Looking back on the past year and thinking about what you might want to change, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by everything you want to improve. The key is to narrow your focus and pick one or two areas where you want to make a positive change. Smaller goals will help you stay motivated and keep your new healthy habits lasting well into the future.
With that in mind, here are some ideas for health resolutions:
Keep Your Routine Checkups
Routine checkups at your primary care office are the best ways to maintain good health. These visits are vital for getting screened for diseases and other physical ailments and being a point of contact for your doctor to track important aspects of your health cycle. Eating well, exercising regularly, and avoiding harmful behaviors can only get you so far when taking care of yourself—regular checkups are essential in ensuring that your body is in top shape. Every year, you should schedule an annual checkup with your primary care provider to maintain the best health possible.
Get Enough Sleep
Everyone knows that getting enough sleep is important, but it’s easy to ignore how much sleep you need. The National Sleep Foundation says adults should get at least seven hours of sleep every night. If you don’t, your body and mind won’t be able to function at their best. You’ll be groggy and irritable during the day and probably have trouble focusing. The problem is that many people don’t realize how much sleep they need until they’re already getting less than seven hours a night.
Exercise
For most people, exercise is a healthy habit. But for some people, it’s an anxiety-inducing, exhausting chore. If you’re in the latter group, please know that there are plenty of ways to get your heart rate up and break a sweat without feeling like you’re living under self-imposed pressure to conform to a traditional idea of working out. The key is just to experiment and find what works for you. The best exercise for your body and for your mind is always going to be the one that gets you moving and makes you feel good about yourself.
Find an outlet for your stress
When you’ve got a pile of stress, it can be easy to get overwhelmed with everything you need to do. And that sense of overwhelm can quickly become self-destructive—all-consuming and paralyzing if you let it. But when you find an outlet for your tension—a way to release or redirect it—you’re far less likely to spiral down a rabbit hole of doubt and despair.
So, where should you look for that outlet? For some people, it’s yoga, meditation, or running. For others, it’s talking with friends or family members who are supportive and understanding. Still, others may find swimming laps or boxing an excellent way to blow off steam. The key is finding an activity that works best for you.
