With the season of giving soon approaching, all the focus will be on taking care of loved ones, but what about our own self-care? Many struggle with putting themselves first, and before you know it, the winter blues will be full on and it can be tough to dig yourself out. With a few wellness tips to finish out the year, 2026 can be the year of a whole new you.
Prioritize Healthy Sleep
Sure, you always hear that eight hours of sleep is the magic number, but how many of us can attain that? For many, even six hours is enough, but it’s the quality of sleep that is important. You can lay down to get your eight hours, but there is often a struggle to fall asleep or wake up in the middle of the night, tossing and turning. For starters, look at your mattress. Do you have back issues? It may be too soft or too hard for your body. Investing in quality sleeping quarters can make all the difference.
Next, try out a few different types of sheets to see which are the most comfortable. Some prefer warm flannel, while others choose cool and crispy. Last, try to determine which pillows fit your body. You can try sleeping on one or two, with different firmness as well. Properly winding down at night is the key to dozing off as well, so try and reduce screen times to prior to getting into bed so there’s no temptation to scroll.
Get Regular Exercise
With the end of the year approaching, the focus will be on fitness and gym memberships will soar. But what about when the motivation dies off and you’re stuck with a monthly fee that you’re paying every month until you finally decide to cancel? There could be hundreds of dollars wasted. Before you jump to the gym conclusion, try being part of the 10,000 steps a day rage and go for daily walks. Even moving around outside an hour a day can be enough to boost your fitness and help winding down at the end of the night if you’re going to bed tired.
Once you get into a groove with walking, you can pick up the pace by doing some light jogging, then sprinkling in some sprinting. You can add weights to the mix either on your walk, or at home, in addition to sit-ups or push-ups. Pretty soon you’ll be active and in the best shape of recent memory, all while avoiding the costly gym membership.
Give Yourself Some Needed Upgrades
If you’re not happy with what you see in the mirror, or you’ve been putting off having procedures done, now may be the time to prioritize your own beauty and wellness. Whether it’s dental work or face & body improvements, there are plenty of options available to take the leap without breaking the budget bank around the holidays. Even with insurance, many are often left covering the out-of-pocket costs themselves, but that hit up front doesn’t always have to be the case to help with the new you.
There are many ways to get care without sacrificing financial stability. Medical financing is available to split up the costs into manageable payments through a combination of insurance, savings accounts, plans, loans, programs, and negotiation strategies. This could be the way to jumpstart giving yourself the upgrades you always wanted but never knew you could afford.
Eat a Balanced Diet
It can be easy to pick up fast food, especially with the advertisements of $5 lunches and dinners these days. While it’s a quick cheap fix, in the long run it’s not always the best healthy option. By meal prepping at home you can avoid the high costs of going out to restaurants, with the added gratification of knowing the ingredients you’re putting into your body. Try it for a month and see if you notice a difference in now you feel. You may start to feel less lethargic and more motivation as you see the healthy options work wonders on your body.
Maintain Social Connections
Has it been a while since you got together with friends and just laughed? With all the daily stressors around us, sometimes just spending some quality time with loved ones can improve your mood and give yourself that sense of belonging. The daily grind is hard enough and sometimes feeling stuck in a rut is real, with the average routine of work, kids, shows, and bed being tough to break. Make time to connect with others outside of just sending texts and get together to watch a game, show, get drinks, or appetizers during a happy hour. These connections could give you the extra motivation to ensure all your wellness tips are continuing to move forward to that new you.
Published by HOLR Magazine.