4 New Year's Resolutions for 2020 -- Ideas for the Healthy Man
4 New Year’s Resolutions for 2020 -- Ideas for the Healthy Man
It’s around that time of year again...brainstorming New Year’s resolutions! You might be having trouble figuring yours out, you have one or two picked out already or you’re one of those guys who typically thinks New Year’s resolutions are stupid -- (“That’s stupid...why can’t people just start their resolutions now or tomorrow?” is a phrase that is often uttered a lot as the new year approaches). While we agree that resolutions can definitely be started now, we also understand that some people see the new year as an opportunity to start fresh and begin a new chapter with a clean slate. Don’t forget to prioritize not only your physical health but your mental health as well!
Try to remain present and listen to how your mind and body are feeling throughout the day. Lastly, avoid putting too much pressure on yourself in general but with your resolutions as well -- Men’s Health states that 80% of New Year’s resolutions usually fail around the second week of February, but that’s mainly because of unrealistic expectations or not putting the resolutions into place for the right reasons. You have to want to better yourself and improve your overall lifestyle and habits, but don’t beat yourself up if you don’t follow through with a resolution -- there’s always tomorrow; don’t lose sight of that!
1. How you feel is important.
I know, I know. A journal...where you have to write down your...thoughts and feelings. A journal is something that will actually help you to think about how you feel, address it, get it off your chest and compartmentalize your thoughts. It’s okay to admit if you’re stressed or upset and writing it down has been statistically proven to help one relax and move forward; writing provides useful insight on how you presently feel and without writing things down, that insight if often overlooked. Not to mention, this article from Cool Material accurately states that it is always a good thing to write down things that you might have otherwise forgotten -- it never hurts to document your life so that you can reminisce down the road.
Lastly but importantly enough, try to stay mindful and present with your thoughts as much as you can (the more you practice being self-reflective, the easier it’ll become). Furthermore, this brief article from Philly Voice stresses the importance of reaching out to the ones you love. A lot of men feel that emotions make them look weak but that’s a common misconception; you’re not weak for being human and you have the right to express how you feel, regardless of your gender. Being vulnerable is not a sign of weakness; it shows strength and courage to be aware of how you feel and to not feel ashamed.
2. 2020 is finally the time to manage your money better.
This resolution is a perfect example of setting realistic and specific expectations. It’s pretty vague to say, “I want to save money in 2020.” Try to create an actual plan with your money -- how exactly do you plan to manage your money and consistently maintain a budget? Men’s Health states that actually curating a detailed plan on how you’re going to save money; use tools to eliminate what you don’t need to spend money on and what you absolutely need money for. Click here for ten tips on how to manage your money better!
3. Make it a point to be more responsible in 2020 -- schedule a doctor’s appointment, even for just a checkup!
Furthermore, don’t press snooze on your alarm clock and skip out on your appointment -- actually go (and be 15 minutes early)! Unfortunately, WebMD states that men in general are notorious for not going to the doctor’s enough (especially when compared to women). Don’t be part of a statistic -- schedule that appointment now (even if you don’t feel like anything’s wrong; it’s never a bad thing to be safe and health conscious). That’s what MadMed is here for!
4. Do what you can in order to improve your sleep schedule.
Philly Voice discusses the vagueness of this resolution in this article -- what does ‘get some sleep’ even mean? How much sleep? Hello, we’re going to need some more information here -- it is the age of technology and obtaining information via one click, afterall. Philly Voice states that regulating your sleep schedule and consistently going to bed and waking up at the same time is extremely beneficial and your body will adjust to it easier the more you do it.
Here’s to 2020!
Here at MadMed, we hope that you found this article helpful and that you have a Happy New Year! Good luck in 2020 and let’s hope for a new and improved you (even though you’re pretty great already).