This is the time of year when we take a look at our list of New Year’s Resolutions and ask ourselves what we are going to be able to keep to and which ones are going to fall by the wayside. It is time to commit to a fresh start and start making some positive changes, but we have all found ourselves in the position of telling ourselves that maybe this was never the year that we were going to learn how to make our own sushi. Maybe next year will be the one for travelling more. 

One of the main problems with these resolutions that we make is that we aim too high with no real idea of how we are going to get there. We know that it can be difficult to make sure that the big plans that we have for the new year make it past the spring, which is why the best way forward is to think about the simple things that you can do to bring them closer to reality. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither were big lifestyle overhauls. Here are a few tips to help you make healthy and productive changes in the new year.

Embrace A Daily Routine

This may sound like a slightly boring point to start off with, but it is also true that it can feel like control slips out of reach during the winter months. We stay in bed as long as possible because the days are short, and the weather is appalling. We work late because we are overtired, and the to-do list seems never-ending. We put off meeting friends or going to the gym because energy levels are low, and motivation is even lower. 

While creating a daily routine may not solve all of these problems, it will help you to have a firmer grip on your schedule. Make sure that you are getting up at the same time every day. Give yourself enough time to prepare for the day properly before you start work, especially if you are still working from home. Check your diary before making any commitments and be honest about whether you have enough time for them. 

Improve Your Work-Life Balance

Following on from the point above, we have all had a hard time with separating work from home life since remote working became the standard. When your workstation is in your home, it can be very tricky to make sure that you keep that line separating the two parts of your day clear. This is one of the biggest reasons why so many people have faced burnout over the last few months. Fixing this is on a lot of our New Year’s Resolutions lists and there are several simple steps that you can take towards achieving that goal. The first is to stop checking your work emails and messages when you have signed off. Don’t just close your laptop screen, turn it off. Take your lunch breaks and try to make sure you get outside during that time, or at least stop eating your lunch at your desk. Make plans for the weekend and keep them. 

Look For The Best Deals Out There

Given how tough the last couple of years have been, it makes sense that a lot of us are factoring our finances into our resolutions. If you are wondering how you can save some extra cash in 2022, one of the most effective and simplest ways to do so is to make sure that you are shopping around for the best deals. Take your energy bills, for instance. Could you save money by switching to a different supplier? Are you spending too much on your broadband package for bandwidth that you are not actually using? 

And when it comes to plans, phone packages are often one of the biggest culprits. So often we discover that there is a nasty bill surprise waiting for us at the end of the month, or that we can’t get out of our contracts because we’ve signed up for a lot more than we originally bargained for. If you want to make sure that you want what you are paying for, then a SIM-only plan could be the perfect choice for you. If you are looking for the best SIM-only deals, Lebara offers a range of different plans to suit your budget, and its international minutes are applicable to 41 countries around the world.

Make Tweaks To Your Diet

Some of the most popular New Year’s Resolutions are the ones that are related to our weight and our diet. Now, it’s probably because we have just eaten and drank our way through a series of festive feasts, not to mention all the unhealthy treats we consume to try and power through the grim winter, but it is always a good idea to take a look at what we are putting in our bodies and try to make some positive changes. Now, we all know how going cold turkey tends to go, so instead of announcing that it’s nothing but salads from here on out, why not try making some strategic swaps? We should all be trying to eat less red meat for both our health and the planet, so think about swapping one or two meaty meals out every week for a veggie alternative? Think about what kind of health snacks you could replace those sweets and salty treats with such as dried fruit, nuts, and crunchy vegetables. 

Finally, one of the big switches we should all be trying to make is cutting down on the amount of alcohol we are drinking. We know that the holiday period tends to be when we all go harder on the booze, and we have all been leaning on drinking a lot during the last two years, but in the new year it would be a healthy choice to try and limit the amount that you are drinking. Alcohol is a depressant that is loaded with empty calories, and it can seriously disturb your sleep. Look at alcohol-free replacements. 

Guest post from our partner.