New year, new you — 10 resolutions you can actually keep
As the clock ticks round to midnight, as fireworks bang, and as the champagne corks pop, the majority of us will have some sort of resolution or goal in mind for the new year.
Perhaps more than any other month in the calendar, January rings with a sense of possibility. After the excesses and indulgences of the festive season, the slate has been wiped clean allowing us to start afresh with plans to eat better, stress less, and lose some weight. But given that New Year resolutions can be notoriously short-lived, January is also the month in which to ingrain these wellness whims into travel plans for the year ahead.
However, despite our good intentions, for the majority of us mere weeks into the new year and there’s a chance that these lofty resolutions will already be left in tatters. Be it due to a lack of motivation, a loss of interest, or unrealistic expectations, many of us struggle to achieve our goals meaning that, when February rolls around, we’re back to same old, same old. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Whether you’re looking to get fitter, learn a new skill, improve your internal equilibrium, or to eat healthier; with some inspiration (and with a little help from Samsung) you can break the annual cycle of failure. Read on for 10 tips to help you tackle your New Year resolutions and, most importantly, stick with them!
SIT LESS, MOVE MORE
More often than not we aim too high with our health and wellness resolutions, which is a mistake because tough goals can kill motivation. There's nothing more demotivating than 'failing' because you couldn't stick to a plan that was unrealistic to begin with. Aim too high too early and you risk giving up at the first hurdle. So, if you’re a newbie to exercise, or fell off the fitness wagon a long time ago, it pays to start with one simple goal: sit less, move more.
Upping the number of steps you take can make a big difference to your fitness and Samsung’s range of smartphones and wearables devices allow users to track their daily step count via the Samsung Health app. Whether you’re walking or running, both watch and phone sensors tally up steps which gives you a comprehensive overview of your daily count.
When it comes to fitness, goals are perhaps the best form of maintaining motivation. Short term goals offer an immediate target to focus on, while long term goals keep your overall objective in mind. While a daily 10,000 steps may be your end goal, your first target may be achieving 3,000 and turning that into a habit. Happily, fitness trackers are all about meeting goals. In addition to counting steps, Samsung Health can be easily customised to increase or decrease your step targets. Plus, the app records and charts your progress over time, allowing you to see firsthand your journey from unfit to fit.
GET OUTSIDE
Nicely interlinking with a resolution to increase your fitness is one to up your Vitamin D dosage. From decreasing depression and aggression, to upping your happiness and contentment and easing mental fatigue, study upon study has shown the healing affects of the great outdoors on the human body. Sounds obvious, but just spending time in a park, at the beach, or in the woods, results in a double bonus of exercise and reduced stress.
However, in today’s demanding digital age where there’s often an expectation to be online and responsive 24/7, unshackling yourself from your work laptop can be a wrench. Thankfully, the next generation Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic devices are here to help.
An portable office on your wrist, with these wearables you can check and respond to emails, create new messages, or view incoming messages and send replies using the preinstalled messages app, pay for things, and use popular third party apps and Google services, including Google Maps. In short, they free you up to get outside and get your nature fix without any of the work-related FOMO.
FIND A PHYSICAL ACTIVITY YOU ENJOY
We’ve all been there. Bang on January 1 we sign up for that pricey gym membership or Pilates studio with renewed gusto and sincere intentions to get in shape. And then, when faced with the prospect of doing something that we just don’t enjoy, we flounder, make excuses, and then eventually give up.
This year, increase the chances of making your fitness resolution actually stick by choosing an activity based on enjoyment rather than obligation. Bettering ourselves doesn’t have to be a struggle, you just need to work out what form of physical activity floats your boat and this means trial and error.
Whether it’s boxing, high intensity workouts, or low key yoga and stretching, with Samsung’s dedicated fitness hub, Samsung Health, you can work your way through an A to Z of exercise options. Available for free on all Samsung Smart TVs and on tablets and smartphones, the app offers more than 120 home workout programs, all of which can be cast to your TV meaning there’s an option for even the pickiest of punters.
Still struggling to find your fitness mojo? To help you stay motivated and to reach your goals,Samsung Health allows users to track a wide range of fitness activities and create fun group challenges, so you can whip up some competitive spirit amongst your family and friends and encourage one another to keep those endorphins pumping.
COOK AT HOME
The best New Year’s resolutions are ones that add more joy into your day-to-day and being able to cook in your home for your family will do just that. Being able to serve up homemade culinary creations to your family and friends is wholesome, nourishing and infinitely satisfying. Plus, if you’re working on shifting a few Christmas kilos, then ditching the Uber Eats or Deliveroo in favour of the DIY option, will definitely help.
If you need some help unleashing your inner-chef, then the 9000 Series Family Hub is your go-to piece of kit. Endowed with pioneering features, including Smart Recipes (which gives users access to many delicious recipes with simple on-screen instruction), the ability to monitor food expiration dates remotely and even being able to see inside to monitor your food stocks (in-built cameras show you what's inside on your smartphone), you can watch video and TV on fridge screen itself allowing you to cook along with some of the world’s most famous chefs, and this fridge-cum-personal food concierge even allows you to create personalised meal plans and to order groceries direct to your door.
