This post brought to you by Evolution Fresh®. The content and opinions expressed below are that of Mostly Morgan.
With the new year having just passed, people are making big changes in their lives. Me? I’ve never been the biggest fan of New Year Resolutions simply because they felt like a lot of pressure.
With that said, I’m all about making small changes to improve your life without promising myself that I’ll lose ten pounds, run a marathon, and learn to ride a unicycle all in a year.
I think often times people have that “go big or go home” mentality and think that if they aren’t completely eating clean or minimizing their possessions they may as well do nothing at all.
I want to challenge that idea and encourage you all to look at the new year with a fresh attitude and a new set of habits that are going to make you feel healthier and happier. I came up with my own list of small changes to implement in 2017, and I thought I could share them with you.
Stop relying on caffeine
This is a big one for me – before moving to New York I hated coffee, but living and working there it became a necessity and I acquired the taste. But as of recent I’ve found myself needing it, and I never want to become dependent on caffeine.
Instead of coffee I’ve been starting my day with a big cup of water with lemon oil and then a juice or smoothie. Sometimes I’ll feel domestic and blend it all together myself, but more often than not I prefer to opt for something a little simpler (and just as – if not more – delicious!) and I’ll choose an Evolution Fresh Juice.
My two favorites are the classic Orange and the Smooth Greens & Kale – a medley of go-to greens with potassium, a splash of tropical sweetness, and a mint finish. Evolution Fresh makes it easy to get my daily fruits and vegetables all before lunchtime with a full serving of veggies in each of the delicious juices
Loading up on my lemon water and juice doesn’t make the caffeine cravings go away, but it does give me energy and is a beautiful way to start my morning. And that’s definitely not me saying I’m going to quit coffee – but I don’t want to need it in the morning the way I used to.
Get rid of my “stuff”
I am one of those people who attach sentimental value to just about everything. When it comes time to deep clean my room or pack a bag for goodwill I find myself unable to let go anything because I’ve got some sort of memory attached.
It’s gotten better as I’ve gotten older, but I still have trouble letting go, and that trouble leads to a cluttered living space.
Recently I’ve been trying to channel my inner Emily Gilmore and toss things if “they don’t bring me joy.”
Mainly I’ve been looking in my closet and seeing what I haven’t been wearing, and sorting through storage – if I hadn’t missed it in the 6+ months it’s been tucked away I consider it safe to give away.
Schedule my day
For both my full-time job and my side gig (this blog!) I work from home. That means I have every opportunity to procrastinate.
While I was getting used to working remotely, I’d find myself trying to work while listening to engaging music or playing with my baby cousin, but that just wasn’t going to cut it.
Now I’ve got a big desk calendar I can use to schedule my month, and a notebook where I plan my day each morning. I’ll make a list of things that I want to get finished before I have lunch, and that incentive means 9 times out of 10 I’ll finish everything by noon.
Procrastinating does me no favors because it leads to late nights and lots of stress, yet without this list I find myself procrastinating regularly.
More real foods
I care a lot about my diet and what goes into my body, but I tend to give into temptation a little easier than I’d like. Things like candy bars and doughnuts are my weakness, and they tend to make me feel less than stellar.
It’s easy for me to say that I’ll only eat real foods – but it’s a lot harder to actually follow through.
And by real foods I mean the less processing the better and I want to recognize the ingredients on the packaging.
Evolution Fresh juices are also a good way to help combat cravings for less healthy alternatives like ice cream or sugar-y juices because each bottle of green juice contains 10 g of sugar or less per 8 fluid ounce serving. Heck yeah!
Spend more time relaxing
In college I trained myself to function on as little sleep as possible and it’s no coincidence that shortly after I was at the lowest point in my life. Sleep and relaxation = magic, yet so many people (myself included) just don’t prioritize it.
For proper brain function and happiness, you need to be well rested and relaxed.
Sometimes it’s hard to make time for sleep, but often all you need to do is make good decisions earlier in the day. The list I mentioned earlier is a good example of that. If I don’t procrastinate, I get to relax in the evening instead of rushing to meet deadlines.
Every night I want to spend my last waking hour unplugged and unwinding instead of hunched over in bed on my laptop.
Start making small changes today
While the new year brings around the feelings of a clean slate, it doesn’t have to be January 1st to start making changes. We are a few weeks removed from the New Year, but it’s never the wrong time to start making improvements in your life. If there’s something that you know is holding you back but you haven’t done anything about it, knock it out today!
Remember, you don’t need to move mountains or change lives to make a difference. You’ve got this!
Learn more about Evolution Fresh Green Juices and how you can take a “sip in a brighter direction” and make tiny changes to improve your life. Plus they are available near you at a grocery store or Starbucks!
