Self-care Is the Best Care in 2024

A formal New Year’s resolution is never required to declare self-care or self-improvement goals, but changing a calendar year does seem like the ideal time to set these important goals. Many resolutions focus on external goals, such as finding better employment or spending more time on a favorite activity, but internal or selffacing goals are equally as important and often get lost in the work/life balance cycle. For 2024, there should be a renewed emphasis on self-care since many other vows and resolutions are intertwined with personal health and happiness levels.

Focusing On Healthier Eating Habits

A solemn vow to eat a healthier diet is a common New Year’s resolution, but these vows often don’t survive the tests of holidays, cheat days, and other temptations. While it might be easier to go through a drive-thru, sometimes going home and making a plate of chicken fajitas will save you the calories and money.

One extra step to take in 2024 is portion control. While the meal could be healthy, the portion size can still add to the calorie or carbohydrate count. Preparing meals ahead of time and portioning them in compartmentalized containers is one effective way to maintain a healthy diet without sacrificing favorite foods.

Prepped meals with individual portions are ready to eat and easily storable until mealtime. It’s important to use food storage containers designed for meal prepping since air leaks can introduce harmful airborne bacteria or mold spores. Including a healthy side dish or two can also improve the appeal of a main dish as well. Adding Whole Grains to the Dietary Mix The introduction of shelf-stable instant rice and whole-grain side dishes has made adding healthy grains to the dinner table or office break room much easier. Microwave-ready rice packages, often supplemented with other grains such as quinoa, only require 20 to 90 seconds of cooking time before serving.

Individual cups containing instant rice, whole grains, or hot cereals are also easy to carry to school or work and don’t require special storage or refrigeration. Plus, they make great sides for other healthy dishes as well! The health benefits of whole grains, even in processed or pre-cooked form, make them ideal for maintaining health and weight loss goals in 2024.

Finding Activity-friendly Footwear

For those who resolve to be more physically active in 2024, taking the stairs instead of the elevator or walking instead of driving to local destinations is often the first step. Beginning a regular walking or jogging regimen or joining a walking club may be something you want to look into down the line. These activities require highquality footwear that provides proper support and comfort for participants.

Finding the right balance of comfort, support, and durability can be challenging, but the difference between an ill-fitting or improper shoe and purpose-driven footwear is significant. Additions such as custom orthotics shock-absorbing inserts are also worth considering.

Heidi Bender from Tons of Thanks shares her thoughts on the importance of proper footwear. ”In 2024, I will walk more to improve my health. I signed up to complete a Mammoth March in September along with a few family members. The march is a 20-mile hike to be completed in eight hours on a single day.”

“I will increase my distance each month as the date for the march approaches,” she continues. “I’ve purchased two new pairs of shoes. One pair for walking on sidewalks in my neighborhood and a pair of hiking shoes for trails in the woods.”

Boosting Workouts With Additional Resistance Starting a new fitness routine or intensifying an existing one is a perennial New Year’s resolution, but progress is often stalled when exercisers reach a neutralizing plateau. One proven method of breaking out of a plateau is adding more resistance, either in the form of additional weight or repetitions. Starting a weight loss or muscle-building regimen is an admirable goal for 2024, but a willingness to push past a plateau is even better in the long run.

“My daughter gifted my husband and I with a gym membership for this year,” Adriana Copaceanu from Backyard Garden Lover shares. ”We’re going twice a week and while my husband is swimming. I got a personal trainer to keep me on track and teach me the right way to exercise. And she’s been a life-changer for me: I am lifting weights, doing pushups, doing cardio, and feeling better than I did 20 years ago. This was by far the best gift I ever got!”

Improving Work/life Balance Through Organization

Adjusting a work/life balance to reduce stress levels or improve time management skills is one resolution that requires little equipment or a membership fee, but it does require organization. Starting or maintaining an official personal calendar isn’t always entertaining, but a planner provides structure and helps define daily, weekly, and monthly goals. A written day planner is not the only option with today’s technology, either. Setting up digital reminders for daily appointments or adding important goals to a notetaking app is enough organization for many people.

“I used to make a huge to-do list every day and get frustrated because I could never do it all,” said Jon Dulin, founder of Unfinished Success. “Also, I tended to focus on the easier things just to make my list smaller, faster. The problem with this was the important things took a lot of time, so I was never getting ahead.”

Dulin adds, ”For 2024, I only list three goals for the day and focus on getting those done. At the end of the day, I reflect on my day and write down three ‘wins’ I had, which helps to motivate me as well. Then, I make a list of my three things to do for the next day. Doing this has removed a lot of stress since I’m not staring at a big list, and I’ve found I am more productive this way too.”

Here’s to a new year and, hopefully, a new you who works on finding the best self-care.