We’re just past the middle of January, 2015. So how are those New Year resolutions working out for you?
I love January. It feels like a second chance — a time to start again and do things better and stop doing things I shouldn’t.
Well, I read this week that some bad habits aren’t really that bad. They just might need a little tweaking to make them acceptable.
For instance, skipping breakfast. “Breakfast is vital — if you’re baling hay.” Seriously, if the most physical effort required of you each morning is to turn on the computer (or TV) then you should be allowed to eat when you get hungry — like mid-morning.
Or, binge-watching television. Studies say people who “watch more that 2 hours of TV each night have greater incidences of diabetes and heart disease.” Okay, I’m done for.
But maybe the issue is not the TV program but the inactivity. That can be fixed by getting out of your chair during those 5 minute commercials. In 5 minutes you can load or unload the dishwasher, put in a load of laundry, or run up and down the stairs a couple of times. (Well, best not run, maybe.)
Another bad habit we try to conquer is losing our tempers. But we all know that suppressing anger isn’t healthy either. When things eat at you, find a trusted friend and vent, call a help line, or journal.
There is great benefit in writing through your feelings. One is that you can ‘use’ it later in your stories and another is, when you die, your kids will know just how irritated you were!
For those of us who think we need to do more, be more, excel, and win (and be in control): “Multi-tasking is a fantasy. The brain can’t do more than two things at once. Trying to do more strains the memory and limits the performance.” So trying to do too much means we might not only forget to do something but we won’t do a very good job of what we do remember.
So. HAPPY NEW YEAR! Take it easy! Enjoy life!
Material for this post was taken from an article, The Good News About Bad Habits by Jodi Helmer; AARP the Magazine, January 2015
I can name another bad habit: sitting in front of the computer on a 65-degree winter’s day when there are privet bushes/ hedglings to be picked out or pulled out of the ground; when all the Christmas stuff stuffed in the stairwell or near the attic door need to be hauled up. Good use of your reading for your writing. xoxo
A “fun to read” post! I did not make even one New Year’s resolution. But, if I had, it would have been to multi-task, and so, it’s disappointing to find out it’s a fantasy. LOL Thanks for sharing.
I generally avoid formal resolutions. But, I have been focused on improving in key areas in 2015 and, thus far, have been doing well. Maybe it’s the thought of having a 2nd child join us in a couple of months that has me extra motivated.
Thanks for this post, Grandma!
I’ve been watching too much television…LOL on the baling hay comment. Makes sense though!