Achievable New Year's Resolutions for Healthier and Happier Living

Yes, diets, workouts, alcohol, and budgets are sure to on the list — but what about happiness and peace in your life?

Your plans for New Year's 2021 are going to be a lot different than what they used to be — you may be trading in a New Year's Eve party for more time on the couch in front of a festive New Year's movie — and your resolutions may look different, too...

This year, fill your resolution list with easy, good-for-you goals. Try one of these simple lifestyle tweaks each day, and you'll not only jumpstart a healthier body and mind — you'll feel fantastic and so psyched to make 2021 a much better year than ever before.

There are tips here that will calm you down and ease your stress, help your skin glow, and organize the crazy in your life — maybe you'll even pick up a cute new daily planner to stay on track! You'll find easy ways to squeeze a little more fitness into your busy days and sane strategies for decluttering. And if you are looking for ways to lose weight, we've got some surprising, fresh ideas that will help you get there.

This year, it's time to put you first. For even more "new year, new you" inspiration, don't miss these inspirational New Year's quotes.

1. Cook One New Thing Each Week

Everyone wants to eat healthier in the new year, but you should also try to eat more diverse foods. After all, variety is the spice of life. This year, choose an easy dinner recipe you've never tried before at least once a week. Pick up a copy of our Easy 30-Minute Dinners cookbook for 85 new ideas that you can try every week this year.

2. Read More Books

Another way to sort through the “dizzying number of deals,” Bodge says, is January is the perfect time of year to snuggle up with a new book. Keep yourself accountable to this New Year's resolution by opening a Goodreads account and reviewing each book you read. By next year, you'll have a clear snapshot of how well you accomplished this goal.

3. Get Artsy

To help ward off the blues, engage in a bit of culture—a trip to the museum, a night at the theater, or attending a concert. A new study found that people who make regular trips to these types of attractions have a lower risk of developing depression than those who don’t.

4. Create a Cleaning Schedule You'll Stick To

Keeping your home tidy without doing what feels like a deep clean every week can feel like a big ask. It's true that you may be under cleaning some tricky spots, but it's also true that you may be overdoing it elsewhere. Carolyn Forté, the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Home Appliances & Cleaning Products Lab, created a printable checklist to make sure keeping the house neat doesn't suck up endless hours of time on weekends anymore.

5. Sanitize Your Phone Weekly

Like, now! We check our phones a gazillion times a day, and if you've taken yours into the ladies' room, you're not the only one. But that means phones carry about 10 times as much bacteria as most toilet seats, says Charles Gerba, Ph.D., a microbiologist and professor at the University of Arizona, Tucson. The GH Cleaning Lab likes Lysol Disinfectant Wipes, which kill 99.9% of viruses and bacteria. They don't contain bleach, so they're safe to use on smartphones and tablets. Follow our expert's guide to cleaning your phone to ensure you do so safely.

6. Book All Your Doctor Visits For the Year

Open your calendar app (or planner!) and make your appointments for the year in one sitting — not only will you get the anxiety-inducing nuisance over with, but exams will be less likely to get squeezed out as life gets bonkers. Start with your primary care provider, and ask which screenings (e.g., mammogram, colonoscopy) you're due for. Slot those in, then move on to the dentist's office, etc.

7. Take the Stair

Take 10 minutes to run up the stairs in your office or home. A published study in the journal Physiology & Behavior found that tired women who climbed stairs for 10 minutes got a bigger energy boost than those who had the caffeine equivalent of a can of soda or half a cup of coffee (and burned calories too!).

8. Drink UpYou know you need to hydrate — but it's especially important when you get only six hours of sleep (or less!).

You’re more likely to be dehydrated the day after a short night of zzz's, because a hormone that regulates your body’s water conservation is released in later stages of sleep. So down some extra water on those days.

9. Volunteer

Research shows that pitching in regularly can lead to less stress and lower blood pressure. So use this day to jumpstart a longer-term personal commitment.

