New Year, New You: 5 habits to kickstart 2022

Every December, before the New Year begins, many people reflect on the past year and create resolutions to improve their habits in the year to come. You may decide to de-clutter mentally or physically, give more love to parts of your life that seem neglected and much more.

The resolutions you have set for 2022 may seem impossible in the first week or month of the New Year. Or on the other hand, it may be easy for the first few weeks and then start to get harder as you start to crave your old habits. All of this is normal.

Life will always get busy, especially over the course of the year, but setting goals for yourself is beneficial, even if you only stick to one.

One non-negotiable habit for 2022 can make a significant difference in your life, which is why we have suggested five for you to pick from – or maybe you can try them all!

Health is wealth

According to a Nedbank brand ambassador, a healthy body holds a healthy mind, and a positive physical state of mind is very important – specifically, making a choice to exercise when it suits you. If your day-to-day activities are hectic, opt for a morning working out session.

A walk is a good starting point. This may lead to running one kilometre and, suddenly, a marathon. However, it is not about the time and distance – it’s about choosing a habit and sticking to it because healthy habits breed productivity.

Eating well is also a necessity. As we said in our previous article about staying healthy in the festive season, getting enough nutrients is essential. This should be a goal all through the year.

Besides giving up smoking and cutting back on binge drinking, you should resolve to be active to bust stress and boost mental health.

To get heart healthy, you need to:

Cut the saturated fat and eat cholesterol-lowering foods such as seeds, nuts and avocados in moderation.
Increase your fibre intake to about 30 grams a day with whole grains, legumes, pulses, beans, and chia and flax seeds. For example, instead of meat for a bolognaise sauce over zucchini noodles, use lentils flavoured with Italian herbs, tomato paste, sundried tomato, mushrooms, olives and a dash of garlic-infused olive oil.
Aim to eat about five portions of vegetables and three fruits a day which is high in fibre, vitamins and minerals. Green vegetables and sweet potato pack a high nutritional punch
You don’t need the sugar. If you insist on satisfying your sweet tooth, opt rather for soft fruits such as frozen grape or kiwi slices; banana and mangoes in plant milk smoothies; dates and cinnamon. You certainly don’t need sugary energy drinks, energy bars and sweets, milky chocolates and cakes.
Lose the salt. You only need about a spoon a day, but everyone eats much more because the usual go-to foods such as processed foods and snacks are over-salted. Too much salt increases blood pressure levels. Food can be seasoned with compatible pairings of herbs, spices, nutritional yeast, balsamic vinegar, ginger root and flavour-intense dried vegetable.
Omega 3 fats are good for heart function. And these can be found in walnuts, flaxseeds and chia seeds that you can sprinkle over your morning cinnamon and ginger oats and berries. Dietitians place oily fish such as salmon, fresh tuna, sardines and mackerel top of their lists.

Clean up time!

Cleanliness is next to godliness, and creating space and order in your day creates it in your mind, apparently. Try to get into the habit of keeping your home area clean, organised and fresh.

File scattered documents,
rearrange your closet or regularly
donate the things in your house that take up unnecessary space.

Try to draw up a cleaning schedule – one where you sweep the whole house, wash your fridge, scrub under your kitchen sink and anywhere else you think needs serious attention.

You can even tackle one area of your house a week. There is nothing better than waking up to clean surfaces and an efficient cleaning system.

Get vaccinated

COVID-19 has left many of us with digital fatigue, especially if you are still working from home. The pandemic and its waves have an impact on your mental and social well-being. The vaccination does not necessarily mean that you are immune from the virus, but you can still experience your local tourist destinations by taking safety precautions.

South Africa is tourism ‘heaven’. You can register to get vaccinated and travel around smaller towns where mask-wearing, sanitising and social distancing is still prominent.

Be a punctual person.

According to an online definition, ‘punctuality is the characteristic of completing a required task or fulfilling an obligation before or at a previously designated time’. Have you been running late for meetings or just about making it on time? A good habit for 2022 may be to be punctual.

Every year is the perfect opportunity to create a new timetable and prioritise it. This sort of habit is best committed to at the beginning of your day, from waking up at a set time, arranging a morning routine and then setting up for a day of productivity and success.

A profitable passion

Some people enjoy the structure of working a scheduled job and relaxing on the weekends, but there are also people who want to be their own boss and turn their passion into something more profitable.

COVID-19 has taught us to think out of our comfort zones. You are no longer able to depend on a single source of income. South Africa’s increasing employment rate can prove this.

If you decide to turn your passion into a profitable prospect, you may find that multiple income streams open doors to more alternative revenue streams. There is nothing worse than feeling unsatisfied in a tedious work routine. Perhaps a leap of faith with your passion is just the habit you need, significantly to alleviate financial pressures and help you find that ‘groove’ again.

The choice is yours.

The habit or habits that you decide to go into 2022 with may work or may not. At the end of the day, make sure that each habit is meaningful, intentional and purposeful.