas B, Rubin M, Miller J, et al. Journal of Applied Physiology. 1994 Jan;76(1):133-7. Talk about a win-win!
3. Expect success and fight to stay positive.
Weight loss can be as much a mental game as a physical one. Successful weight loss is associated with positive expectations. The effects of outcome expectations and satisfaction on weight loss and maintenance: correlational and experimental analyses--a randomized trial. Finch EA, Linde JA, Jeffery RW, et al. Journal of Health Psychology. 2005 Nov;24(6):608-16. Imagine yourself meeting your goals and remind yourself of all the great reasons you’re making the effort to lose weight.
4. Sub smartly.
Almost every favorite dish can be made healthier with a substitution. Try trading avocado or unsweetened applesauce for butter and vanilla for sugar. Heck, even sugar-laden desserts can be swapped out with healthier desserts.
5. Picture yourself eating something.
Research shows that picturing yourself eating a particular food can decrease our desire to eat it. Thought for food: imagined consumption reduces actual consumption. Morewedge CK, Huh YE, Vosgerau J. Science. 2010 Dec 10;330(6010):1530-3.
6. Keep a diary.
Successful weight loss and food diaries are a match made in heaven—research shows that recording what and when you eat aids in losing weight. If you’re more likely to tap on your phone than scribble on a pad, move your food diary to a mobile or desktop app. Research has shown that using online tech to track progress aids weight loss efforts.
7. Burn fat.
Short, intense bouts of exercise like tabatas can help reduce body fat and provide a powerful workout in a short time. The effects of high-intensity intermittent exercise training on fat loss and fasting insulin levels of young women. Trapp EG, Chisholm DJ, Freund J, et al. International Journal of Obesity. 2008 Apr;32(4):684-91.
8. Curb overeating.
Portion control makes all the difference when it comes to weight loss. Use of portion-controlled entrees enhances weight loss in women. Hannum SM, Carson L, Evans EM, et al. Obesity Reseach & Clinical Practice. 2004 Mar;12(3):538-46. Fight portion distortion by getting a handle on what a sensible serving looks like.
9. Savor every bite.
Eating slowly gives your body a chance to feel full, making it less likely that you’ll overeat. Eating slowly increases the postprandial response of the anorexigenic gut hormones, peptide YY and glucagon-like peptide-1. Kokkinos A, le Roux CW, Alexiadou K, et al. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2010 Jan;95(1):333-7.
10. Guzzle water.
Drinking water keeps us feeling full, which means fewer calories consumed. Drinking water is associated with weight loss in overweight dieting women independent of diet and activity. Stookey JD, Constant F, Popkin BM, et al. Obesity. 2008 Nov;16(11):2481-8.
From cancer, heart disease, and stroke to blindness, blood clots, gum disease, tooth loss, and yellow skin and fingernails, the list of grim health outcomes associated with smoking is pretty long. The new year is a perfect time to quit—and the tips below will help you do it.
1. Motivate yourself to quit.
Make a list of reasons you want to stop puffing and all the awesome things that will result when you’re no longer smoking. Keep this list handy and refer to it frequently.
2. Set a quit date.
Commit to the day you plan to quit (today, maybe?) and do what you have to do to make it stick—write it down, tell loved ones, or set reminders and alerts on your phone.
3. Identify triggers.
Spend some time figuring out what triggers a nic fit. For example, research suggests that merely being in places you associate with smoking can make you want to light up Environments as cues to smoke: implications for human extinction-based research and treatment. Conklin CA. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology. 2006 Feb;14(1):12-9.. Think ahead to what those places might be for you and come up with an alternative hangout spot for each one. Then make a plan for how you’ll handle cravings. One option is to sign up for SmokefreeTXT for ’round the clock encouragement and advice. Other ideas: Practice relaxation or call a friend for support.
4. Sing it from the mountaintops.
Tell friends and family that you are going to quit so that they can support and encourage you and hold you accountable.
5. Try, try again.
Each time a smoker tries to quit, they learn something about the process that makes them more likely to succeed the next time they try. Plus, research has shown that even successful quitters have experienced temporary relapses How does a failed quit attempt among regular smokers affect their cigarette consumption? Findings from the International Tobacco Control Four-Country Survey (ITC-4). Yong HH, Borland R, Hyland A, et al. Nicotine & Tobacco Research. 2008 May;10(5):897-905.
6. Celebrate smokelessness.
Reward yourself for your efforts and successes. Buy yourself dinner or some other small treat to recognize your efforts. Maybe a smoke-free week calls for that book you’ve had your eye on, one month means dinner and a movie, six months without a puff calls for a massage, and so on.
7. Find power in numbers.
A smoking cessation group offers extra support from other people who are quitting, too, and increases the chances of quitting successfully by 30 percent.
8. Find something else for your mouth to do.
Chew gum, suck hard candy, crunch celery. Find something reasonably healthy you can keep on you at all times and pop it in your mouth when the urge to smoke hits.
9. Practice mindfulness meditation.
When the urge to smoke hits, try taking a step back, taking a few deep breaths, acknowledging the craving, and then letting it go. Research showed that smokers who practiced mindfulness training showed a greater rate of reduction in smoking.
10. Accept an assist.
Nicotine Replace Therapy (NRT) with patches, inhalers, and lozenges have been show to help people quit smoking Nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation. Stead LF, Perera R, Bullen C, et al. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2008 Jan 23;(1):CD000146.. Talk to a doctor about whether one of these is an option for you.
