Three Ways You Can Genuinely Improve Your Life This Year

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We’re coming to the end of January, and already motivation is wearing thin when it comes to many people’s resolutions. The problem is, people set faddy and unrealistic goals that are so easy to break when the going gets tough. Let’s face it, no one wants to go for a run before work at 6am when it’s cold and dark. No one wants to give up all of their favourite things, and getting out of debt can seem impossible when January is full of oversized bills after an indulgent festive season. However it really is possible to improve your life, and when it comes to setting goals it’s important to be practical and realistic. Instead of giving up on your resolutions altogether, why not look at them in a different way. Here are five ways you can genuinely improve your life.

Focus on health

That’s a focus on health, not on size or appearance. If you focus on health in entirety, looking the way you want will just be a bonus of this. On top of that you will feel your best too and your body will be performing at its optimum level. Forget the crash diets, they don’t work. We all know it, all they do is deprive you and can make you lack in important vitamins. They will cause extreme hunger and an obsession around food that means you’ll simply put it all back on afterwards. Focus on cleaning up your diet, your meals should be around fifty percent fresh fruit or vegetables with a source of lean protein, complex carbohydrate and healthy fats. You certainly don’t have to feel restricted! For breakfast, how about a slice of wholegrain toast with some crushed avocado, sliced tomatoes and a poached egg on top? You could go with a fruit smoothie with the addition of a tablespoon of oats, some natural yoghurt and some goji berries. For lunch, a sweet potato baked in the oven with some tuna and light mayo filling and a side salad would make a great balanced option. Dinners could be any kind of lean protein (keep red meat to twice a week max as it’s higher in saturated fat) with vegetables and potato, whole meal pasta, rice or any of other grain such as couscous or quinoa. You could make homemade soups, healthy thin crust pizzas topped with low fat mozzarella, lots of veggies and salad on the side. You could make healthy versions of your favorite takeaway meals by reducing fat and salt and switching out certain ingredients. You can eat healthy and delicious foods every day of the week while still cutting your calories. You give your body everything it needs, never feel deprived and along with exercise are able to shift excess weight over the next few months. Drinking enough water and getting enough sleep will all contribute to the way you feel as well as the way you look. It shouldn’t be seen as a quick fix or a bid to get to a certain size. Look after your health and your appearance will follow.

Expand your mind

This could mean learning a new skill, focusing on your wellbeing or even go on a spiritual journey to achieve a higher level of consciousness. You could go on an avatar professional course to do this, it’s a good way to get to know yourself better and can help to bring you both peace and happiness. If spirituality isn’t your thing, how about focusing on knowledge. You could go back to college or university, there are lots of courses you can do online in your spare time. You could study a subject that interests you in your spare time, doing research from videos, articles and books. You could join a class, or even pick up a skill that you want to learn but never have. From music to cooking to driving, have a think about what you want and go for it. Just because we’re adults doesn’t mean we should stop learning. Keep your mind sharp, stay curious. Knowledge is power, you might even improve your opportunities and job prospects in your plight for knowledge too. Many people find that meditation, clearing the mind or visualising goals can be helpful, but however you go about it don’t neglect your mind. It’s easy to get caught up in the daily stresses of life and to be constantly worrying about the past or future. Spend some time in the present moment and allow yourself to feel grounded, it’s good for both mental and physical health.

Volunteer

It’s so easy to take what we have for granted. We go home to a warm house each day, we turn on the tap and have hot and cold water. There’s food in our pockets, if you’re really lucky you will have money leftover and maybe even a car on the drive. These things are all such luxuries to those who have nothing, and it’s only when you understand this that you can really appreciate what you have. Volunteering allows you to make a genuine difference, while learning what it truly means to be humble. You could travel and spend a summer volunteering abroad. Alternatively you could just spend an hour each week helping out at your local soup kitchen, hospital, care home or women’s shelter. If you’re in a position where you’re able to help others then you should, the world needs more people like that. You get the satisfaction of knowing you made someone’s life that bit better, and you really get to understand and appreciate what you have too. Rather than constantly feeling like you need more- the latest phone, a new tv, a fancy holiday. You can truly respect and feel glad of the things you do have, giving life a whole new perspective. If you’ve set new years resolutions to gain this item or purchase this product then this can be a different way of looking at things. You might realise you don’t need those things after all.

Tia, and TipsfromTia.com  is trying to keep you looking good and
feeling good, from the inside out. If you’ve got a problem or a tip email me! Be sure to Like and share on Facebook or Follow on Twitter or Instagram.