“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” -Lso Tzu
To say I’m not a fan of New Year’s resolutions is an understatement. I’m not even a friendly acquaintance of New Year’s resolutions. For me, New Year’s resolutions are like a toxic ex-boyfriend I had to block on Facebook.
Why the disdain for a seemingly harmless annual tradition? It’s simple: because they don’t work. You’ve been there. I’ve been there. Hell, we’ve all been there. We know how this thing’s going to turn out. What starts as a monumental, life-changing proclamation in early January to quit smoking, run a marathon, write a book, and climb Mount Everest ends up a distant memory by mid-February, replaced by a jumbo-size box of Cheez-Its, a six-pack of rose’ and a nasty guilt spiral over all our failures, present and past.
So, what happened? Why does the positive change we want for ourselves seem like an elusive dream that’s impossible to wrap our hands around?
Here’s the problem: it’s the scale of the resolution. We tend to put the New Year’s resolution on a pedestal, as if this resolution must be the biggest, baddest, most knock-your-booties-off resolution in the history of resolutions. “This is going to be big, and it’s going to change my life.” You’re determined. You’re feisty. You’re ready to kick this resolution’s ass, Kung Fu-style . . . things are going to be very different, starting right now!
We plan too big, plain and simple. The truth? Change doesn’t have to be so extensive or so intertwined with struggle. That’s not how real, lasting change evolves. Lasting change doesn’t happen in a day, in a week, or even in a month. The context of your life doesn’t change suddenly with one resolution, during one a-ha moment of your life.
Don’t worry, this is good news.
The point here is that change doesn’t have to be this hard, my friends. Change is in the details. Opportunities for change happen in the subtle moments of our lives: the choice to go to bed a little earlier; the choice to swap your morning muffin for a veggie omelet; the choice to take some me-time to get that quick workout in with friends on a Saturday morning. Change isn’t a thing; change is a process that you create and that you control, moment by moment.
Every day is an opportunity for change. So ditch the pressure and the guilt, and let’s start driving big change by making small swaps to your daily life. Here are a few of my favroite resolutions that are totally achievable on the daily that will add up to big benefits to your health and happiness.
1. Get more sleep.
The benefits of adequate sleep are endless, and they affect every aspect of your health and your quality of life: more energy, better focus, more positive mood, better resilience against stress, less risk of obesity, depression/anxiety, heart disease, diabetes, and many other chronic diseases. Set a goal to get 7-8 hours of good-quality sleep per night; or, if you’re far off from that goal, aim for going to bed 30-60 minutes earlier and notice the difference in your physical and mental clarity!
2. Crowd out unhealthy foods.
As stressed-out humans in a stress-filled world, we often make decisions about what to eat based on filling an emotional need. You know how it works when you’re sad, stressed, or overwhelmed . . . does an entire bag of Oreos sound familiar? If you have any health-related goals in the new year, you’ll won’t find the Oreo strategy to be terribly effective [insert sad face]. Instead, try switching your focus to eating for the purpose of nourishing your body. Food is fuel, and you want the high-quality stuff in your tank!
- Set a goal to include a serving of veggies (or two!) on your plate at each meal
- Replace your mid-afternoon granola bar with veggies and hummus
- Swap the ice cream for a bowl of berries for dessert
- Replace one soda or energy drink per day with fresh, filtered water
3. Add joy to your To-Do list.
What do you love to do? Is there an activity that you’re longing to get to, but there never seems to be enough time? Don’t wait until life is less busy to do what you love. Make time now. Schedule one activity into your schedule per week, and that time is off-limits from extra work and last-minute to-do’s. In the summer, I love to escape to play a round of golf all by myself. I have a friend whose Sunday evening yoga is sacred. Maybe you’ve been thinking about joining a book club or about taking more bubble baths. No matter what your jam, don’t wait to do what brings you joy.
4. Move more.
Although getting more exercise is an amazing goal for your overall health, oftentimes painting yourself into the strict box of “I will go to the gym every single morning at 5:00am” is too unrealistic of an expectation to maintain over the long-term. To achieve the goal of getting more exercise, it needs to fit into your lifestyle. Studies clearly show that accumulating 30 minutes of activity per day has significant benefits on your overall health.1 If you’re new to regular exercise, your goal might be “walk for 10 minutes each day”. When you’re setting a goal, be sure it’s measurable, such as a number of minutes of exercise or a number of steps per day.
- If you sit at a desk most of the day, use 20 minutes of your lunch break to take a walk outside, or take a 20-minute walk after work before preparing dinner
- Make a date with friends for a weekly spinning, Zumba, or barre class
- Grab a pair of dumbbells to keep near your tv at home and knock out a few exercises during commercials
5. Meditate.
Who’d like to sleep better, reduce stress, control anxiety, reduce inflammation, promote emotional health, and lengthen your attention span? Yes, please! Meditation provides all of these benefits.2 If you’re new to meditation, there are some amazing apps to help foster your practice such as Calm, Headspace, and Bloom. The Muse meditation headband has been my go-to for years. Even just ten minutes a day can give you significant improvements to your sense of well-being.
6. Go easy on yourself.
The last thing we need when working hard to accomplish a goal is all the negative self-talk that usually accompanies it. Take a deep breath, know that you’re doing the best you can, and keep going. Getting caught in a guilt spiral is a terrible waste of your precious time and energy. You deserve better!
When setting your New Year’s resolutions, less is more. Happy and healthy New Year to you!
References:
- American Council on Exercise (2015). ACE Medical Exercise Specialist Manual. San Diego, CA: American Council on Exercise.
- Thorpe, Matthew, MD, PhD. (2017, July 5). 12 Science-Based Benefits of Meditation. Retrieved from http://www.healthline.com
Jessica Cahen, MS, CMES, CHN is an Exercise Physiologist and Holistic Nutritionist. Her company, Perfectionist Health LLC, offers Muscle Restoration and Medical Exercise services in Columbus, OH as well as holistic health & wellness coaching worldwide. Read more about Jessica and Perfectionist Health LLC at www.perfectionisthealth.com.