New Year’s is around the corner, which may have some people thinking about the ways they can improve in certain areas of their lives, aka resolutions. Last year, a survey conducted by Inc. found that the two most popular resolutions in the U.S. were eating healthy (65%) and losing weight (54%). In the wake of COVID-19, which has caused stress, lockdowns and the infamous “quarantine 15,” eating healthy and losing weight are certain to top the list this year again.
5 Tips For Keeping Your Health and Wellness Resolutions
While the will is there for most people to do something about the state of their health, where is the way? Clearly, wanting something isn’t enough. You need to have a serious plan for how to achieve it. If health and wellness are at the top of your New Year’s resolution list this year, read on to see how you can figure out the way to make these resolutions stick.
Dream Big
While many researchers say that the way to keep a resolution is to start small, Harvard Medical School offers a different approach. Its first tip for sticking with a New Year’s resolution is to “dream big,” which means to come up with a really big goal, like a moonshot. “Audacious goals are compelling,” the author writes, and will also lead to people cheering you on and encouraging your efforts.
Break Dreams into Components
At the same time that dreaming big is a good idea, you need to be able to break your dream into components so that you know how to go about achieving it. If your grandiose goal is to lose 50 pounds, that’s great. Now break down how you plan to do it. Diet? Which kind? Exercise? What and how often? If you break your bigger goal into smaller ones, you can gain confidence as you meet each of the smaller goals.
Focus on Health, Not on Weight Loss
One way to go about achieving your weight loss goals, according to neurobiologist Sandra Aamodt, is to stop focusing on weight loss and instead, focus on being healthy. This includes exercising, making healthy food choices and reducing stress. Aamodt recommends mindful eating as a way to develop a healthy relationship with food and maintain a balanced lifestyle. You can learn more about this method from her 12-minute TED talk.
Reframe Your Resolutions
New research from Stockholm University and Linköping University in Sweden suggests that the way you phrase your resolution will determine whether you stick to it. Those who make a positive affirmation, like “I will exercise three times a week” as opposed to those who make a negative commitment, such as “I won’t be so lazy anymore” are more likely to succeed. The difference can be minimal, like saying “I’ll eat 5 fruits and vegetables each day” as opposed to saying “I’m going to stop eating so much junk food.” Positive reinforcement, it turns out, isn’t only effective with kids.
Give Back
Here’s an indirect way to help yourself stick to resolutions: Give back to the community or volunteer. Studies have shown that giving back has numerous benefits, including elevated mood, stress relief, improved connection with others and building self-esteem. When you feel good about yourself, and an overall sense of satisfaction, you are more likely to have the willpower to stay on course for the goals you set for yourself. At the same time, you can do a good deed — a win-win situation.
Health Goals = Healthy You
When you commit to leading a healthy lifestyle, you will most likely see improvements in many areas of your life, from the way you interact with friends to the amount of energy you have to how well you sleep at night. But you don’t need to do an entire overhaul — pick one particular thing you want to do and focus on that. You may find that when you get healthier in one area, you’ll naturally start getting healthy in other ones.
When you live a healthy lifestyle, you can get better rates on life insurance. The general rule is, the healthier you are, mentally and physically, the lower your monthly premiums will be.
Sproutt insurance advisors are available to help determine what kind of life insurance is best for each situation. Simply answer a few questions and we will find the best-value plan for your lifestyle, needs and budget.
