Feel More Vibrant in the New Year with These Tips

The new year is generally a time for making resolutions, but most of the time, resolutions have a way of backfiring. That failure isn’t due to a lack of willpower, mind you, it’s mostly because people set themselves up for failure by asking too much of themselves—at mealtime, at the gym, and in day-to-day life while making vague, undefined goals.

A better option, one that is much more attainable, is to just feel better—and more vibrant—not just this year, but for the rest of your life.

Vibrance is a glow that comes from within, and there are plenty of ways you can uncover your vibrant inner self—not by setting resolutions that only make you feel worse when you fail to bring them to fruition, but instead by making small life changes that, over time, are truly transformative.

Living Vibrantly

There are so many things you can do to make yourself feel more vibrant and alive:

Eat As If It Matters

Think of healthy food as a resource that powers your body and gives you energy. Junk food, on the other hand, offers little by way of nutrients, so you get an initial carb high as food that is essentially devoid of nutrients is turned to sugar, then experience the subsequent crash.

A diet that replenishes and fuels your body includes lean protein—poultry, fish, wild game, and lean cuts of pork and beef—plenty of leafy greens and other vegetables, ancient grains, and colorful fruits. These will give you energy and contain important vitamins, especially vitamins C and E, which encourage the development of collagen and elastin, the main proteins in the skin that allow it to be supple, radiant, and vibrant.

It also helps to know the origins of your food. Eating foods free from pesticides will also help you feel healthier, and if your diet is sustainable, you’re doing something good for the earth, as well. Living purposefully will give you goals, make you more aware of the world around you, and teach you more about where the food you eat comes from.¹

Exercise

Cardio can get your heart beating fast and blood pumping, while strength training helps you feel strong and capable. Start small—the worst thing you can do when starting an exercise program is to give it too much gas at the start, which causes pain and kills your will to try again another day.

However, doing what you love—walking with friends, cycling through the woods on a mountain bike, swimming across your favorite body of water—will all boost endorphin levels, which are feel-good neurotransmitters that tell your brain that you feel vibrant and alive. When you feel good, it shows.²

Surround Yourself with Great People

Some of the most interesting friendships are the ones that make life full of surprises. The point is, hang out with people who make you feel better—the friends who make you laugh and the people who will support your dreams. That is what makes all the difference.³

Do Amazing Things

If you don’t love your life, it will show on your face every day. While not everyone may be capable of going sky-diving or climbing Mount Everest on a daily basis, you can find your own challenges to keep yourself interested in the life you’re living.

Find a place that does astronaut simulations, take a pottery or wine-making class, or go to an art show to fill your soul with something adventurous or beautiful. Be enriched by life as often as you can.

Learn Something New

A mind filled with knowledge is one that makes you more capable of accomplishment, which boosts self-esteem and brings feelings of brightness. The more you know, the more you can do. Read about things that interest you, immerse yourself in a language, study a subject that you feel passionate about, and along the way, you’ll get to know yourself and your strengths better.

The main way that people grow is by learning, which is, experts say, food for the brain. Feed your brain often, and you will be rewarded with a more open, accepting mind. That is a priceless gift that will serve you well everywhere you go.⁴

Spend More Time in Nature

Sit alongside the bank of a creek or a river, spread out a towel on the beach, or take a walk around a nearby lake. Water is calming, and Buddhists believe that water symbolizes serenity, purity, and clarity. Because of this, it is often used as part of guided meditation, as well as white noise to help lull you to sleep no matter what is going on outside your bedroom.

On windy days, hear the tree branches sway in the wind, creaking like the floorboard of a weathered, old porch, and at night, watch the stars, hear the crickets, and gaze in wonder at the flicker of fireflies painting streaks of light along the sky.⁵

Spend Quality Time with the Ones You Love

It’s easy to get wrapped up in the demands of life, so much so that you may take for granted the people who love you most. When you are together as a family, put down the cell phone and focus on what really matters—conversation, laughter and catching up on the day’s events.

Researchers at the University of California found that those people who were the loneliest were the most likely to die, based on the outcomes of 1,600 senior citizens. Of those who died during the study, 14 percent had regular visitors, while 26 percent had no family or friends who visited. Another study, this one from Brigham Young University, also found that social isolation was deadlier than obesity.⁶

Set Small Goals for Each Day

Moving more, adding something like a multivitamin or fish oil to your diet, calling a loved one regularly, or telling the people you love that you love them can create a daily ritual of meeting small goals that can make larger goals more manageable.

Try the Essentials

You can also consider adding Vibrant to your daily routine to enhance your success in all of the activities described. The personal aromatherapy diffuser blend includes several beneficial essential oils that have been shown to boost energy and enhance motivation:

Ginger Essential Oil

Ginger has been shown to improve brain function by protecting against oxidative stress. Oxidative stress attacks skin proteins, so when ginger fights free radicals, it also protects the skin, allowing you to retain your youthful, vibrant glow.

Lemon Essential Oil

Lemon contains compounds that relieve stress and anxiety, making it easier to focus on living your best life.

Spearmint Essential Oil

Spearmint has a bright, punchy aroma, but it also contains compounds including alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, myrcene, and linalool, all of which bring down levels of anxiety.

Vibrant also includes basil, bergamot, bitter orange, black pepper, caraway, clary sage, copaiba, dill seed, fennel, geranium, hyssop, oregano, parsley seed, peppermint, rosemary, sage, and sweet orange. It serves the dual purpose of relaxing the parts of the brain that control stress and anxiety, preventing the release of stress hormones, while generating wakefulness that brings you to life in a gentle way.

Conclusion

By pairing the tips described above with essential oils, especially Vibrant, you’re well on your way to feeling more vibrant, productive, and happy in your day-to-day life.

Photo credits:  AlenaHaurylik/shutterstock.com, MonkeyBusinessImages/shutterstock.com, SolisImages/shutterstock.com, simonapilolla2/shutterstock.com, colors/shutterstock.com, DeanDrobot/shutterstock.com