6 life hacks to help you keep to your New Year's resolution

6 life hacks to help you keep to your New Year's resolution

The art of structuring one's environment has long been proven to help us maintain good habits.

Want to diet? Get a small plate so your portion looks bigger. Thinking of going for a jog every evening? Leave your trainers by the door so you see them once you get home.

Setting yourself up for success doesn't have to be all grit and discipline - it just requires tweaking your environment a bit.

Since it's that time of the year again to think of New Year's resolutions, we've rounded up some life hacks to help you keep to them.

USE LIGHTING TO TRICK YOURSELF INTO A BETTER SLEEP SCHEDULE

Going to bed and waking earlier probably appears in everyone's New Year's resolutions, but we all tend to stay up later than intended while browsing social media, replying texts, and watching cat videos.

Trick yourself into getting sleepy earlier by adjusting the lighting - use soft mood lighting and bedside lamps instead of bright overheard lights, and adjust your phone's settings for a warmer hue, so as to reduce blue light.

In the morning, use gentle lighting to wake yourself up naturally - we like the Wake-Up Light Alarm by Philips, which mimics a sunrise by gradually brightening.

SET UP YOUR WORKSPACE FOR A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE

Change up your workspace for better health. 

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Swap out your regular desk for a standing one, or your chair for something else that gives you a workout, like an exercise ball that requires core muscle control to stay balanced on.

On top of that, you should be getting up every now and then to stretch and rest your eyes - set a Pomodoro timer on your desktop that reminds you to move every now and then.

MAKE DRINKING MORE WATER AN EASY HABIT

Is staying hydrated one of your resolutions? Get a large, clear bottle and make markings it on it for every hour between 9am and 9pm, evenly spaced.

Every now and then throughout the day, check that you're hitting your target level.

Better yet, have a large drink dispenser on or near your desk, so that a glass of water is always within reach even if you're busy.

NEVER FORGET YOUR REUSABLE GROCERY BAG AND MARKETING TROLLEY AGAIN

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Even though most of us have several reusable shopping bags stashed away at home, we often forget them when we grab something from the supermarket.

Keep them within sight and easy reach by placing one near the doorway, one in your bag or car, and one at your workplace.

That way, you'll always have a reusable bag on hand when you pop out for errands.

KEEP YOUR KITCHEN STOCKED WITH HEALTHY FOOD ONLY

It might sound like a no-brainer, but surrounding ourselves with healthy food forces us to stop snacking on chips and reach for an apple instead when we're feeling peckish.

Make it a rule to stop buying unhealthy food, and clear out your fridge of chocolates and fizzy drinks. Instead, stock up on healthy snacks like edamame, fruit, and nuts.

Set a daily reminder to check your bank account and credit limit.

We often spend without a second thought if we only have a fuzzy idea of what our bank balance looks like.

Set a daily morning reminder on your phone to check your bank accounts and credit limits, and that fresh memory of your finances will help you make better decisions when you're about to buy something.

This article was first published in Home & Decor

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