New Year’s resolutions – Where did they begin?

The first people to make New Year’s resolutions are thought to be the ancient Babylonians around 4,000 years ago. They were also the first to celebrate the new year, although their new year was in the middle of March when they planted their crops. This religious festival lasted for 12 days and was called Aitku. During this time they would make promises to their gods to pay their debts and return any objects they had borrowed. These promises are thought to be the first ‘New Year’s resolutions’. The result would be, in those days, that If the Babylonians kept their promises, their (pagan) gods would be kind to them for the year to come. If they didn’t keep their promises, they would have disappointed the gods, which was a place no one wanted to be.

The first day of the new year became the traditional occasion for thinking about past mistakes and trying to do better in the future for early Christians. But, despite this tradition having religious beginnings, New Year’s resolutions today are a mostly non-religious practice. Instead of making promises to the gods, most people make resolutions only to themselves and focus on self-improvement, which is not always easy to keep for the whole year.

For many, this year will have a renewed focus on health, which may not be about meals or your waistline, you may focus on your mental health or how much sleep you get…. So what are your plans for the New Year, 2021? Why not make this new Year resolution easy & good for – your goals. Simple lifestyle tweaks can help you acquire a healthier body and mind. Here are some suggestions for you to consider:- 

Read more books.

January is the perfect time of year to start a new book, especially in English.

Join a club.

Joining a club will help you meet new people. Sites like www.meetup.com can help you find a group of people with similar interests, you can do digital meet ups and practise your English. Then when everyone can meet face to face again it will be easier.

Take the stairs.

Take 10 minutes to run up the stairs in at work, school or home. Doing this kind of exercise gives a bigger energy boost and is good for your heart  

Drink plenty of water.

You know you need to hydrate —Water is the most underutilized tool when it comes to your health. From hydrating skin and helping with headaches to giving you an endless supply of energy, simply drinking enough H2O each day can you in a big way.

Do one thing at a time.

Multitasking doesn’t make you more efficient, but it does stress you out, says mindfulness.organize your activities into chunks of time. Give yourself a break and a pat on the back when you accomplished your tasks

Take more walks.

Even if you can’t keep track of a new fitness routine, keeping yourself moving on a short walk near where you live. Adults should spend as much time moving each day as possible — and some physical activity (even just walking!) is better than none.

Make your bed every morning.

Making your bed every morning will simply transform your space, but also kickstart a positive start to the day.

Learn a new skill.

Physical exercise keeps your body healthy, and mental exercise is key to keeping your mind sharp. Trying something new can boost memory skills and more.