5 Self-Care Resolutions for 2019It’s common to feel a little burnt out after the holidays — with the overload of family, friends, food, and festivities. Maybe this is why new year’s resolutions about self-care and personal growth are so popular; they come after a bustling holiday season that often leaves little room for focusing on or caring for ourselves. Resolutions about self-care, while popular, are also infamously hard to keep, with many people returning to the same ones year after year. If you’re making 2019 your year of self-care, we are here to help. With a little extra guidance you can learn how to set self-care resolutions that align with your values, and keep them so you can benefit from them all year long. Here are a few self-care new year’s resolutions to consider.

1. Volunteer for a Good Cause

Sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is to do something for others. Volunteering in your community for causes you believe in is beneficial in a few different ways. It forces you to utilize different skills, introduces you to new people and ideas, and gives you a sense of purpose and accomplishment as you give back to the community. Whether you opt to walk puppies at an animal shelter, serve dinner at a soup kitchen, or help run a local event, volunteering can take you out of your comfort zone and stimulate your life. The trick to keeping this resolution often lies in having outer accountability. Instead of simply making a promise to yourself that you’ll donate to a local cause, sign up for a volunteer commitment or for a fundraising activity. When others are relying on you to show up for a shift or to help raise a certain amount of funding, you may find yourself more eager to follow through on your goals. To find opportunities, search for not-for-profit organizations in your area, and call or email them to see if they need help.

2. Learn to Cook Something New

Try challenging yourself to try a new recipe every month — or week! Learning a new recipe feeds both your body and mind, and studies show that cooking and baking can enhance your mental health by engaging your creative side while providing a sense of accomplishment. Whether you tackle a new ingredient, or an entirely new cuisine, learning to cook something new means you’ll have more recipes in your arsenal and more exciting mealtimes. For inspiration, find and follow a few food blogs that fit your culinary interests. Help yourself stick to your resolution by choosing a regular night to experiment. Mark it on the calendar so you’re reminded each month, and by the end of the year you’ll be able to look back on at least a dozen (or more!) new meals that you tried.

3. Treat Your Body Well

A major component of self-care is keeping your body healthy and cared for — after all, it’s the only body you’ve got. Treating your body well means considering your physical comfort and health both when being active and stationary. Making a resolution to exercise is a great way to reap the physical and mental rewards of movement. If you have injuries or physical limitations, you don’t have to let this stop you from being active. Tools like inversion machines for recovery and restoration and electronic muscle stimulators for toning and building muscle make exercise more enjoyable and safe for those with aches, pains, and strains who still want to stay fit. What about when you’re not moving around? It’s just as important (perhaps even moreso) to treat our bodies well when we’re sitting still as it is when we’re exercising. While curling up in an overstuffed armchair or slouching over your office desk may feel comfortable initially, these behaviors contribute to poor posture, heart problems, and countless other long-term health problems. Resolve in 2019 to find an ergonomic desk chair that eases strain while sitting for long periods. If you often work from home, resolve to set up your at-home office with ergonomic furniture to give your body better support. The market for ergonomic furniture is growing fast, and for good reason. Choosing furniture designed with your health in mind is a great self-care strategy with short and long term benefits.

4. Take a Break From Technology

Technology connects people from around the world, makes work processes more efficient, and is often purely entertaining. That being said, it’s easy to get sucked into our digital devices so deeply that it ends up making us feel unhealthy, unhappy, or unfulfilled. In the year ahead, resolve to take breaks from your devices. This resolution can take many forms, depending on your technology habits, so hone in on one personal technology habit that makes you feel unsatisfied. The key to keeping this type of resolution is to set specific targets or boundaries for yourself, instead of a vague goal. Resolve to leave your work phone or computer in a basket at the door when you get home. Turn off your phone every night during dinner, or to leave your phone in your bedroom while you eat dinner. Set a time allotment for digital entertainment each evening — it may help to pair this time allotment with time for a non-digital activity you enjoy. For example, you might give yourself 30 minutes of screen time and 45 minutes of reading each night.

5. Gift Yourself a Spa Day (or Days)

Who says self-care resolutions can’t be fun? While self-care does involve more than just indulging yourself, there are some truly enjoyable ways to show yourself a little extra love. One way to care for your own physical and mental health is by taking time out for regular spa days. If you don’t have the time, budget, or inclination to visit a spa, you’re in luck. It’s not difficult to create a home version. Resolve to invest in a high quality massage chair, gift yourself a zero gravity recliner, find new moisturizing masks and treatments, take a bubble bath once a month, or explore hot and cold therapy. Whatever your ideal “spa” experience looks like, find a way to create it for yourself at home — and make a point to use it. Taking an hour for yourself each month or each week will help you relax and reset your body and mind. There are countless ways to integrate self-care into your new year’s resolutions. After a year of treating yourself better, you may find that some of your resolutions have become healthy habits. Whether you commit yourself to twelve new recipes, buy that luxury recliner you’ve been dreaming of, or simply take a few minutes away from your phone each day to enjoy time with your family, you’ll be glad you committed to the change. For more tips on self-care, health and wellness, visit The Back Store blog. If you’re looking for products to better support your body at work and at home, browse The Back Store’s selection of ergonomic furniture.