It’s 31 December 2015 and you’re watching the fireworks on TV while thinking about what happened in 2015.
Things have gone relatively well this year but somehow you feel that you could have done better.
As you hit “reset” on this day, here’s 10 New Year Resolutions and accompanying tips to help you keep to become an improved version of yourself in 2016!
Resolution #1: Let go of the Uncontrollables and Unchangeables
Do you sometimes have the feeling that you are strung up so tight because of the many responsibilities you have on your hands? That there is always something more you can do to control your situation and improve the final outcome?
This may have worked well in school previously where there is little resistance when you impose your will but in the long run, such habits can lead to unrestrained anger and lack of empathy when you wonder why others can’t be as efficient as you or do things as well as you.
Yes, we can’t always change the environment or how other people act. However, we CAN control our own reactions to them and what we choose to focus on: the positive or the negative!
It may sound woozy but really, how we manage our emotions and anxiety will ultimately have an impact on our health and even our face.
According to Shizuka from Organics Beauty, both men and ladies facing high levels of stress tends to have more and deeper facial lines. This is because stress triggers a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol slows down renewal of skin cells, making them longer to reach the surface, resulting in sagging, dull and drier skin. In a study at Yale University, it was found that people with melanoma – the deadliest form of skin cancer – were also more likely to have gone through stressful life events during the years leading up to their diagnosis than people who did not have skin cancer.
Instead of going for facelifts and Botox when you are old and worrying about deadly cancers, why not make a commitment to change your lifestyle today, one step at a time to slowly change your life?
- Tip: Write down a list of things that stresses you out the most. Identify ways you can reduce those stresses and schedule those ways in a monthly or weekly schedule to slowly help you manage these stress!
You can also consider scheduling a pampering appointment (whether facial or spa) on a regular basis to reward yourself once some targets are achieved!
We would recommend Organics Beauty due to its highly unique facial routine that we guarantee will relieve your stress and alleviate your facial lines during the session 
Resolution #2: Get your medical insurance as early as possible!
This is possibly the easiest New Year Resolution to tick off, if you haven’t already done so.
This hit me (Agent G) more in 2015 as a close relative of mine was struck with a life-threatening cancer recently. We wanted to look for the best of doctors and medical care but the lack of a comprehensive medical insurance policy made it difficult for us to go for the best as early as we could. We did however find a great doctor to operate for her but the total cost added to a 5 digit amount, which may be difficult for some to cough out suddenly.
It may sound a little inappropriate to think about death and illnesses so early in the year but I feel that it is important enough for me to share if it could somehow impact your life in some way or another. (Touch wood!)
Note that you should get it as early as possible as you will suffer from exclusions if you discover you have high blood pressure or diabetes later on… that is when most issues with insurance claims occur!
- Tip: Ask your insurance agent about Riders to help you cover the deductibles and balance amounts! We would highly recommend that you go for the best of coverage if you can afford it, so you won’t have to worry about medical expenses in the future. It is also easier to downgrade your plan than to upgrade in the future!
Resolution #3: Stop trying to be someone you’re not!
“To love yourself right now, just as you are, is to give yourself a piece of heaven.” – Alan Cohen
In a world that is trying to make you conform to everyone else’s expectations, it can be difficult to find and be yourself.
There’s always someone prettier, smarter, younger, wealthier and more capable… but none of them are you.
Don’t change so that people will like you. Be yourself so that you will attract the right people to love you!
If you’ve always wanted to go for a short haircut, go for it regardless of what your boyfriend or husband may say.
Lob Haircut by CLEO Hair & Make
Look for a good stylist who is not only technically skilled but one who is also able to understand your true personality so that they can recommend a hairstyle that helps you become more “you”!
Resolution #4: Make Exercise part of your regular routine!
A lot of people see exercise as a necessary evil / requirement to achieve weight loss. But what about exercise for exercise’s sake?
