Make New Year’s Resolutions You’ll Stick With

It’s that time of year again—to take pen to paper and start making those New Year resolutions. Almost half of Americans participate in this annual ritual and getting in shape and healthier is the most popular resolution of them all. Health-related resolutions tend to follow the same path—you start off really pumped and committed and then a few weeks in the motivation begins to fade away. To make sure you improve your odds of being effective in keeping them, here are some tips and achievable goals for success in 2014.

TIPS TO KEEP YOUR RESOLUTIONS

1. Choose a goal that is realistic but meaningful
2. Visualize your end result – visualize what good will come when your goals and desires are met.
3. Create a support system – rely on your friends and family to support you in your resolutions, and do the same for them. Social support can be a great strengthener of motivation
4. Make your resolutions as specific as possible
5. Keep a log or journal to track your progress and see where you need more work

HEALTHY IDEAS FOR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

Eat Better. Eating healthy improves your academic performance, mood, mental health and your overall physical shape. Instead of psyching yourself out with the dreaded “diet” word, think more in terms of “I am going to change my eating habits”. Replacing a habit is more effective than trying to remove them entirely. Try a few of these suggestions:
• replace coffee with tea
• replace fast food with healthy homemade meals and pack your lunch for work
• replace sweets with fruits
• replace soda with an unsweetened beverage
• replace chips with crunchy vegetables or nuts

Drink more water. There are so many benefits to becoming an “aquaholic”. Drinking your daily water requirement will help you to lose weight, flush out toxins, improve your skin, and increase your energy.
Try to drink one or two big glasses of water right when you wake up—making sure you are hydrated before you leave the house will get your day started off right. Keep track of your daily intake and take a bottle of water with you wherever you go, and stay hydrated for the New Year.

Get more sleep. With today’s ‘go go go’ lifestyle a lack of sleep is taking its toll. Bad sleeping habits or lack of it altogether can cause poor concentration, memory loss, and put you in a bad mood. Not only does getting the right amount of sleep help you rejuvenate from the day, it can also take some stress off your cardiovascular system. Catching those z’s is great for your memory, helps reduce levels of stress, and lowers your risk for strokes or heart disease. Click here for 20 tips on how to get a better night’s sleep!

Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. Exercise is not only for weight loss and toning up—it benefits your whole body both physically and emotionally. By focusing on activities you enjoy and tailoring a regular mild to moderate exercise routine that you can commit to, you will experience the health benefits of exercise and improve your life. Physical activity boosts your mood and confidence, putting you in a positive mindset to keep you motivated and stick with your resolution plan.

Make a new friend a month. Friends are great for your health, so why not make a resolution to start collecting more of them? To expand your social circle, try to make one new friend a month by attending more social events, strike up a conversation with a stranger and get introductions from friends of friends.

Create a positive mindset. Positive thinking can produce positive attitude, and positive attitude leads to positive results. You will face the world and every challenge more easily and wisely and become more motivated to achieve your desired success when you have a positive mindset.

If you really want to see results this New Year, set your goals with sincerity and set yourself up for success. 2014 will be the year for making realistic, attainable resolutions—and actually sticking with them. Share your goals with Above & Beyond Physical Therapy! For more tips and information, please follow us on Facebook!