Resolutions
Whether you want to make small improvements to your lifestyle or treat yourself to some self-care, the Harvard community can help you start something new this year.
This year I’ll …
A guide to keeping your resolution
Moving forward, even slowly, puts your goals within reach.
Take a free Harvard course
Practice mindfulness
Research on the health benefits of mindfulness and meditation are beginning to confirm what some have known for thousands of years.
Eight weeks to a better brain
“Although the practice of meditation is associated with a sense of peacefulness and physical relaxation, practitioners have long claimed that meditation also provides cognitive and psychological benefits that persist throughout the day,” says Sara Lazar.
Less stress, clearer thoughts
The popularity of mindfulness has been fueled by research that indicates it can reduces stress and promotes emotional well-being.
Be kind and unwind
“I feel like everyone has something to get from meditation, whether it’s for mental health or just to recharge yourself,” says Liz Pomerantz administrator for the Systems, Synthetic and Quantitative Biology Ph.D. program.
How to get started
1. Sit
Sit on a straight-backed chair or comfortably on the floor.
2. Focus
Focus on your breath and pay attention to things such as the sensations of air flowing into your nostrils and out of your mouth, or your belly rising and falling as you inhale and exhale.
3. Expand
Once you’ve narrowed your concentration in this way, begin to widen your focus. Become aware of sounds, sensations, and ideas.
4. Embrace
Embrace and consider each thought or sensation without judging it good or bad. If your mind starts to race, return your focus to your breathing. Then expand your awareness again.
Read a great book
Explore these recommendations from all across the Harvard community.
Make adjustments for healthy aging
Discover the latest research from experts at Harvard Medical School and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
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Reduce the risk of chronic diseases
Those who practice these healthy habits at age 50 live more years free of chronic diseases.
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Good genes are nice, but joy is better
An 80-year Harvard study shows that embracing community helps us live longer and be happier.
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Stay active, even just a little
“Because we evolved to be active throughout our lives, our bodies need physical activity to age well,” says Harvard evolutionary biologist Daniel E. Lieberman.
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Skip the salt, grab the bananas
Less sodium and more potassium could be key to lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Better understand food
Our Harvard experts explain the latest studies on nutrition and diet.
Protein, fat, or carbs?
Research finds that consuming more carbs, fat, or protein can promote good health as long as they are part of an overall sensible and varied diet.
One egg is enough
Consuming up to one egg per day does not appear to be associated with cardiovascular disease risk.
Food to grow old with
Research shows that older men who maintain healthier diets are 25% less likely to develop physical impairment with aging.
The healthy planet diet
A webinar series takes a closer look at how to eat, in the broadest sense, sustainably.
Go greener
Our Office for Sustainability empowers everyone to be stewards of the future by translating research into practice.
Tips for sustainable eating
Home energy saving tips
Ways to minimize your e-waste
Steps to reduce your energy consumption
Tactics to reduce food waste
Steps to reduce your carbon footprint
Learn something new
Expand your knowledge and explore new topics with these videos and podcasts.
‘Harvard Explains’
This ongoing video series aims to explain how everything works.
Should we make everyone vote?
How machine learning works
What are numbers?
Podcasts
Find a Harvard podcast that’s right for you.
HMSC Connects!
Go behind the scenes of the Harvard Museums of Science and Culture and hear scholars, researchers, collection keepers, exhibit designers, and other fascinating individuals.
Veritalk
This podcast from Harvard's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is your window into the minds of Ph.D. students.
PolicyCast
Leading experts in public policy, media, and international affairs talk about their experiences confronting the world's most pressing public problems.
Ask a Harvard professor
Delve into the origins of hip-hop music, the role of chance in photography, whether marijuana is harmful to the brain, and much more.
EdCast
Lowering the barriers of education’s complexities so that everyone can understand, through authentic conversation with teachers, researchers, policymakers, and leaders of schools.
Cold Call
Harvard Business School’s legendary case studies, distilled into podcast form.