It’s the beginning of a New Year. We have all survived a crazy year. Between COVID-19, social unrest, economic turmoil, this has been one of the toughest years in recent history. Let’s bring on 2021! It’s time to make some New Year’s Resolutions!

Approximately 68% percent of people in the US make New Year’s Resolutions each year. The different kinds of resolutions come in all sorts of shapes and colors, but the overarching theme is the idea of improving your overall happiness and health. Here at Meek’s Family Chem-Dry, we care about our customers and we want you to accomplish your New Year’s Resolutions this year! So we created some ideas for resolutions and tips to help you along your way:

• Get in shape: Losing weight is the top resolution for Americans, and combined with “exercise more” and “stay fit and healthy” it is something that over a third of the population wishes to achieve each year. It is no surprise that the greatest amount of gym memberships are purchased in the month of January, but a large majority of those are no longer used after the month of April. How to overcome that? Set small daily or weekly goals for yourself. Instead of saying “I want to run a marathon”, say “I am going to run 3 times a week”. It has been proven that when goals are broken down into smaller, more consistent goals, people are more likely to achieve them and eventually reach the large goal they had hoped for themselves

• Reduce stress: Stress on it’s own isn’t an inherently bad thing, but when it consumes our lives it can have major side effects. It is said that stress is one of the biggest happiness killers out there, and it can have a very destructive effect on relationships as well as health. But there are ways that stress can be managed so that our happiness isn’t hindered. The first tool is learning to say “no”. We are not required to take on everything that comes our way. Decide what is a priority to you, and then let the less-important things fall away. Other tools involve organization such as to-do lists, making time for the things you enjoy, and acknowledging you can’t control everything.

• Get more quality sleep: With big TV’s, computers, smartphones, tablets and all sorts of gadgets with glowing lights and beeping alerts, it can be hard to get enough sleep at night. You should be shooting for at least 8 hours of sleep a night, and there are fairly simple ways to achieve this number if you make use of science and every day hacks. Make sure to have dinner at least a couple hours before bed in order to help you fall asleep faster. Set a bed-time alarm. With TV and social media, it can be easy to lose track of time and end up staying awake far past what you wanted. When your alarm goes off, turn off your social media and prepare yourself for bed. For even better sleep, limit your exposure to all electronics within one hour of your bed-time. Artificial light can confuse your body into thinking it isn’t nighttime and therefore won’t produce melatonin, the chemical that helps you fall asleep. Instead, dive into a book for a more sleep-friendly alternative.

• Read more: Books are an excellent way to gain a lot of knowledge on a huge variety of topics, and are also a great exercise for your brain. It’s not that difficult to go through 20 or more books in a year – you only need to make it a habit, discover your type of books and find a bit of time for reading here and there. Create a daily reading strategy, set a time where you will read ten pages of a book every day. If sitting for that long isn’t your thing, then consider listening to books on audio. Choose to read books that you are genuinely interested in instead of the books you “should” be reading. If you read based on your own interest and joy, you will find yourself making more time to read out of excitement for the book or topic.

• Save more money: Financial troubles can cause a great deal of stress. A rainy day fund and some extra money that can go towards traveling abroad, fixing up the house or buying a new care are a welcome change of pace. With the countless savings and budgeting apps, there really is no excuse for why you can’t start saving today. Start by tracking your spending, and you may be surprised at how much you spend in a month or even in a week on a particular item. Then look at your spending, and decide what area you can spend less in and set that money aside as savings.

• Spend less time on social media: Some people might not spend hours in front of the TV, or playing video games, but social media has become a serious addiction among a wide range of demographics. It’s fine to stay in touch with friends and family, but if you consistently spend more than an hour every day on social media, it’s time to make a change. Reducing your time on social media will improve your productivity, make you feel more accomplished, improve your outlook on life, and improve your overall happiness. You will realize just how much free time you have and all the things that you could focus on. So limit yourself with a timer, or go on a social media fast for a few days. You’ll be amazed at the results.

New Year’s is a great time to refocus and become motivated to improve your life. But don’t forget about your home! The cleanliness and healthiness of your home has a great impact on your personal health and happiness. So give your home a new look this year! Meek’s Family Chem-Dry offers a variety of cleaning services, from tile & stone cleaning to specialty stain removal to upholstery & carpet cleaning. We have everything that you could need to give your home the new, healthy look that you have always wanted. Contact us today!