Another year has come and gone and if you’re like the average person you’ve either decided on your new year’s resolutions or you’re still in the midst of thinking, “Do I really want to give that up?” Regardless of whether or not your resolution is easy, there are subtle ways to improve your look and overall feel this year without being a slave to the gym or sufficing on water and granola for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Just follow these 5 easy beauty new years resolutions for 2011. It’s a new year, new you…literally.

Beauty New Year’s Resolution #5: Take a page out of dwarf Sleepy’s book. Get some rest!
You may have thought you were getting an adequate amount of sleep in 2010, but ask yourself one question. Were you getting between 6-8 hours of sleep each night? If that answer is no, then you’ve got some “Zzz’s” to catch up on. You can even try taking a nap if you’re not getting enough shut-eye at night. And, although the workplace doesn’t enforce nap time like preschool, you can even catch up on some dreams during the work week. Simply close your office door at lunch and put your head down for around 15-30 minutes. If you don’t have an office, a car will also do the trick. Just remember to set an alarm in case you happen to trail off…

Beauty New Year’s Resolution #4: Breaking the habit
This one really only applies to addictions like smoking or overeating. You may have tried to stop in the past and maybe every new year you tell yourself that this is the year to break the habit. But, if you’re like the majority of us, it’s usually just talk. How about this year you walk the walk instead of talk the talk?

If you’ve had trouble giving up addictions in the past, try giving them up again but under different reasons and circumstances. Try quitting them for someone else and not for yourself – almost like a present to your family or friends. Or, if you’ve tried to simply quit by using your own methods in the past and it didn’t work, this year try upping the ante. Go see a therapist or get a specialist to help you axe the bad habit.

Beauty New Year’s Resolution #3: Forget about dieting. Wait, what?
That’s right ladies, you can kiss that new year’s diet plan goodbye. The problem with dieting is that it can lead to denying your body certain nutrients and in some cases it can actually have a reverse effect – leading to overeating and at worst hints of depression.

So, this new year, make the changes small. No more sneaking Snickers at work. Go ahead and empty out those candy drawers in your desk. Try swapping your regular pop to diet. Switch to whole grains. Subtle changes like these are easy and don’t take a lot of discipline to pull off. Not to mention, they will help you feel better while looking better too.

Beauty New Year’s Resolution #2: Get up and walk around
The average American sits at a desk 5 days per week for hours at a time just staring at their computers. That’s a lot of lazy time. So try this. Every hour get up and move around for a few minutes. It will help you get your blood circulating again and it’s just a healthy practice in general to reduce stress and clear your head. Also, if you work on the third floor or above, skip the elevator and take the stairs. You’d be surprised what a few flights of stairs can do for the ‘ol cardio. Lastly, start taking a 15-30 minute walks during your lunch break or before work. Simple steps like these aren’t overwhelming and the results will definitely show themselves soon enough.

Beauty New Year’s Resolution #1:  Shot, shot, shot-shot-shot…of water?
Drinking an adequate amount of water is something that is incredibly overlooked by people on a daily basis. It helps flush out your system, keep you hydrated and lose weight while maintaining healthy skin and complexion. You should be drinking 8 cups of water a day. So, ditch that coffee and start chugging some H2O. Okay fine, you can keep your coffee just make sure you’re throwing back your fair share of water, too. Go buy a big 32 oz water bottle from the store and keep it filled on your desk at work. It’s as simple as that!