Do you want to improve your life in 2020? Sleep better, get fit, be kinder and look after the environment with these simple solutions.
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Before you read the article (and improve your life), find this vocabulary in the text:
kind (adj): being friendly and generous
to demand (context): to insist on having s.t.
to fast: to stop (avoid) eating and drinking
device: a piece of electronic equipment
scrolling through: moving pictures or text up or down
smoothie: a thick, smooth drink of fresh fruit pureed with milk, yogurt or ice-cream
dairy: containing (or made from) milk
carbon footprint: the amount of CO2 produced because of a person’s activities
beyond: further than, past
cutlery: knives, forks and spoons (for eating)
workout: a session of physical exercise
accomplishment: something achieved
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Sleep better, get fit, be kinder & look after the environment with these simple solutions
As we enter 2020, perhaps our New Year’s Resolutions should be new decade resolutions. Maybe this is the right time to make some serious changes to your life. Hopefully, this little guide can help you to achieve this.
Relationships with other people
Be kind
Know what your partner likes and use that information to be kind. Take time to speak and listen. Being kind can simply mean showing interest, even when you’re not that interested.
Give people space
Remember that people need a little bit of separate space. No-one has a right to expect instant responses. Give people time to reflect and don’t demand instant answers.
Sleep
Dine a little earlier
Eating tells your brain it’s still time to be awake. It helps to leave a couple of hours between eating and sleeping. We’re designed to do our eating within a 12-hour period each day, then fast for the following 12. But most of us eat over 15 hours.
Dim all lights an hour before bed
Light affects your sleep. Reduce the brightness on your TV, phone or iPad. It’s about proximity as well. One of the problems with these devices is that we hold them really close and direct them straight into our eyeballs.
Diet
Separate mealtimes from screen time
If you’re watching TV, scrolling through Instagram or checking your emails, you’re not paying much attention to what you’re eating. The result: you are more likely to eat more, but will feel less full.
Make smoothies
For those who struggle to eat enough vegetables, a green smoothie that has at least two portions of veg and one of fruit is a great way to top up your intake. (See page 2)
Environment
Make meat a treat
While going vegan is ideal, even reducing your meat and dairy consumption can have a big impact. Beef and lamb are the worst offenders. Dairy products are likely to have substantially higher carbon footprints than vegetables.
Avoid anything single-use
Think beyond plastic. In a lot of cases, people are changing from single-use plastic to unnecessary single-use wooden cutlery, paper straws or aluminium cans. But those materials will also have an impact on the environment.
Exercise
Make “if… then…” plans
If I’m going to work, then I’ll pack some fruit in my bag. Or, if it rains on a running day, then I’ll do a home workout instead. Plans like this prevent you from giving up.
Make exercise social
Let others know you are trying to be more active. Share your accomplishments on social media. Find an activity partner or walking group.
Adapted from The Guardian by ECP coach Kez Kurien
Let’s chat about that!
Write your opinions in an email and send them to your ECP coach!
- What would you like to improve about your life?
- Describe how you could do this, or what the obstacles might be.
- Do you think you need more exercise or to lose weight?
- If so, how will you achieve this?
- Which of the topics mentioned is the most important? Why?