Many of you know by now that the New Year is an awful time to be making extreme changes to your health.
Although we are starting to turn away from ‘new year new me’ fad diets, detoxes and unsustainable work outs goals, it can be hard to not let the noise around a new year impact how we see ourselves and motivate ourselves for the year ahead. Let’s take a look at ways you can have a more gentle January, by listening to your body and being kinder to yourself.
First of all, let’s look at the harm it can cause…
Juice cleanses, keto, macros, fasting, detoxing, squat challenges, bootcamps…We’ve all heard the buzzwords around this time of year and hopefully you all know to steer well clear. Fad diets and gimmick workouts work by tapping into an idea that you need to ‘get back on track’ after the indulgence of Christmas and New Year and that setting unrealistic, harmful and unsustainable diet and exercise goals will help us ‘hack’ our way into health quickly.
Jumping into a rigorous exercise schedule can lead to injury or burn out, not to mention it’s really hard to maintain, which can also impact our mental health if we feel like we are ‘failing’.
Detoxes and strict diets can lead to nutrient deficiencies, illness, long term hunger, as well a problematic relationship with food and eating. The idea of ‘detoxing’ is also a myth in itself; we have our own built-in detox system that works 24/7 to keep us healthy – our liver and kidneys!
To add to this, January isn’t exactly a time of year where everyone is flush. Gym memberships, supplements and new diets can be expensive and rigorous exercise schedules can take away from revision and rest time if you have hand-ins and assessments through January. Try and avoid this overwhelm and give yourself a break!
Time to reframe the new year?
We shouldn’t shame ourselves for having a great time over the festive period. You’ve had a long year, worked hard and deserve to enjoy nice food and drink with friends and family.
January in the UK is a time of cold nights, wet weather and lack of sunlight. It’s no wonder you aren’t feeling motivated right now – we are in our hibernation era! Lack of sunlight can affect mood and energy levels, making it harder to stick to big lifestyle changes. Follow nature’s lead and consider moving any big changes to the spring months. More daylight and warmer temperatures naturally boost mood and energy levels. This makes it easier to get outside, exercise, and feel motivated. Spring is associated with growth and renewal. Plants are blooming and days feel brighter. This psychological ‘fresh start’ effect can make goals feel more achievable, as well as helping you feel like you have more energy and motivation.
What can I do instead?
ry and think of health and wellness as progress, not perfection. Find small, achievable wins and focus on how you feel, not how you look. This could mean small initial steps to be consistent and build healthy habits. Things like reducing your screen time, drinking more water, setting up a regular sleep pattern and making sure you get outside at least once a day is a great way to build up to other things as the year progresses.
Prioritise a varied diet, eat the rainbow and find meal ideas that keep you fuller for longer and make you feel good. Remember to speak to a GP if you think you may be deficient in any key vitamins, but a good place to start is Vitamin D, especially as the government recommends that most adults should be taking this in Autumn and Winter.
Try and find a way of moving your body that you can maintain and easily make a habit of. The NHS recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week. This could be anything from walking, dancing, riding bike, all the way through to exercise classes or sports. Find what feels good for your body, what you have time and energy for and go from there.
Screen time can also play a huge part in how you feel about yourself. Maybe it’s time to ‘curate’ your social media? Unfollow or mute accounts that promote extreme diets, “detoxes,” or unrealistic body goals. Remove celebs who are promoting products, schemes or diets. It’s all about money! You can also tailor your feeds to your interests to really make sure nothing is sneaking in that you don’t want to see. Try and be your own topic filter in real life too, carefully dip out or gently shut down conversations that you feel are tapping into problematic topics or habits. You can say: ‘I’d rather not talk about diets, can we change the subject?’ or ‘I’m not much of an exercise talker but I’m glad something is working for you’.
Get help if you need it
If you’re struggling this time of year, you are not alone. We have a range of resources from self help, helplines, apps and health service teams. Find what works for you here.
For further information, check out these pages on our website:
- Staying happy and healthy whilst studying with us
- Eating well
- Drugs and alcohol
Real health is about balance, not extremes. Start the year by caring for your body and mind in sustainable ways – you’ll thank yourself later.
