Healthy New Year's Resolutions

By Bonnie Carleton, Health Educator, CHES

Happy New Year! We asked our Facebook followers to share their healthy resolutions and goals with us. Setting healthy goals to focus on throughout the year is a terrific way to keep yourself on track. The good thing about resolutions is that they can be as broad or specific as you’d like. We got lots of great responses. Here’s how some of our friends have resolved to make 2018 a healthy year:

“I resolve to drink more water.” – Elizabeth

“I will leave my phone, computer and tablet downstairs and out of my bedroom every night so that I can mentally ‘unplug’ and get a better night’s sleep.” – Amy

“Get outside and walk more.” – Jim

“Connect with nature no matter what the thermometer says.” – Terry

“Make healthier food choices every day.” – Marie

“I resolve to leave work on time and get home much earlier than normal.” – Laurie

“Keep moving throughout the day and work on keeping stress levels to a minimum.” – Wanda

“Join a fitness center and challenge myself more often.” – Eileen

Photo submitted by Eileen Hamilton.

Those are all wonderful resolutions! Here are some ways that we can keep our healthy resolutions on track throughout the year:

Use a healthy lifestyle app.

There are free apps that you can use to keep track of how much water you drink, what you eat, and how much physical activity you get each day. Here’s a list of some good ones to check out.

Buddy up!

Ask a friend or a colleague to help keep your resolutions on track. Team up and hold each other accountable for fitness goals, eating healthy foods, and even practicing mindfulness in the middle of a busy day.

Prepare.

Is your goal to drink more water? Purchase several refillable water bottles to keep at home and in the office. Is your goal to eat more veggies? Make a habit of cutting up your veggies all at once and keeping them in snack-sized baggies in the fridge. Is your goal to exercise after work? Keep sneakers and athletic shorts in the car.

Motivate yourself.

Write goals and motivational phrases on sticky notes and strategically place them throughout the house. You can also set up a rewards system to keep yourself motivated. Set milestones to reaching your goal and reward yourself each time you complete a milestone.

What are your New Year’s resolutions? Please share them with us in the comments below! Cheers to a happy & healthy 2018. 

The health educators at the Learning Resource Center are also available to help you stay healthy during the holidays. Connect with a health educator with all of your questions about healthy eating & active living! Be well, be well informed.