On New Year’s Day, you’ll probably make resolutions to improve your body. That’s fine. However, don’t neglect your mind and soul. There’s room for improvement there, too, and the final result will do you a lot of good.
With this in mind, we decided to share a few resolutions taken here at Énergie Cardio. Who knows, maybe they will motivate you!
Resolution 1: Read more
Whether it’s a work of fiction that lets you broaden your horizons or something more practical, reading helps make the world a more harmonious place. Indeed, the curiosity it sparks increases lust for life.
Resolution 2: Spend less time in front of the TV
If you reduce your viewing time by one hour, you’ll see a difference.
Resolution 3: Consume less
Let’s admit it: we accumulate so many things, but aren’t any happier for it. Once a week, try not buying anything at all. Do you really need it?
Resolution 4: Practise gratitude
According to researchers from the University of California, Davis, and Southern Methodist University in Dallas, people who consciously practise gratitude on a daily basis are more alert, enthusiastic, optimistic, energetic, and driven than those who don’t, on top of being less prone to depression and stress. Keep a journal to write down what you’re grateful for. If you have kids, keep a family journal: discuss the highlights of the day with them at dinnertime and write them down once they’ve left the table.
Resolution 5: Eat better
Even though the terms “organic” and “local” are ubiquitous, they do remind us of an important reality. We know that processed foods aren’t very good for us. So, try to integrate more locally grown organic products into your diet. If you think you don’t have the means for this, try reviewing your budget: cut down on your costly Friday night drinks and Monday morning lattes and buy more organic carrots instead 😉.
Resolution 6: Get involved in your community
In the words of Winnie the Pooh: “You can’t stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.” Helping to strengthen ties in your community helps you feel useful to others and that life has meaning. Visit your local library, participate in the various meetups in your area, coach a youth soccer team, teach a nonreader to read, help out at a community garden, or simply have a coffee and talk politics with the regulars at your local restaurant.
Resolution 7: Free yourself from mediocrity
Be proud of the work you do. Even if you’re only a cog in the machine, be the best cog you can be.
You don’t have to climb onto a camel’s back in Morocco or cross the Pyrenees on a bicycle to add some adventure to your life. This country is full of places to go for a day trip of outdoor activities. Visit your travel agency for information about the affordable packages offered by recreation centres, whether it’s snowshoeing, downhill skiing, dog sledding, or horseback riding. In addition to enjoying the outdoors, you’ll naturally increase your levels of vitamin D and serotonin, a neurotransmitter that fights depression.
