Making changes

As Little Women’s Christmas approaches tomorrow the last of the Christmas trees will be taken down and the decorations put back up in the attic for another year. Christmas cards will be swiped from the mantelpiece leaving it looking rather bare. The fairy lights, dancing Santas, singing snowmen and the crib will all be put back in their boxes, now that their job is finished for another year.

Reality has returned with a bang as the first working week of the year officially kicks in. Those of us who over-indulged during the festive season are probably feeling a little bit sorry for ourselves. Too much food and too much alcohol have left many of us feeling lazy, sluggish and less than motivated.

But January brings with it good intentions and resolutions for the coming year. ‘Dry January’, a 31-day challenge to give up alcohol after the booze fuelled festive season, is a common trend many people undertake after Christmas. However, like new year’s resolutions, sticking to a strict no alcohol regime can be difficult, especially in the cold, dark Irish winter when a hot whiskey never seemed so tempting.

If you’re considering saying goodbye to Jägerbombs, shots and the famous pints of black stuff for the next few weeks then here are a few tips to help you in your cold turkey state.

• 1    Avoid the pub

It might seem like an obvious thing to do but avoiding the scene of the crime is a fool-proof way to keep any temptations you may have at bay.

• 2.       Two’s company

Going cold turkey on alcohol is zero craic. It’s minus craic if you’re the only one out of your group doing it. Persuading a friend to avoid the booze for a few weeks too will make missing out on nights at the pub a little bit easier. He or she might even thank you!

• 3.       Bye bye turkey tummy

Saying see-ya to alcohol can mean great news for your waist line. As alcohol contains a significant amount of calories, not consuming it can only be good for you and your body.

Adopting ‘Dry January’ to the rest of your lifestyle and diet can also have significant benefits. Replacing fizzy drinks with water, chocolate with fruit and takeaways with a properly cooked nutritious meal will all have positive benefits on you, your energy levels and your body. Over-eating and drinking at Christmas time can make it hard to cut out all the bad stuff when we’re used to it. But it can also make us motivated and determined to see change within ourselves; both physically and mentally.

With Operation Transformation also returning to our screens this week, will this year’s leaders inspire you to make any changes this year? 

New Year, New You?

It’s that time of the year again. As December draws to a close, and with that 2014, new year’s resolutions are at the forefront of many people’s minds. For most people the start of the new year is symbolic of the start of a new them; a fresh beginning, a time to make new goals and a time to forge better, healthier habits.

New plans to join the gym, lose the turkey tummy piled on over the festive season, cut back on alcohol or give up smoking once and for all, all seem so achievable on January 1^st. But, as the new year sets in, the novelty can quickly wear off.

Once the crimbo holidays are over and everything returns to normal high hopes of going for a run every morning before college or work become a challenge; eating healthier meals becomes difficult as hectic work schedules get in the way and the fear of trying something new suddenly sets in. Before you know it you’ve forgotten all about the promises you made to yourself at the beginning of the year. Life gets in the way and, once you miss one day of practicing your new year’s resolutions it can become increasingly difficult and daunting to keep the motivation up.

According to Time Magazine the most commonly broken new year’s resolutions include:

• Lose Weight and Get Fit
• Quit Smoking
• Learn Something New
• Eat Healthier and Diet
• Get Out of Debt and Save Money
• Spend More Time with Family
• Travel to New Places
• Be Less Stressed
• Volunteer
• Drink Less

Clearly keeping resolutions can be challenging so why not do the opposite? While some people view January as an opportunity to start afresh, others view it as a cash-strapped dull and dreary month. Committing yourself to giving up something you love can be hard at the best of times; never mind in January! For those struggling with low will-power, doing the opposite and making a to-do list is a positive alternative. Don’t deny yourself. Instead, plan ahead. Be proactive for 2015. Make a list of all the things you want to do (within reason!) and let 2015 be the year you do them.  

Forget the ‘New Year, New Me’ drama. Call me cynical but, just because it’s a new year, doesn’t automatically make you a ‘new you’. Whatever you decide to do, setting new resolutions or making a to-do list of all the things you want to achieve in the next year; none of them will happen unless you make them happen. A little bit of motivation can go a long way and only you can do it.

Happy New Year everyone!