STAY IN TOUCH
As nurturing as a home-cooked meal is, it doesn’t compare to the power of catching up with a good friend. We all know that as we get older, life gets in the way and friendships fall by the wayside. But making the time to engage with people you care about and maintaining these relationships is an important aspect of self-care.
If we take only lesson from the last 18 months of lockdowns and enforced distance, it’s that staying connected to friends and family is highly important for our wellbeing. And if you’re determined to make 2022 the year or reconnecting and staying in touch, the good news is that — thanks to cool new tech — it’s easier than ever.
Featuring the world’s first foldable glass display technology, the brand new Galaxy Z Fold3 5G and Galaxy Z Flip3 5G devices are packed with Samsung’s latest camera features and with flex mode the device can stand on its own, allowing for a hands-free video chat.
BE MORE SELF-CARE SAVVY
Self-care doesn't just mean manis and make-up, it also means getting back-to-basics and making sure that you’re taking care of yourself — outside and in.
Thanks to groundbreaking advances in sensor technology, the reimagined Galaxy Watch Series features tools that empower Aussies to take control of their own health. From on-demand ECG readings and blood pressure monitoring, the Galaxy 4 Series provides users with a more informed insight on their overall health and wellness while on the go.
Another addition to the Galaxy 4 Series is its Australia-first in-built body composition tool, which offers insights into skeletal muscle, body water and body fat percentage, and more, to provide a deeper understanding of your overall body and fitness, allowing you to create a bespoke health plan to best fit your needs.
MAKE TIME FOR MEDITATION
Just as physical fitness is high on our collective resolution wish-lists, so is instilling some peace and calm internally. After all, research has shown that the health benefits of a regular meditation practice are plentiful and can include everything from improving sleep quality and brain function, to combating depression and anxiety — all with no chanting required!
Central to many forms of meditation is breathing. Galaxy 4 series watches monitor heart rate variability and blood oxygen levels to chart user stress and then offers guided breathing exercises for whenever stress is high — deep and slow breathes send a message to your brain to relax and calm down. Samsung’s latest collaboration with mindfulness and meditation app, Calm, takes combatting stress even further by taking the app’s guided meditation sessions from your smartphone, and onto your wrist, meaning that it’s even easier to turn meditation into a daily habit.
SLEEP SOUNDLY
Sleep is arguably the most important aspect of self-care, but also probably the most over-looked. Linked to myriad medical issues, ranging from heightened stress to weight gain to depression and a weakened immune system; sleep deprivation is a serious business. And if you’re one of the large number of people determined to deal with difficult sleeping, then creating a pre-sleep ritual is key. Turn off screens two hours before bed, lower the temperature of your room (more of that below) and sip some soothing herbal tea.
Recognising the role of shut-eye in health and wellbeing, Samsung have built upon their existing sleep management offering in the new 4 Series with advanced features, including snore detection and continuous blood oxygen tracking, enhance the existing REM sleep tracker.
Sleep improvement is now also a well-known benefit of air conditioning (cooler environments helps achieve better sleep) and Samsung’s innovative range of climate systems are designed to cool gently and quietly, supporting a deeper, longer, and more restful sleep.
STAY ON TOP OF THE CHORES
Now that Christmas has passed, it’s time to gather up the wrapping paper, get rid of the tree, and clean up after your New Year’s Eve bash. January is the perfect time to get your house into order. Of course, unless you’re Marie Kondo — or that rare breed of individual who naturally loves organising and cleaning — then housework and chores aren’t likely to fill you with enthusiasm long term.
However, keeping a home shipshape has been shown to help cultivate a positive mindset, improve the general health of its occupants, and is scientifically proven to reduce stress, so sticking with your resolution to stay on top of the chores is well worth the effort. But to help make it stick, investing in labour-saving tech is key. And at the cornerstone of any home cleaning toolkit is an amazing vacuum.
Capable of generating an industry-leading 200W of suction, the Sensitive Choice accredited Samsung Jet vacuum range not only helps users keep their home spotless, but can also help them breathe cleaner air, thanks to its five layered HEPA filtration system, which traps 99.999 percent of dust and allergens.
Lightweight, versatile and featuring easily interchangeable heads, the device not only expertly cleans floors, but also soft surfaces like mattresses and drapes, where microscopic dust and pests can gather. Then there’s its telescoping shaft, which places any surface — from high ceiling critters to deep crannies — within reach. It’s Mary Poppins in vacuum form.
LEARN THAT NEW SKILL
You’ve been itching to try your hand at art, putting off learning a French or Spanish, or deliberating about taking a short course. Make 2022 the year to tackle it.
Variety, as the saying goes, is the spice of life, so learning a new skill, or taking up a new hobby, is guaranteed to help reinvigorate you mentally. Ditto for upskilling. The start of any new year is always a time when people take stock professionally and identify ways they can improve in the year ahead. If you’re pinning your hopes on shifting career direction, or landing a promotion, then mastering new skills is a great way to get ahead.
A tool for education, entertainment, upskilling, and connectivity — tablets are perfect for helping you to learn anytime, and anywhere. And for a compact, all-rounder, the new Galaxy Tab A7 Lite ticks all the boxes.
Galaxy Z Flip3 5G
Galaxy Watch4
Galaxy Tab S7 | S7+