The best things in life may be free, but it’s nice to have debts paid down, a decent credit score, and some money left over for that weekend trip or occasional retail therapy. Use the tips below for useful info on how to save without giving up spending altogether.
1. Learn the money basics.
Understanding finances, from the difference between good debt and bad debt to the ins and outs of budgeting, is the first step in managing money like a boss.
2. Save creatively.
Sock money away with some minor tweaks to your daily routine, like swapping store-bought cleaning products for homemade ones, or cooking inexpensive meals with a slow cooker (which also cuts down on electricity usage!).
3. Make financial responsibility sexy.
The good news is that it’s possible to spend quality time without spending lots of cash. Make cooking together or working out with your special someone into a date!
4. Cancel memberships and subscriptions you can live without.
Haven't been to the gym in a while? Consider canceling your membership to work out at home. Or get rid of cable and resolve to watch all TV and movies by streaming them for free or at lower cost.
5. Unsubscribe!
If you’re getting all kinds of emails about sales, deals, and new inventory, remove the temptation to buy on impulse by unsubscribing from stores' email lists.
6. Gift creatively.
Holidays, birthdays, “just-because” gifts… they can add up. But it’s possible to be thoughtful and frugal at the same time. Craft something special with your own two hands or give things that are super meaningful and super affordable.
7. Save automagically.
Set up an automated recurring transaction that moves money from your checking account and deposits it into your savings account. Whether it’s $2 per week or $15 each month, you’ll be putting something away consistently.
8. Take out less, make-in more.
There are plenty of ways to eat delicious food without dropping a ton of bank. Make takeout a for-special-occasions-only thing and start making healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and sides, and dessert at home.
9. Pay yourself first.
Deposit a bit of every paycheck into a high-yield savings account. Again, whether it’s a dollar amount or a small percentage, a few dollars here and there adds up.
10. Brew your own joe.
If you’re anything like the average American, you might be spending over a grand on coffee each year. Cold brewing makes delicious coffee hot or cold, and all you need is grounds, a container, water, and time.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, adults should be getting between seven and nine hours of sleep per night. But between making time for work, family, friends, exercise, and everything else we’re trying to squeeze in, a full night’s rest is often the first thing to go. Follow a few simple tips and tricks to get more (and better!) sleep.
1. Learn all the facts.
Deepening your understanding of the importance of sleep might help strengthen your commitment to catch more Zzz’s. Start by learning how sleep is good for our health, what sleep disorders look like, and the relationship between food and sleep.
2. Make it routine.
Keeping a regular sleep schedule will train your body and mind to wind down at bedtime. Though it’s tempting to try to use weekends or less busy periods of time to bank sleep, research has shown that you can’t really make up for sleep lost over a period of days in just one or two good nights’ sleep, so remember to make your weekends as regular as weekdays.
3. Use the bed for bed stuff only.
Get your brain to start associating your bed with rest by not using that space for anything other than sleep or other relaxing nighttime activities.
4. Enjoy a spot of tea.
If a busy brain is keeping you up, sip chamomile tea, which has been shown to have anti-anxiety properties.
5. Skip the nightcap.
Boozing around bedtime can disrupt sleep. Increase your chances for restful sleep by imbibing earlier in the evening Alcohol and sleep I: effects on normal sleep. Ebrahim IO, Shapiro CM, Williams AJ, et al. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. 2013 Apr;37(4):539-49..
6. Have sex or masturbate.
Hanky panky with someone you love (whether that means a partner or yourself) before bed can help you fall asleep. During and after sex, hormones like oxytocin that help you nod off are released.
7. Nap smart.
An afternoon nap is refreshing and rejuvenating—as long as you following napping best practices. Snoozing for 10 to 20 minutes at least three to four hours before bedtime generally won’t interfere with a good night’s sleep The effects of napping on cognitive functioning. Lovato N, Lack L. Progress in Brain Research. 2010;185:155-66. Effects of sleep inertia after daytime naps vary with executive load and time of day. Groeger JA, Lo JC, Burns CG, et al. Behavioral Neuroscience. 2011 Apr;125(2):252-60. Self-reported napping and duration and quality of sleep in the lifestyle interventions and independence for elders pilot study. Picarsic JL, Glynn NW, Taylor CA, et al. Journal of the American Geriatric Society. 2008 Sep;56(9):1674-80. Subjective and objective napping and sleep in older adults: are evening naps "bad" for nighttime sleep? Dautovich ND, McCrae CS, Rowe M. Journal of the American Geriatric Society. 2008 Sep;56(9):1681-6..
8. Go for a (nature) walk.
Treat yourself to a stroll among greenery. Research has linked forest walks with better sleep.
9. Exercise regularly.
A study showed that people who exercised at moderate intensity experienced relief from insomnia. (For tips on incorporating regular exercise into your life, see our post on exercise-related resolutions!)
10. Kick clocks and snooze buttons to the curb.
Relying on alarm clocks and snooze buttons wreaks havoc on our body’s natural rhythms What keeps us awake? The role of clocks and hourglasses, light, and melatonin. Cajochen C, Chellappa S, Schmidt C. International Review of Neurobiology. 2010;93:57-90.. To develop better sleep habits, get a handle on your circadian rhythms and determine when your body naturally wants to fall asleep, wake up, work, and exercise—and then craft a schedule around those rhythms.
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