New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Prioritizing health and wellness
Making it through a day, month and especially the busiest time of year, deserves a pat on the back these days. The new year brings a time to reset and look at new ways to put your wellness - and your family’s - front and center. Now, when focusing on your health and wellness is more important than ever, it can also be difficult to manage. Fortunately, there are easy solutions and helpful tools available that can help you prioritize these almost effortlessly.
Here are a few simple ways to approach a healthier new year and bring on an improvement in your overall well-being:
Rethink organization
The new year provides an opportunity to take stock, reset and reorganize. Physically getting your house in order or using an online calendar or tracking app to organize busy schedules and to-do lists can be helpful in mitigating stress. As you take a look at how you utilize the space in your home and your time, you may also find a reorganization of priorities is what 2021 calls for. Looking at organization from all angles will help to make sure all areas of your life are in order as best as
possible.
When it comes to shopping, prioritize convenience
We already create a ton of excuses to ignore our health and wellness needs - difficulty buying essential items should not be one of them. Did you know that Walgreens redesigned their app with new features to help you live a healthier life? Through myWalgreens you can order online and grab essentials in-store, curbside or drive-thru pickup in as little as 30 minutes.
“We know how difficult it can be to put your health and wellness first, especially with the added stress of this pandemic,” said Stefanie Kruse, vice president of digital commerce and omnichannel, Walgreens. “But myWalgreens is designed to
make it easier for your individual needs, whether that’s curbside pickup, 24/7 pharmacist access or daily, local health forecasts.”
Set aside time to recharge
When thinking about packed to-do lists, we usually find it easiest to deprioritize our own personal needs, but to show up as your best self for others you need to show up for yourself. Specifically designate time in your schedule each day - and abide by it - to address your wellness. Blocking off even 15 minutes to meditate, stretch, get fresh air, eat a healthy snack or simply relax can rejuvenate you and leave you feeling better.
Get moving
With a lot of workout facilities closed and exercising outside being difficult in the winter months, look for creative ways to stay active.
Carve out 30 minutes every day to get your body moving. You don’t have to do a high-intensity workout or pay for an expensive streaming membership. Create movement challenges with your friends and family to get your heartrate up. Do a workout over Zoom with a friend and check out the plethora of free workout videos available online.
Reward yourself for meeting your goals
Setting sights on new health goals can keep wellness top of mind, and incentives can even make it fun. Reward yourself along the way with wish list purchases, treats or guilty pleasures. If tracking by hand feels inconvenient, myWalgreens allows you to earn bonus Walgreens Cash Rewards for reaching health goals. With the app you can get daily, personalized recommendations for health and wellness, and real-time local environment and health forecasts which make hitting your goals even easier.
And remember, it doesn’t have to be Jan. 1, to start taking note and implementing these tips to lead a healthier, happier life. Starting today is better than no day.