New Year’s Resolutions and Hangover Cures

Out with the old (2011) and in with the new (2012)…It’s always a bit melancholy saying goodbye to the past year, lamenting about loved one’s lost, things you didn’t accomplish, memories in the past…but it’s always nice to look back and reflect on the past year, the highs and the lows.  In regards to “light” moments…My favorite TV moment…Meredith Vierera saying goodbye on the Today Show, which still makes me cry every time I see it, much to Mer Mer and Paddy’s dismay (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GGdCsktwNg) and the Low…which Has to be the Chicago Bears Fall from Playoff Grace!  But again, Out with the Old…and with the new, comes New Resolutions…Every year I resolve the same thing:  To be a better Person.  I do believe I still have work to do in that area so I shall, once again, make the same resolution  for 2012…I love the idea of a New Year, as a friend  told me this week, it gives him a clean slate.  A clean slate…I like that, and shall take one for myself, thank you very much. 🙂

And, what are some of the other Top New Year’s Resolutions?

Popular New Year’s Resolutions (thank you Wikipedia)

These New Year’s resolutions are popular year after year:

*Improve health: lose weight, exercise more, eat better, drink less alcohol, quit smoking, stop biting nails
*Improve finances: get out of debt, save money
*Improve career: get a better job
*Improve education: improve grades, get a better education, learn something new (such as a foreign language or music), study often,
*Improve self: become more organized, reduce stress, be less grumpy, manage time, be more independent, perhaps watch less  tv,  play less sitting-down video games
*Take a trip
*Volunteer to help others, practice life skills, use civic virtue, give to charity
For the year 2012, the Top 5 resolutions, as identified by a SlideShare survey are:

*Be financially savvy
*Read at least one book per month
*Eat properly
*Get enough sleep
*Keep a journal of awesome moments – and I do hope there will be Many awesome moments!!

Keeping those New Year Resolutions ( compliments of the Huffington Post):

So if you really want to see results this year, it’s critical that you set your goals with sincerity, and set yourself up for success. Read on for six practical tools for making realistic, attainable resolutions — and actually sticking with them.

1. Get Specific – A common mistake people make is setting big, nebulous goals like, “I’ll be healthier.” Instead, make your resolution specific, with a tangible, achievable outcome. Rather than saying, “I want to save money,” determine how much, exactly, you want to save. What are you saving it for, and what will you do once you hit your goal?

Then, visualize what good will come when your goals and desires are met. What does it feel like? What does it look like? It also helps to have something simple, tangible, and positive to repeat to yourself over and over again. “I will be able to run a 5K because I’m healthy and strong,” is not only positive reinforcement, but it’s a quantifiable goal that you can check in on and make your reality.

2. Write it Down – Write down your goals and outline the small, manageable steps you’ll need to take in order to achieve them. If you set a big goal — say, learning a language — without a step-by-step plan, it can be overwhelming and trigger frustration or negative thoughts that get in the way of your success. But by planning and accomplishing one small thing at a time, you’ll stay on track, focused, and positive.

3. Make Time – Be sure to set aside ample time for yourself to achieve your goals. If you really want to write that book chapter, you might set aside three regular four-hour blocks during the week, and plan one day every month to track your progress. If you want to exercise more, plot out time in your weekly schedule for runs and time at the gym.

4. Move Past Doubt – Keep tabs on how often you “unset” your goals with your thoughts. Pay attention to self-sabotaging mind chatter, like: “I’m not good enough” or “I can’t do it.” Every thought you have is an intention. It’s normal to feel fear, doubt, or worry — but to make progress, it’s important to move past those negative feelings.

If you find negative thoughts surfacing, don’t criticize yourself, but stay in control. If your thoughts don’t support you or your goals, let them go — they’re not doing you any good. Replace them with your positive mantra, instead.

5. Get a Partner – Having a group, partner, friend, or professional to encourage you can be a great way to keep you going. Try finding a friend who has a similar resolution, and check in with each other every week to talk about your progress and challenges. Or, ask a family member or significant other to keep you accountable — just make sure they’re supportive and positive.

You can also seek professional help, whether that’s a personal trainer to help you meet your fitness goals or a counselor who can help you tackle larger, looming issues such as low self-confidence or a lack of direction. If you are dealing with issues of self-doubt, these can seriously get in the way of you meeting your other goals — so do yourself a favor, and address such issues head on.

6. Be Still – You’re more likely to slip on your goals when you’re stressed or overwhelmed, so spend time every day to getting out of your thoughts and reconnecting with yourself. Try a breathing exercise, meditation, yoga, or just going for a walk. The more practice you have being still and calm, the more present you’ll be for each step of achieving your goals.

Setting and reaching goals isn’t about willpower, it’s about the power of your intention. Once you’ve mastered these few steps, you’ll be well-equipped to follow through on your resolutions — this time, for good.

And just in case you overindulge during the New Year festivities, here are some “tried and true” hangover cures:

Hangover Cures – Now you’ve done it and it’s official, you have a hangover. Now what? No matter what you do sleep and water or juice should be included. There are many folk cures that are supposed to help cure a hangover. Many of them will help you cope by replenishing the vitamins and liquid you lost over night, while some like avoiding caffeine are very important to a quicker recovery. There is no one size fits all cure, find what works for you but the list below is a good place to start. There are also a few suggestions from readers who found their own way to cope.

Sleep. Rest is your best friend at this point to give your body a recover. It is best to stay in bed so call in to work if you have to, tell them you have the stomach flu. You will sound so horrible on the phone they may believe you (unless they saw you at the bar, not a good idea then).
Replenish your body with fruit juice and water.
Avoid caffeine. A weak cup of coffee may be okay but a lot of caffeine will continue to dehydrate you, the opposite of what you want right now.
Drink orange juice for Vitamin C.
Drink a sports drink like Gatorade or Powerade.
Eat mineral rich food like pickles or canned fish.
In Poland, drinking pickle juice is a common remedy.
Drink a Bloody Mary. While the popular phrase “hair of the dog that bit you” may sound logical with a shot of whiskey left in the bottle next to your bed, it’s only temporary. Try a Bloody Mary instead, while your blood is dealing with the new alcohol it is ignoring the old and in the mean time tomato juice and celery are full of vitamins. If you drank the last of the vodka make a Virgin Mary. Another spicy morning after drink option is Hair of the Dog, in which gin and hot sauce are sure to bite your hangover back. Yet another classic option, sans spice, are the aptly named Corpse Reviver drinks: #1 (brandy), #2 (gin), #2011.
Take a shower, switching between cold and hot water.
In Ireland it was said that the cure for a hangover is to bury the ailing person up to the neck in moist river sand.
Try Alka Seltzer Morning ReliefT. One reader says that it’s all that he and his wife have found that really works for them. He stumbled across this “cure” while his wife was still suffering after two days, within 15 minutes after taking the Alka Seltzer she was fine.

(Source:  http://cocktails.about.com/od/healthsafety/ht/hngovr_rmdy.htm)

And lastly, This story was shown all over the news last night, regarding a young man who made a you tube video prior to his death…An inspiring message, from an inspring your man.  http://abcnews.go.com/US/texas-teen-ben-breedlove-posted-powerful-videos-christmas/story?id=15248385#.Tv07ENRSSSp.  I dare you to watch it and not get teary-eyed.

2012…Bring it on!  I’m Ready!

Happy New Year!

xoxo,

Love,

Terry

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