The new year brings with it the chance to hit reset on our health. From focusing on new career goals to learning a new skill, a new year presents us with an opportunity to start afresh. There's no denying last year was a challenge, so if you're looking for inspiration for 2022, we've got you covered.
How to get a good night's rest in 2022
Sleep is the single most powerful health-enhancing weapon known to humankind. From your weight to your blood pressure to your emotional wellbeing, our night-time slumber lies at the heart of so many of the things we hold dear. And poor sleep is a cause of so many of life's ills.
Whatever you have planned for 2022, without a robust sleep regime, you're unlikely to achieve it. But that begs the question: how do you actually improve sleep? Where do you even start?
![Your 2022 resolution should be simple: prioritise sleep. Photo / 123RF](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/VQJLRV57VASXC2TEGJW7JUU5EI.jpg?auth=43d38618136ce714ee66605cd93baf5bbaf2dc8c364785567d3acd35e4a43b34&width=16&height=11&quality=70&smart=true)
Six simple tricks to improve your eating habits in 2022
After a month of overindulgence it can be tempting, come January, to go cold turkey on sugar, carbs or alcohol, or to set yourself a big weight loss challenge. It's a noble (maybe even a necessary) aim, but it can feel as if you're dragging yourself up a very steep hill, and that's even when there isn't a pandemic raging in the background. Increasingly research shows that looking at how and why we eat is just as important as what we eat when it comes to making a meaningful long-term change.
Rather than beating yourself up for a Christmas filled with treats and going keto at 00:01 on New Year's Day, why not think of January as a month to reset your relationship with food?
So, how to approach a January food reset? Find out here.
![Ask yourself the question, before you put anything in your mouth, is this going to nourish me? Photo / Getty Images](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/QDSHJHSSUR2E2JTBGN5FJVENMU.jpg?auth=e029ceb06f3f22ac2a8f528ffa420bc27f655223c58010c52293235180b709f3&width=16&height=9&quality=70&smart=true)
How to reset your pandemic body
Are you happy with how you feel right now? When did you feel best? And when, realistically, could you reach that level again? Those are the questions to ask yourself when trying to reset your relationship with your body.
It's human nature to drift, but staying laser-focused on a goal – no matter how small – is proven to give you the best chance of sticking to it.
Here's some tips for creating a better relationship with fitness than ever before.
![Without a fitness goal, motivation can be hard to muster in January. Photo / 123RF](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/OM6GX6BL5Z7O7VOTJ67MEHM7ZU.jpg?auth=2f8e86837e0319172d13f2451d88f18085d8ed4f16a0747299b3e3c3899146ed&width=16&height=11&quality=70&smart=true)
How to boost your mood
The quest for more energy, more zest, more vim and vigour sustains a multimillion-pound wellness industry, which thrives on selling the promise of boundless energy to the worried well. Most of it is anything but evidence-based, and after a tough couple of years and with no immediate end to the pandemic in sight, now seems like a good time to seek out energy-boosting strategies that actually work.
Forget taking shortcuts with fancy supplements. The key to vitality is exercise, diet, sleeping – and coffee.
![How energetic we feel at any one time is affected by many things. Photo / 123RF](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/5Q5LC5BBSYKZSLSOW34DKTPW2Y.jpg?auth=78b3f34fdcf9633b0a0b8d51116ef1cc614c1336b2cab20c8536406e9dc80cb6&width=16&height=9&quality=70&smart=true)