In 2021, it’s time to kiss diet culture goodbye and ring in the new year with a brand-new approach to health and wellness. It’s time to go beyond weight loss when talking about our goals for the upcoming year.
Here are 10 New Year’s resolutions that have nothing to do with weight loss and everything to do with feeling your best. Break free from the chains of diet culture in the year ahead.
- Read More
Your brain is just as important as your body. Nourish it by setting a goal to read more books, for pleasure or education, in the new year. Get specific as to how many books you want to read to up your chances of success.
- Start a Gratitude Journal
Studies show that practicing gratitude literally changes our brains, making us more empathetic people. Set a goal to write down at least one thing you are grateful for in your journal every day. Make gratitude a habit.
- Learn a Language
Whether your goal is to travel far and wide or to communicate with distant relatives, make it your goal to break down language barriers in 2021. Decide how long you want to study for each day to set it in (Rosetta) stone.
- Cut Back on Caffeine
If you’re reading this on your third-sixth cup of coffee, it might be time to make some changes in the new year. Caffeine is healthiest in moderation, so set a daily limit on caffeinated drinks and stick with it!
- Create a Skincare Routine
As a teenager, washing your face every other day might have cut it…but you didn’t have to worry about aging or adult acne back then! 2021 is the perfect year to say goodbye to those generic three-step acne systems and create a streamlined skincare routine that’s perfect for YOUR skin.
- Change Careers
If you’re looking to really shake things up in the new year, think about a career change. We spend, on average, a third of our lives at work. So if your job makes you miserable, don’t wait to reconsider.
- Adopt a Pet
This year, maybe it’s not your life you’re looking to change, but the life of a shelter animal in need. Adopting a furry companion will help you get through 2021 with support and snuggles and give a new home to an animal in need.
- Spend More Time Outdoors
The average adult spends less than five hours outdoors each week. That’s less than an hour each day! Getting outside has proven benefits for your physical and mental health, so why not make time for a daily walk or bike through nature in the new year?
- Quit Drinking
The sober-curious movement really took off in 2020, highlighting how many of us are reconsidering our relationship with alcohol. Pick up the book that started it all, Sober Curious by Ruby Warrington, and see if you still feel like drinking in the new year.
- Train for an Event
Physical fitness doesn’t always have to be about weight loss. Sometimes, it’s about the sheer sense of accomplishment we get when we try something new. Training for a marathon, a half-marathon, or a 5K in the new year will show you what getting fit is really all about.