Four New Year’s Resolutions That Might Actually Stick
It’s 2024 and now is a great time to set your goals for the new year (ya know, if you’re in to that sort of thing).
However, it’s easy to fall into the “all-or-nothing” trap that often comes with setting your resolutions. Forbes reported that “80 percent of New Year’s resolutions fail by the beginning of February,” often because we set goals that are too big or too difficult.
One way to ensure that you stick with your resolutions is to set goals that are more specific and achievable. Work with the time, energy, and restrictions that you have now and make a plan to do just a little better. Self compassion will trump rigid routines every time.
With that in mind, here are four resolutions that you can set to improve your health in 2024:
Exercise more
Instead of setting an intimidating goal to exercise every day for 45 minutes, try setting a goal to exercise more. Establish a baseline metric for the amount of exercise that you do currently and set a goal to just do more. If that means that you only work out once per week now, then try to set a goal to work out twice per week in 2024. Settling on a schedule that works well for you makes it easier to keep up the habit more consistently rather than going all in and then quitting when you get too overwhelmed.
Drink more water
We all know water is important, and drinking more of it can benefit most of us. If you struggle to properly hydrate yourself throughout the day, try out these few sips… I mean tips:
- Buy a reusable water bottle that you can take everywhere so you have a constant reminder to take a sip every once in awhile.
- Don’t be afraid to flavor your water if you need a little something-something to make it more appealing. Adding fruits and herbs like lemon, lime, or mint are great ways to get some natural flavor.
- Add more foods with a high water content to your diet like melon, cucumber, lettuce, and celery.
Schedule all your annual health screenings
In January, take one day out of your month to schedule all of your health screenings for the year, including dental appointments, physicals, screenings, counseling services, etc. It is easy to let these important appointments go, so setting them up at the beginning of the year ensures that you’re staying on top of your health.
DID YOU KNOW? Marketplace health insurance plans cover preventive and wellness services and chronic disease management.
Get better sleep
This can be a particularly difficult resolutions for parents and those with sleep disorders or health issues that prevent them from getting a full night of rest, so that is why you want to commit to better sleep, whatever that might mean for you. Maybe this means getting to bed a little earlier or figuring out a meditation that helps quiet your brain before you fall asleep, or maybe it’s even just limiting your caffeine intake throughout the day so you can rest more soundly.
According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, “During sleep, your body is working to support healthy brain function and maintain your physical health,” so prioritizing better sleep is a worthwhile goal to strive for in the new year.
Resources
This New Year’s Set Goals, Not Resolutions (Forbes)
Why is Sleep Important? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
