15 personal wellness resolutions for the New Year

We’ve all heard the saying, “New year, new me!” but instead of a new you, why not make 2022 all about embracing a better you! Start where you are right now and focus on creating a commitment to creating better habits physically, emotionally, and financially.

Remember that you don’t just go from A to Z. We know it can be easy to get caught up in how much you want to accomplish and end up overwhelmed or unmotivated. That’s why this guide is going to help you break down your New Years’ resolutions into daily, weekly, and monthly goals that compound over time to make for a successful year!

Read on to see how we’re going to help you get closer to a better you! 

Start your day off right 

Starting your morning right can set you up for a day full of intention and crushing goals. When your alarm goes off, get out of bed right away and give yourself a positive affirmation like “I’m going to win this day”, then get moving. 

You can plan your day when you get up or even the night before so you’re ready to hit the ground running. Get your personal wellness done first so you feel ready to take on whatever comes your way. 

Exercise and spend time outdoors

Movement and vitamin D isn’t only good for the body, it’s good for your brain and lowers cortisol levels. This reduces stress and helps you execute your day better with a clear mind. Take breaks in your day and talk a walk outside or complete a quick workout.

Even 10 minutes can reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed, leaving you feeling great. Don’t forget to get up every so often and take little breaks if you work on computers or at a stationary desk. This simple trick can make a huge difference in how you feel throughout the day and the quality of your work.

Read more

Set a goal to read every day for 15 minutes or pick a certain number of pages to read. Reading can help improve memory and critical thinking skills. Even if you aren’t much of a reader now, over time you’ll likely gain more enjoyment from it. If you can’t find the time to sit down and read, throw on a podcast or audiobook on your commute or while you’re getting ready for the day. 

Eat healthier at home

If it’s in your budget to eat out, do your best to opt for healthier choices. But, if you’ve accessed your budget and you need to cut back somewhere, eating out should be the first to go. 

Cooking at home can help you save money versus going out to dinner. You’ll also be able to choose every ingredient that goes into your food so you know exactly what you’re putting into your body. Try focusing on wholesome and nutrient-dense foods that will fuel your brain and body, this will keep you more energized throughout the day. 

Break down your goals into small wins

When you write a New Years’ resolution list with all the things you want to accomplish in the upcoming year, it can be overwhelming and cause you to set yourself up for failure. 

This year instead of looking at only the big picture of where you want to end up, break down your goals into daily, weekly, and monthly little wins that you can check off your list. Let’s say you want to start putting $1,500 in the bank, divide that into 365 days and save $4.15 a day. You’re less likely to get burnt out if your goals feel more attainable.

Time block

Time blocking is the act of setting a specific amount of time to accomplish a task. Knock out the most important task first and then move down your to-do list. When you’re focused on one specific goal for a set amount of time, you’ll get them done faster with more intention and fewer distractions. 

Set boundaries 

Set boundaries with friends and family and limit your time around people who drain your tank, even if they’re family. You don’t “have” to do anything and it’s your time, energy, and mental health, so spend time doing more of what makes you feel good. 

Plus, setting boundaries is teaching people how you want to be treated and in the long run can make for even better relationships with the people who matter most. It might not always be easy to do, but it can be so worth it. 

Declutter your life

A clear mind and a clean liveable space allow more room for creativity, productivity, and peace. Clean out your house and organize, donate clothes, organize your desk, clear out pictures and apps on your phone, even clean out your car. If you don’t need it and it isn’t of sentimental value, get rid of it! 

Create more joy

Create more joy in your life and incorporate fun activities and time with friends into your schedule to break up the monotony. Maybe even pick up a new hobby like an instrument, Pilates, or photography. Whatever you choose, do it just because it brings you joy!

Promote better sleep

While you can’t always control how you sleep, you can do things to help promote better sleep. Put your phone away an hour before bed, the blue light that’s emitted by your phone screen restrains the production of melatonin and can mess with your sleep cycle. Sticking to a sleep schedule will also help your body maintain its internal clock, making it easier to fall asleep at night and wake up in the morning. 

Drink more water

Water is critical for digestion and staying hydrated, it also helps to eliminate toxins in the body. Drinking more water every day can help improve your overall health. Make it a goal to drink between 10 to 15 cups of water a day.

Improve financial wellness

Money doesn’t make you happy, but it’s a big stressor and motivator in life. Let’s take a look at different areas of your financial wellness to see where you’d like to improve or change.

Create a budget

If you don’t know where your money is going, it makes it much harder to stay on course to meet your financial goals. Go over your bills and other expenses and create a budget to help you become aware of where you stand financially and do your best to stick to it.  

Improve credit score

Increasing your credit score gives you more buying power for bigger purchases like a car and mortgage. If you have poor credit or no credit history at all it can be hard to boost your score without being approved for any type of lending. You can boost your credit score by signing up for a bill reporting service like SimpleBills, that way you’ll be able to report things like bills you’re already paying like rent and utilities to help raise your credit score.

Move towards money goals

Finding ways to increase your income will get you moving towards your financial goals faster. Whether you want to pay off debt, need a down payment, or want to save more money to invest, increasing your income can help you get there.

If you’ve been doing well at work, try asking your boss for a raise. Or start a side hustle like grocery delivery or making homemade goods and selling them.

Invest

Investing allows you to make money passively. There’s always potential risk involved when investing. Consider keeping your savings in an investment account with relatively safe allocations to help you earn more than having your cash sitting in a bank savings account. The investment account should allow you to deposit and withdraw money whenever you need it. 

Pay off debt

Paying off debt gives you one less bill to think about and will free up cash to put towards your other financial goals like savings or your next vacation. Plus, as you pay down your debt your credit score will get a nice boost putting you in an even better financial standing.

New year, better you! 

With the right tools and a commitment to becoming the best you possible, 2022 could be your year! Set yourself up for financial success this year when you bank with MoneyLion. 

With access to credit-building products, money management tools, and the ease of virtual banking, you’ll have the tools you need to win the year. So, get ready because 2022 is your year to shine!

FAQ