As 2021 draws to a close, our consultants offer suggestions for simple ways to improve your physical, mental and financial health in 2022.
Easy ways to improve your physical health
- Drink more water
- Wash your hands
- Walk every day – Do a challenge – like 30 min (minimum) walk every day.
- Take the stairs not the lift
- Get up from your desk and move every 30 minutes
- Sit on an exercise ball
- Cut down on meat
- Take a few alcohol-free days each week
- Go for a massage once a week
- Don’t let anyone sneeze on you!
- Wear sun cream every day
- Replace an unhealthy ingredient with a healthy one: ditch cooking oil for olive oil, white sugar for brown
Elmira Donald, our Client Relationship Consultant in Kuala Lumpur, advises ‘Pick a sport you enjoy as a hobby as you’re more likely to keep at it. Get motivated by signing up to a 30-day challenge for January such as this”.
Easy ways to improve your mental health
- Set realistic goals
- Meditate
- Do some exercise each day
- Get a good night’s sleep
- Eat nutritious meals
- Get a pet
- Use free mental health resources such as phone lines provided by insurers
- Spend 30 mins a day on personal development
- Download Tinder and go on a date
- Call friends and family back in your home country
- Start a new hobby
- Get to know yourself – read more about personality traits
- Quality over quantity – for everything! Clothes, friends etc
‘Volunteering is great for mental health. Sign up with a charity that means something to you or simply do an act of kindness at least once a day for strangers, friends or family.’ – Elmira Donald.
‘For a good night’s sleep, key to mental health, keep your mobile phone outside your bedroom.’ – Jordan Donald.
Easy ways to improve your financial health
- Avoid debt: buy now, pay now
- Think before you spend – Do I really need it or do I just want it right now?
- Educate yourself about personal finance
- Write bill due dates on a calendar
- Shop around
- Plan ahead for big expenses
- Aim to take care of one financial matter a month
- Ask for a raise
- Don’t just watch Netflix, buy Netflix (shares)
- Do monthly budgeting
- Eat before grocery shopping!
- Update your will
- Review your protection needs and your insurance policies
- To build an emergency fund, set up an automatic transfer from your current account to a savings account
‘My top financial tip for long term financial health is to invest excess cash on a regular basis.’ – Elmira Donald.
‘Ask for a raise! And when you get it, save some of the extra each month. Raise or no raise, it is helpful to set a savings target to reach by the end of the year.’ – Jordan Donald.
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