10: Do One More Exercise Move

Plyometric exercises — like burpee push-ups — get you fast results, says fitness expert Jillian Michaels:1. Squat and place hands on floor (as shown). 2. Jump feet into plank. 3. Drop chest to ground and perform a push-up. 4. Jump feet forward into squat position. 5. Jump up, reaching hands over head, and repeat sequence for 30 seconds. Rest. Do two more sets.Make it easier: Step back instead of jumping and do push-up on knees.

11: Decorate With Family History

In happy and long-lived cultures, people often display items from their families' pasts, says The Blue Zones of Happiness author Dan Buettner. "They remember and honor where they come from," he says. "We find that in happier cultures around the world, folks feel like part of a continuum." So hang your grandparents' wedding portrait, or put meaningful memorabilia on shelves.

12: Try This Trick for a Better Night's Sleep

Next time you have trouble nodding off, there’s a research-backed idea that could help: Take a hot bath! It helped people fall asleep about 10 minutes earlier and have a better quality snooze. The best time to do it? About an hour or two before bedtime, says other research.

13: Play Upbeat Music

Blasting any happy-making tune can work multiple mind-body wonders including reducing pain during exercise, elevating mood, and lowering stress, research shows. So make a playlist — any songs that oat your spirit will do the job.

14: Take Back Your Lunch Break

If you scarf your sammie at your desk while skimming the web, you're in good company: Only one in five Americans actually takes a lunch break, according to a survey, even though doing so has been linked to increased productivity. Grab a copy of Gone for Lunch by Laura Archer, a pocket-size guide featuring 52 fun ways to spend your midday hiatus, from scoping out cool architecture to making a film on your smartphone to getting your steps in for 30 minutes.

15: Give Yourself More Compliments

Repeat after us: "Today is my day. I'm thankful for me." Positive self-talk can help you focus on what's good in your life, says psychologist Joy Harden Bradford, Ph.D. Research shows that a little vitamin G (for gratitude) can make you feel happier and more satisfied and even improve your sleep. "If you repeat an affirmation related to gratitude in the morning, you're likely to show and feel more of it throughout that day," Bradford says. You're so welcome!

16: Stay Glued to the Windows

Spending as much time outside as possible is a great thing for your health — but even when the weather becomes frigid, sunlight is crucial to regulate your mood throughout the day. Sunlight can help regulate our circadian rhythms, which directly impacts how productive we are as well. If you can't find natural light in your home, try investing in a few supercharged lights for indoor living, and watch as your mood brightens over time.

17: Be Current About Current Events

It can be hard to keep up with what’s going on in the world given the lightning-fast news cycle, #fakenews and our own hectic lives. But it’s more important than ever to stay informed. If you’re sick of sifting through clutter on Facebook or Twitter, join Flipboard. Think of it as your personal news hub. Download the app, then list your interests, pick outlets to get updates from, follow your fave Twitter users and more. The app curates it all in one place with a smart, stunning design that makes scrolling easy.

18: Add More Citrus to Your Grocery Cart

When you see all those gorgeous in-season grapefruits, oranges, clementines, and pomelos in the produce aisle, grab an armful. Winter citrus can help keep skin looking healthy thanks to vitamin C, which aids in collagen production. In fact, an American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study found that people who ate foods high in C had fewer wrinkles and less age-related dry skin than those who didn't. Try clementine sections sprinkled with pistachios or sweet grapefruit dipped in Greek yogurt for a snack.

19: Ease Stress With Kindness

Kindness toward yourself! Recent research shows that practicing self-compassion slowed people’s heart rate and sweating, two symptoms our bodies produce when under chronic stress. So take some time each day to focus on something you love about yourself.

20: Chow Down on Blueberries and Walnuts

Separately or together, these berries and nuts have health superpowers: Blueberries have been shown to help people with metabolic syndrome (a cluster of conditions such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and too much belly fat), and walnuts can help reduce LDL, the bad kind of cholesterol. Toss them on oatmeal or in a salad, and eat up for a healthier 2021!

To read all of the 56 ideas click, https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/wellness/advice/g985/achievable-new-year-resolutions/

Source: Good Housekeeping, Zee Krstic.