10 New Year Challenges For The New You!

We all need a newfangled start now and then, and what better day to begin than January 1? A New Year is an ideal opportunity to begin a new chapter and finally do the tasks you've been putting off for a long time.

Nowadays, everyone wants to be healthier, fitter, happier, and more productive. But very few want to hustle a lifetime of hard labor to get there.

Furthermore, transformation requires a single moment of insight followed by days of action. A few fundamental adjustments in how we approach food, exercise, and life may impact our health and wellness for the rest of our lives.

One step at a time, and what better way to start the transformation as a new year resolution? We've compiled a list of new year challenge ideas that may genuinely change your life!

Why Should We Take These Challenges?

Every second of every day, we utilize our brains. Whatever we do, our clocks are always rotating. Be it while moving a muscle, talking, listening, learning, thinking, and even sleeping. That's why it's crucial to check ourselves regularly to hit the reset button, or else we will be robots.

This New Year Challenge is designed to help you create specific habits and attain your overall health objectives. It is meant to uncover what healthy living means to you and how we can make it work for the rest of your life.

Undertake The Challenges For 30 Days

It is believed that it takes 21 days to acquire a new habit. However, we have designed this 30 days challenge so that you keep going for at least 21 days. Hence, it is a perfect moment to update or incorporate something new into your life.

Choose the ideal challenge for yourself or make a personal challenge and undertake it for 30 days to watch how the habit becomes part of your lifestyle after each passing day.

This 30-Day Challenge is a pledge to prioritize physical fitness to establish a new healthy habit and eliminate bad habits. That's all! There are no rules or constraints on how to accomplish it. The objective is to assist you in discovering what is best for your health by blocking out the world's chaos and listening to your body's requirements.

Kick Off The New Year With These Life Changing Challenges!

I'm committed to assisting you in any way I can. With a little structure and support, you'll emerge from the 30 days challenge with renewed confidence and the ability to live the healthy lifestyle you deserve!

1. Start Your Morning With A Detox

What we do first thing in the morning sets the tone for the rest of the day. And if you've ever underslept or overslept, you understand how true this is. Mornings can be challenging; it's tempting to rely on sugar and caffeine to get you going, which only capsize havoc on your digestive system and aggravates changing energy levels, moods and emotions.

We live in a society where urbanization and poor eating habits are prevalent. While there are many ways to keep active and healthy, we may start with something as easy as a cup of detox drink every morning.

I have curated six simple drinks you'll want to drink every morning -

• Cucumber Mint
• Ginger Tea
• Turmeric Tea
• Cinnamon Tea
• Green Tea
• Apple Cider Vinegar

You can choose any of the above based on your taste and preference. My personal favorite among all is the warm lemon honey drink which I have been following for years and can't stop having.

2. Meditate

Every morning or evening, spend 15-30 minutes meditating. It's recommended to meditate before eating. It's best to meditate in a peaceful spot, although it's acceptable if you don't have one. Noise does not impede meditation.

For about a minute, sit quietly, close your eyes, and keep yourself free from doing anything. It is normal to get thoughts and experience ideas when meditating. After a minute or two, concentrate on your breathing pattern.

If you find it difficult to focus, you can take the help of the Vantage Fit App and listen to mindfulness sessions to help yourself concentrate.

Lay down and relax for 4-5 minutes once you finish meditating.

3. Drink Enough Water

Water makes up over 60% of the human body. Still, many people's priorities need to include drinking enough water daily.

Staying hydrated involves giving your body adequate water to do regular activities. You risk being dehydrated if you do not drink enough water each day. Dehydration symptoms include weakness, low blood pressure, dizziness, disorientation, and dark-colored urine.

So, how much water should you consume daily?

According to the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, it is recommended that women should drink 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) a day and men should drink 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) a day.

4. Eat Healthily

Everyone knows they should eat healthily, yet only some of us do it as regularly as we would want. This blog aims to give practical ways to eat healthily while also deconstructing the science behind why we frequently fail to do so.

It would help if you consumed various meals to ensure a balanced diet and that your body gets all the necessary nutrients.

Here are a few pointers to keep in mind:

• Eat lots of fruits and vegetables.
• Eat high-fiber and low-carb foods.
• Add calcium to your diet.
• Consume protein-rich food.
• Cut down on sugar intake.
• Limit salt intake.

5. Quit Alcohol and Smoking

The best thing you can do is avoid weekend drinks for a few weeks until your body adjusts without alcohol.

If that makes you feel impossible, use the following strategies to combat the impulse to smoke or drink while you're around alcohol and cigarettes:

If you have a craving or are experiencing slight withdrawal symptoms, divert yourself until the urges pass. Distract both your thoughts and your body. If you experience a craving, chew gum, go for a stroll, open a window, or start a new hobby.

Consider what you'll say to someone if they offer you a cigarette. Something courteous like "No, thank you, I don't smoke anymore" is an excellent choice.

Request that your friends support your choice to quit smoking and refrain from offering you smokes.

Be mindful of the "only one" idea. It frequently leads to full-time smoking again, and nonsmokers don't require "only one."