Other than losing weight (to look more attractive to others), exercise has many benefits that you’ll increasingly realize as you get older.
- Regular exercise, even light exercises, help to reduce and control blood pressure. We’ve tried it personally and found that exercise works even more effectively than celery or other alternative remedies… don’t wait till you’re stuck on High Blood Pressure meds before you do something!
- Exercise can be a great stress reliever as it clears the mind and helps you release the excess cortisol that have been accumulating throughout the day!
- Exercise can be a great way to spend your time with friends and loved ones after work!
Instead of making a New Year Resolution to lose weight, why not give yourself more reasons to get active by roping in friends and partners AND setting realistic fitness goals (such as distance ran, IPPT results)?
Once you get healthier, weight loss will naturally follow!
Resolution #5: Carpe Diem!
Once you step into the workforce, every year can seem like a blur as milestones aren’t as obvious as what it was before.
On top of doing some career and family planning, you can also create bucket lists to help you get a better idea of what you want to be and what you want to do for the next few years!
What are bucket lists? Well, they are just lists of items you may want to do and achieve before you kick the bucket (ie. before you leave this Earth forever!)
For many people, travel is on the top of their bucket lists… and yes, its definitely on ours as well!
But note that bucket list items need not always require that huge a commitment.
It could simply be something like trying out a new vibrant hair colour at least once in your life.
Northern Lights Galaxy Colour by 99 Percent Hair Studio
Or perhaps trying out coloured lash extensions at least once in your life for the heck of it!
Coloured Lash Extensions at KJStudio @ Keong Saik Rd
For men, a perm may just be that once in a lifetime experience for you to experience extra volume on your crown!
Men’s Perm by Pro Trim Korean Salon @ JEM
Resolution #6: Take better care of your hair and your health… Don’t wait till its too late!
There always seem to be so little time in a day. When things get real busy, many of us would skip a meal or two… where would we even get the time to blow our hair dry?
These unhealthy habits however add up, resulting in gastritis and premature hair loss to occur in younger and younger Singaporeans.
Branche Hair Salon @ Capitol Piazza City Hall
Kai from Branche Hair Salon, which offers microscopic scalp analysis for its hair packages, shared that a lot more Singaporeans appear to face scalp issues such as oily scalp, clogged pores and reddish sensitive scalp than customers back in Japan. This causes hair loss issues and a premature receding hairline. His advice is therefore do something early while you can!
If you don’t want to wait till your hair starts falling uncontrollably (and having to spend thousands on scalp treatments that doesn’t work very well), invest some time to get the right hair products and make sure that you have a proper haircare routine: Hair Wash, Conditioning, Hair mask, Hair Serum, Blow dry!
- Tip: Always always blow your hair dry after a hair wash to prevent the scalp from getting moist for too long! Moist scalp tends to face issues such as scalp and clogged pores! You don’t have to spend an hour at it… just make sure that your scalp is dry before you step out of the house!
Resolution #7: Spend time with those who matter!
We recently read an article on Wait but Why about how we are now nearing the tail end of our time with our parents, our siblings and our friends. Indeed, the older we get, the harder it is to stay close with family and friends. Unlike when we were children, our lives now are much more separate, making it difficult to see each other outside of those once-in-a-blue-moon gatherings.
Don’t let this precious time pass you by and regret later on when you find that there isn’t much time left to spend with those who really matter to you!
Our suggestion is to designate certain days or timeslots for family / friends and render them “untouchable” by work or other errands! No work, no useless Facebooking… just quality time spent together!
You don’t have to feel super stressed about chatting with them throughout the timeslot you designate. Instead, you can arrange for activities such as flying a kite at Parklane Green with your children.
Or even bringing your mom for an organic hair colour before Chinese New Year!
Koinonia Hair Salon @ Pacific Plaza
You can’t rewind time so choose to spend it well!
Here are the top 7 new year resolutions we believe have the most power to change your life.
Do you have others to share?
Tell us below!