Lose Weight. Exercise More. Eat Healthy Foods. Get Organized. Quit Smoking. Each year, millions of people use January as their starting over point. A time to start fresh and say good riddance to the preivous year. Although the resolutions are made with the best intentions, so many are not kept or met, and at the end of the year people can feel a sense of failure. To make your resolutions stick, it's important to make realistic and achievalbe resolutions. It's also important to make sure that your resolutions aren't too vague so that you have a specific goal you're trying to obtain.
Start small: Don't try to change too much all at once. If you want to exercise more, start with 3 or 4 days a week instead of 7. If you want to eat healthier, start by adding an extra vegetable to your dinner or skipping dessert a few days a week.
Change one behavior at a time: Don't try to do all at once. Behaviors and habits take time to change and develop and you don't want to overwhelm yourself.
Talk about it: Share your journey and experiences with family, friends. Join a support group to help you quit smoking or sign up for a group exercise class. When you talk about it, it stays on your mind and lets those closest to you know what is going on in your life so they can support you.
Don't beat yourself up: Nobody's perfect and we all have our slip ups. If you get off track, don't give up. Jump right back where you left off and keep going!
Ask for support: There is no shame at all in asking for help and support. You're much more likely to achieve your goals if you have support from those closest to you. There are also many resources in your community who can offer you support. The friendly professionals at A Therapeutic Effect would be happy to provide support and tips on a healthy lifestyle and stress reduction techniques.
When you make a resolution, its means you've made the conscious decision to make a change to better yourself. That is a HUGE first step. Sticking with your resolutions can be tricky, but with proper planning, dedication, and support, there is no reason that you can't be successful. Once your achievable resolution is set in place, just remember that you don't have to do it alone.
For further information on making New Year's resolutions and setting yourself up for success, visit these helpful pages:
Here's to a happy and healthy 2016!!