6. Pick Up A New Hobby

Have you ignored your interest in pursuing a balanced life? We were great at discovering interests as children. We participated in sports and took dancing and music courses while spending more time learning anything from languages to woodworking.

However, things changed along the way to adulting or maturity. We ceased attempting new things and devoted less time to extracurricular activities.

Recalling March 2020, remember we had a nationwide lockdown in many countries. We had to spend the whole time stuck at home. Sentences like "I am bored" and "I am done with boredom" were on a constant loop.

Fortunately, we are out of that situation, and by God's grace, we shall never return there again. At that time, people started following too many hobbies. The whole social media platform was flooded with Dalgona coffee and other recipes.

Now coming to the present situation, when things have been better. We have forgotten our hobbies. However, there is still time. Let’s get inspired, pique your curiosity, and pursue your enthusiasm for a new hobby on the way for the next 30 days.

A hobby gives you purpose, fosters creativity, and builds resilience.

You can choose anything you like as per your preference. Some examples are as follows:

• Cooking or Baking
• Gardening
• DIY Stuff
• Photography
• Painting
• Traveling
• Playing any Musical Instrument
• Dancing or Singing, etc.

7. Be Active

Want to feel better, have more energy, and live longer? Be active.

Being physically active causes your muscles to work and forces your body to burn calories which also aids in weight loss.

Swimming, running, jogging, walking, and dancing are just a few physical activities.

Being physically and mentally active has been shown to have numerous health benefits. It could even help you live a longer life.

If you cannot make time for exercise, you can at least take walks and count your daily steps. Try walking for more than 5000 steps daily.

Consider using the Vantage Fit App to track your daily steps.

8. Listen To Self Development Podcasts Or Read Books

To attain your best self, you must first decide how you want to grow, what you want to learn, and how you will apply that information to practice being your best self every day. That's where self-improvement materials come in.

You inevitably become good at something when you practice those good habits regularly.

As the saying goes, "Practice makes a man perfect."

You get extremely excellent at being patient if you practice it. You grow at liking and admiring yourself if you practice self-love and admiration. Self-improvement books and podcasts may help you stay motivated.

Self-improvement books are also a remarkable journey into the realm of your highest and wisest self. Becoming addicted to the most powerful, inspirational, and illuminating ones will set you on the quickest course conceivable.

9. Show Gratitude And Empathy

Several studies have connected gratitude and empathy to the same brain area, notably the medial prefrontal cortex. Not only does expressing these emotions help us connect as social beings, but it also helps our overall mental wellness.

Gratitude is powerful; it may inspire pleasant emotions such as contentment, security, and pride. When someone thinks or cares about us, we feel supported and cared for, which makes us happy!

"May God bless you." We often hear this age-old proverb from parents or grandparents who remind us to be grateful for the things in our lives. Even in difficult circumstances, it is typical for individuals to remind each other to "remember to be glad for the things they do have."

Empathy, or we can say the "capacity to comprehend and share the sentiments of another," is another crucial emotion we experience as humans. We require empathy to have good personal relationships and to function well at work.

Empathy lets others know that we understand them. But, like gratitude, empathy for another person influences how we feel. Feeling as if we are connecting and understanding their plight somehow strengthens our bonds and relationships as social creatures. When we show empathy for someone, we feel better about ourselves afterward.

To summarize, gratitude and empathy are important for our functioning as humans and make us feel good.

Read:Top 5 Benefits Of Gratitude On Workplace Wellness

10. Get Sound Sleep

Can't get out of bed every morning feeling bright-eyed and bushy-tailed? Here are a few possible causes of your sleep problems.

• You're worried.
• Your sleep environment is insufficiently comfy.
• You drink too much caffeine.
• You eat dinner too late.

We live in a hustling society. Everyone applauds those who work hard while condemning those who slumber. Your actions must guide the discourse as a leader. Hence, over the next 30 days, make sleeping seven hours or more a priority.

Billionaire Warren Buffett enjoys his sleep. He claims to sleep eight hours every night. Even Bill Gates makes sure he sleeps for 7 hours every night. As a leader, their influence helps others understand the value of a sound slumber. Hence, getting enough sleep results in adequate relaxation and helps to focus at work while awake.

You can optimize your body with adequate sleep. Every night, get eight hours of sleep. Your body and brain cannot operate effectively on less sleep. So make sleep a priority.

Keep an eye on your sleep and see how you feel. I guarantee you'll have more energy and clarity than you've ever had before. You'll be astonished at how it changes the rest of your life.

Read: Try the Sleep Challenge and Feel More Productive at Work

Winding Up

I was astounded by how much stronger I felt after this challenge. The format of the challenge helped me keep my concentration and motivation.

I discovered that I had gained more from the challenge than I could have ever expected, enjoying several advantages in my personal and professional areas of life.

What I like about these challenges is that they are open to people of all ages and degrees of expertise because we all start where we are. After seeing numerous groups of individuals progress through this difficulty and repeatedly witnessing breakthroughs and long-term triumphs, I can assure you that if adopted, this framework works.

At this time of year, thirty days is enough to instill anything new in yourself and form a habit in your body.

I hope this blog gives you the structure, support, and encouragement needed at the start of the year.