5 Healthy Habits to Start Your New Year Off Right

Starting off on the right foot…

Whether you’re into new year’s resolutions or not, January is always a great time to re-set, prioritise and make goals for the year. I’ve learned from the past to set realistic goals that aren’t set up for major #fail moments (goodbye daily gym visits). As a working mama, here are my top five healthy habits to kick start this new year. Hope they inspire you to create your own goals for this year too!

Be Present

Being present has recently become my life mantra, which means it’s definitely still appropriate to carry into the new year. After coming back from a family vacation to Canada and having literally every waking moment with my kids (hello, jet lag and toddlers), I’ve found this mindset to be the most relevant. Being mostly unplugged and not having wifi at all times, really helped being present all the more and enjoy the company and moments too. This year, my first healthy habit goal is to unplug more often and be present with those around me so they can have 100% of my attention.

Read more: Letter from The Editor: Making the Most of a Fresh Start

Eating Mindfully

I’m not proud to admit this, but I’m notorious for skipping breakfast and then gorging out at lunch. Also, if I’m in a rush, I’ll opt for something quick (which usually means an unhealthy option) to tide me over. This year, I want to cultivate a more mindful approach to not only eating better but also thinking about what I put into my body and how that affects the world around me. After watching a TED Talk about being a weekday vegetarian and Leonardo DiCaprio’s convicting documentary, Before the Flood, I want to make sure I’m leaving a smaller carbon footprint (less meat!) which is not only better for the world but also for my health. So here’s to choosing healthier options during the week but also allowing myself a treat every so often! #balance

Read more: Mindful Eating for Mamas, Top 10 Juice Cleanses in Singapore to Kick Off 2017

Get Strong

Right around this time last year, I re-joined the gym with lofty plans to not only shed some of my post-baby weight but to get strong and to get healthy. Fast forward a year later, I can honestly say that I had a good streak until mid-February. I realised that aiming to go several times a week while working full time was too difficult. So this year, in hopes of not setting myself up for disappointment, I’m going to start off slow by committing to the gym one day a week and doing something active throughout each day (like taking the stairs instead of the escalators) #babysteps.

Read more: F45, Ritual & Kayla Itsines: Which HIIT Workout is right for you?, Five Simple Yoga Stretches for Busy Mamas

Intentional Community

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about living in Hong Kong, it’s the importance of being intentional with your friendships. Since many of us have a good support system back in our home country with family and friends, it’s important to have a similar set up here too. In a city where people move over to as fast as they leave, we’re all too familiar with this transient nature of the 852 and in some ways, that may discourage some from investing too much of their lives. However, I’ve found that I need to be all the more intentional with these friendships as they’ve grown into some of the most important relationships we have whilst living in Hong Kong. Luckily, we’ve found some special soul friends here and one my goals is to get in the habit of meeting with close friends on a more intentional and regular basis.

Read more: A – Z Guide for Families New to Hong Kong

Be Spontaneous

As a planner, I find it hard to do something on a whim. I usually like to know what my day holds and who I’m supposed to be meeting with. Yet, some of the best memories of this past year stem from random meet ups or plans that had to change. This year, I hope to be more flexible and spontaneous especially when it comes to doing something fun with the kids on the weekend. Whether that means going on a last minute adventure to Macau on the weekend or letting the kids choose where to have dinner (usual suspects: Pizza Express and McD’s) it’s healthy to run wild a little and veer off routine every now and then.

Read more: 50 Things to do with Kids in Singapore Before They Grow Up

Cheers to a happier and healthier you in 2017!