While being healthy and happy are two common new year’s resolutions, a University of Scranton study of the most popular resolutions for this year also suggests many are looking forward to improving relationships.
Here, The National looks at some psychology and science-backed hacks to hit all three.
Sunny side up
Resolution: Be healthier
Time required: Two minutes
World-renowned neuroscientist, host of the popular Huberman Lab podcast and professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine, Dr Andrew Huberman recommends this two-minute change ad nauseam: getting sunlight in your eyes first thing in the morning.
“It is perhaps the most important thing any and all of us should do in order to promote metabolic well-being, positive functioning of your hormone system and get your mental health steering in the right direction,” says Huberman in his podcast on maximising productivity, as well as physical and mental health.
“Get outdoors, ideally with no sunglasses if you can do this safely, even if it’s cloudy. More photons are coming through that cloud cover than from a very bright indoor bulb. Do this for at least two minutes, 10 minutes would be better, 30 minutes would be fantastic — depending on the brightness of the environment.”
The science: Getting outside for even a short walk ensures your eye neurons — melanopsin-expressing, intrinsically photosensitive ganglion cells — receive adequate stimulation. These neurons convey to the brain that it’s time to be alert. This sets in motion a number of biological cascades in every cell and organ, from the liver and gut to the heart and brain.
“Early in the day, we experience a natural and healthy bump in cortisol levels. Cortisol comes from the amygdala and promotes wakefulness and a healthy immune system,” Huberman explains.
“We typically hear that stress and cortisol disrupt the immune system, but not the short little pulse you get each morning,” he says. "This pulse is going to happen once every 24 hours, no matter what, but you get to time it by choosing when you view sunlight or bright light of another kind first thing in the morning. And you want that cortisol pushed early."
Best of all, it costs nothing and requires between two and 10 minutes a day.
Do it write
Resolution: Be happier
Time required: 15 minutes
Darius Foroux, author of international bestsellers Think Straight and Do It Today, calls procrastination the number one challenge to self-improvement and happiness in the modern world. “We have so many distractions and obligations that it’s hard to get anything done,” he tells The National.
But he also cautions against blanket advice. “Most advice is not relevant to individual struggles," he says.
"I recommend taking the time to understand what your problem is. Without awareness of personal challenges, we can’t solve them. So that’s where it must start."
Foroux also recommends the deceptively simple act of journaling.
“Simply sit down with a pen and a notebook and start asking yourself: 'What do I want? Why am I struggling? When do I usually feel good? When do I usually feel bad?'" he says. "When you become aware of what’s good and bad for you, you can focus on the good and eliminate the bad.
Spend three minutes thinking about what you’re grateful for in a relationship, what’s going well and why it’s important for you to have a good relationship [with a particular person]
Nicola Beer,
relationship coach
"If you want to improve your life and be happier, you must start by knowing yourself. Answering fundamental questions about what true happiness means to you makes what you should be working towards a lot more clear and achievable.
The science: Several studies over the past 20 years have shown that journaling can help memory and immunity, plus lung and liver function; promote psychological well-being; improve the way we speak; and even help us land jobs faster and score better marks at school. Meanwhile, a 2006 study found writing meaningfully for as little as 15 minutes is as effective as cognitive-behavioural therapy and reduces the risk of depression.
Feels like love
Resolution: Improve relationships
Time required: Three minutes
Nicola Beer, a British relationship coach living in Dubai, pinpoints one of the things most people get wrong in relationships at one point or another: becoming stuck in a cycle of negativity and complaining, which has a compounding effect and creates resentment as time goes on.
Beer offers a DIY solution that takes three minutes a day.
“Create a daily morning or evening routine where you spend just three minutes thinking about what you’re grateful for in the relationship, what’s going well and, most importantly, why it’s important for you to even have a good relationship [with a particular person] in the first place," Beer tells The National.
“Thinking about why you want what you do will also help you correct your own patterns. Knowing that it’s important for you to show your kids love or have a strong relationship with the family will make you prioritise those in your life and let the insignificant things slide."
The science: To put it simply, connecting gratitude dots every day helps the brain build our positivity muscle and reinforce the beliefs retained in our reticular activating system, commonly known as RAS. It is that part of the brain that makes our minds scan for more evidence on whatever we already believe and focus on, Beer explains.
If you start focusing on what you’re grateful for instead of what makes you angry, the RAS will help you see your relationships more positively, Beer says.
“It doesn’t even have to be about your partner; it can be about anything in life you’re inclined to see negatively,” Beer adds.
So there you have it: 20 minutes a day could be all you need to significantly change the quality of your life, your mental healthand your relationship with yourself and others.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Who are the Soroptimists?
The first Soroptimists club was founded in Oakland, California in 1921. The name comes from the Latin word soror which means sister, combined with optima, meaning the best.
The organisation said its name is best interpreted as ‘the best for women’.
Since then the group has grown exponentially around the world and is officially affiliated with the United Nations. The organisation also counts Queen Mathilde of Belgium among its ranks.
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
THE BIO
Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain
Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude
Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE
Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally
Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science
Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Planes grounded by coronavirus
British Airways: Cancels all direct flights to and from mainland China
Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific: Cutting capacity to/from mainland China by 50 per cent from Jan. 30
Chicago-based United Airlines: Reducing flights to Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong
Ai Seoul: Suspended all flights to China
Finnair: Suspending flights to Nanjing and Beijing Daxing until the end of March
Indonesia's Lion Air: Suspending all flights to China from February
South Korea's Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air and Jin Air: Suspend all flights
The biog
Name: Salvador Toriano Jr
Age: 59
From: Laguna, The Philippines
Favourite dish: Seabass or Fish and Chips
Hobbies: When he’s not in the restaurant, he still likes to cook, along with walking and meeting up with friends.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The Vines - In Miracle Land
Two stars
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
England's all-time record goalscorers:
Wayne Rooney 53
Bobby Charlton 49
Gary Lineker 48
Jimmy Greaves 44
Michael Owen 40
Tom Finney 30
Nat Lofthouse 30
Alan Shearer 30
Viv Woodward 29
Frank Lampard 29
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
RIVER%20SPIRIT
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Other must-tries
Tomato and walnut salad
A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.
Badrijani nigvzit
A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.
Pkhali
This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.
