Susie Almaneih lists and explains 5 Ways To Institute Healthy Habits Into The Family Routine For The New Year

1. 5 EASY WAYS TO INSTITUTE
HEALTHY HABITS INTO THE FAMILY
ROUTINE FOR THE NEW YEAR
CREATED BY SUSIE ALMANEIH

2. Practicing healthy habits
doesn’t have to be a chore.
It can be the reward itself.

3. Overindulgence is the
hallmark of the holidays, and
that’s why so many of us feel
that it is important to commit
to resetting in the New Year.

4. More than losing that winter coat, however, is
the great feeling of polishing our daily
practices in simple ways to make life easier
and more enjoyable.
Here is a short list of minimum-effort tricks
that amount to an overall family boost:

5. 1. The chug-a-pint challenge.
One of the best effortless habits you can form is drinking a full glass of
water first thing in the morning. You fire up your metabolism, flush
your intestinal tract, and of course, hydrate your body.
Before breakfast or coffee, everyone in the family knocks back a glass
of water. It only takes a second and sets you up to drink more water
throughout your day.

6. 2. Meditation
The idea of meditation is so scary to some of us – who has the
time and the concentration to sit and wait for enlightenment?
But actually, to make a difference, it only takes three minutes
a day of sitting quietly, focusing on an object or body part like
the hands, and just noticing the breath entering and exiting
the body.

7. Start by setting a timer for one minute and
have everyone do it together in either the
morning, or the evening before dinner or bed.
Even if you have little ones, just let them be
present for it and work your way up from
there. It’s easier to do this with other people,
and the more practice you get, the more the
benefits will start to emerge.

8. 3. Eat Slower.
Just focusing on the sensations and flavors of your food naturally
makes you slow down and savor whatever you are eating and this is
better for digestion, metabolism, and maintaining a healthy weight3.
When you eat slower, you become full faster and eat smaller portions.
But wait, there’s more: slowing down makes your meal more enjoyable!

9. 4. Emphasize the positive.
The 24 hour news cycle is insidious and chalk-full of
suffering; consider allowing quality time to be punctuated
with good news, examples of kindness and beauty, or
reaffirming the things that make you grateful.

10. Studies have shown that happiness is contagious,
and actually good for us. In the same sense that
emotions like fear and anxiety have health
consequences, happiness can reduce the risk of
heart disease, strokes, and diabetes.

11. 5. Power down.
Sleep is one of those things kids never think about, but adults
fantasize about it actively, usually because they are not
getting enough. To assist the brain in its nighttime job, turn
down the lights in the house and power down the devices an
hour before bedtime. Reducing stimuli indicates to your brain
that sleep time is imminent and this sets you up for deeper,
more restful sleep.

12. For that last hour or so before bed, consider reading,
stretching, taking a bath, or just talking as a way of
settling into bed. Good sleep hygiene will give
everyone more energy and focus the following day,
not to mention, putting everyone in a better mood.
Even if sleep is not a problem for you, this small and
easy step ensures that your whole family continues
to get the rest they need. It also feels really good.

13. It really is the little things that can add up to big
improvement, because with a little practice,
these adjustments become automatic. It’s also
good practice for our children to reframe their
daily habits, so they understand that refining
our daily routine is part of living.

14. Setting reasonable, achievable goals for the New
Year is one of the best ways we can reduce
stress, become more productive, and enhance
our own contentment. Even more, doing this
practice as a family is a great way to bond.