The Christmas lights and menorahs are all packed away. The funny hats and champagne bottles are stacked neatly in the recycling bin. Holidays and vacations have come to an end. Did all that holiday goodness go straight to your waistline? Is personal health on your New Year's resolution list?
Before you write "Lose 15 lbs" at the top... We have a simple, less stressful approach to making improved health a reality for you in the new year!
1. Make a List of Everything You've Been Putting Off and Schedule a Specific Time For Every Item.
Maybe you've been meaning to check your cholesterol or have your hormones levels evaluated? Or perhaps you've been planning to start a healthy new habit, like daily walks in your neighborhood? Make that appointment. Put a date in the calendar to start walking (and call a friend to join you!). The act of scheduling each event will give you an automatic stress-reliever even before you begin.
2. Give Yourself a Pat on the Back
Got New Year's resolutions? The cliche tells us that we start the year with high expectations for ourselves, but it won't be long before we give up or fall off the wagon. Have you ever been to a crowded gym in January and joked to your friends that it will be empty again by February?
This year, try something new: congratulate yourself for what you're already doing well! Beginning a healthy habit out of self-criticism is not as motivational as building on your current good habits.
Start with what you know you're doing right! Perhaps you have a piece of fruit with breakfast every day. Instead of criticizing yourself for not eating more fruit, you can think to yourself: "Wow, I'm doing great, eating a piece of fruit every morning! Imagine if I ate another fruit or vegetable serving at every meal?" Ta-dah! Now you're motivated!
3. Celebrate Every Positive Action
Did you eat a fruit or vegetable serving with every meal today? Did you make it to the gym? Yay! Today, you did it! Sure, it was only one day, but that's how one day becomes the next, and the next, and the next.
Don't hesitate to tell yourself you're doing great. Don't withhold your praise until some far-off day when you'll be perfect and you'll eat like a movie star!
4. Keep Going
It's true that a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. Once you've taken that first step, get in the habit of positive motivation and start celebrating your steps along the way. Most important: keep going forward even when you trip or fall.
Flashback to childhood, when you learned to read or ride a bike, and be kind to yourself - you're learning something new! Give it your best every day, knowing that your "best" will vary from day to day, as circumstances change.
Let Us Know How We Can Help
If we can help you to meet your health goals this year, please let us know! Our medical professionals take a holistic approach to your wellness and can provide a wide range of services to keep you in optimal health.
We also encourage you to visit our Wellness Store, where our helpful staff can point you in the right direction with vitamins and supplements to help you meet your health goals. Have a Happy Healthy New Year!