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5 Good-For-You Habits That Will Help You Thrive in the New Year

Published on Jan 20, 2022 at 3:00 AM

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In an ideal world, we would all wake up early, go to the gym, write in our journals, and read a book before bed. Unfortunately, following through with these resolutions isn't always as easy as it seems — life gets in the way, and our self-care routines fall by the wayside. Plus, haven't we endured enough in the past year? It's fair to say that we all deserve a bit of slack.

This go-around, we're swapping out those strict resolutions for simple yet valuable habits. Forget the restrictive diets, rigorous workout routines, and overly frugal spending patterns. We're using this time to live our lives to the fullest with a few new healthy habits. Read on to see the good-for-you habits that we'll be incorporating into our routines this year.

Lamp Therapy Is a Winter Essential

Winter can be rough. The frigid weather, ice-slicked sidewalks and long nights can really affect your mood. This year, set yourself up for success with a light therapy lamp. These lamps mimic sunlight to give your brain a little wake-up call. Just put a light therapy lamp on your desk, so when that 4 p.m. sunset hits, you have a mood booster to help minimize those winter blues.

Buy a Bouquet Just Because

We often see flowers as a special occasion treat: for a birthday, a housewarming, or an engagement. Rethink your approach to flowers. Next time you're walking down the street and pass a corner shop, pick up a bouquet for yourself — no reason needed. Don't stop there. Have dinner plans with a friend? Show up to the restaurant with a bundle of peonies in hand. They'll be pleasantly surprised, and it might even start a new tradition among your group of friends.

Keep Frozen Meals on Hand

The days of restrictive diets are over. This year is all about embracing convenience just as much as healthy eating. Enter: Life Cuisine, frozen meals made for different lifestyles. Life Cuisine draws inspiration from today's trendy dishes to create nutritious frozen meals. Think cauliflower buffalo bites, pesto cauliflower gnocchi, and Korean-style BBQ bowls. Regardless of what you're looking for — whether that's high-protein, carb-conscious, plant-based, or gluten-free — stock your freezer with a few Life Cuisine meals, so you always have nutritious, flavorful food to throw into your dinner rotation.

Reclaim the Art of Postcards

Let's face it: the pandemic has made it difficult for us to stay in touch with our friends, especially those we don't see all the time. Instead of that awkward check-in text, write out your message on a postcard and mail it off. It's a simple way to say "hello" without the seemingly endless text exchange, and not to mention, a handwritten note is much more thoughtful and personalized.

Selfies = Self-Love

Y2K is having a resurgence: we're seeing it in fashion, film, and even food. So why not bring back one more early 2000s trend: the selfie. Move away from the carefully curated and staged shots and give yourself the freedom to take in-the-moment selfies. It's a simple way to show yourself some love. If you're feeling yourself in an outfit, snap a quick mirror picture. If you just woke up and the bedhead is somehow working for you, turn the camera on yourself. Bonus: you'll always have a wide selection of images to choose from when giving your dating profile a refresh.