Healthy Habits to Start in the New Year

At the start of every year, millions of people set resolutions to guide them through a more rewarding year than the last. While New Year’s resolutions may not be for everyone, there are undeniable benefits in goal setting, and maintaining healthy habits is one of the best ways to achieve your goals.

This year, think about an area of your life you’d like to improve, set goals, and establish habits to help you achieve those goals. 

Tips for Starting and Maintaining Healthy Habits

Starting a new habit can feel intimidating, but there are steps to take to make new habits more comfortable to maintain.

• Start simple. The reason so many people give up on resolutions is that they start too big. Think about one area of your life you’d like to improve. Maybe you’d like to be more physically active, or perhaps you want to improve your relationships. Once you’ve decided on a broad goal, pick one simple task you can do each day or each week to help you achieve your goal. Be realistic with what you can do. If you want to improve your physical health, start with dedicating one day a week to 30 minutes of moderate exercise instead of pushing yourself to workout five days a week. If you want to spend more time with family, start with a 30-minute phone call to a family member every other week instead of scheduling lunch with someone every day. Starting small makes habits easier to stick to. Then, as you build the initial habit, you can add to it throughout the year.
• Build your habits into an existing routine. An excuse for many people for not following through with habits is they don’t have time. The best way to find time for a new habit is to build it into an existing routine. If you set a goal to call a family member each week, think of a time during your week when you already have an existing obligation and schedule the call before or after that. For example, if you go to church every Sunday morning at 9 am, make a habit of calling your loved one 10:30 am as soon as you return home. Building a new habit off an existing habit or routine makes it easier to stick to and remember.
• Track your habits. Tracking habits gives you a visual representation of your progress. Use a calendar and mark each day you complete a task related to your habit. At the end of each week or month, review your progress to determine if any changes need to be made. You can also write a few sentences after each week to identify how you’re feeling. Writing down your progress is a great way to keep yourself motivated. During rough times, you can review what you’ve written and remind yourself of all the accomplishments you’ve had so far.
• Don’t beat yourself up for breaking a habit. Starting a new habit is hard work, and it’s okay if you don’t perfect it on the first try. People often make habits an “all or nothing” event and stop trying to establish a habit after the first miss. While you want to do your best to consistently make a habit, know it’s natural to skip once in a while. As long as you keep at it, one day of not doing something isn’t going to erase all of the work you’ve already put in.

Healthy Habits for Seniors

If you need guidance on what types of healthy habits to try this year, consider habits to improve your physical, mental, or emotional well-being.

• Physical Exercise- Staying active keeps joints and muscles strong and reduces aches and stiffness. Exercise also promotes positive mental health through the release of dopamine. If physical fitness is something you want to improve in 2021, consider yoga, walking, cycling, or swimming. And remember to consult a doctor before starting any new workout routine.
• Brain Exercise- It’s important to keep your cognitive abilities as sharp as you age. One of the best ways to maintain healthy cognitive skills is through brain exercises. Incorporate activities into your life that stimulate your mind. This can be reading, crossword puzzles, or Sudoku. If you have a smartphone or tablet, you can also download brain games such as Luminosity or Brain Age.
• Proper Nutrition- It’s important to fuel our bodies with proper nutrition to maintain physical, mental, and emotional health. Healthy eating can also reduce significant health risks, such as diabetes and heart disease. If you want to improve your diet this year, remember to start small and keep it simple. Instead of revamping your entire diet, identify one benefit you’re hoping to gain from your new diet, and start with one change you can implement right away. For example, if you want to lower your cholesterol, instead of never eating meat or animal byproducts, chose one meat dish or dairy product to stop eating. If that feels too extreme, you can pick a product and choose one day a week when you won’t eat the product. Each week or each month, you can add to the list of items to eliminate or extend how many days of the week you want not to eat it.
• Quality Sleep- A good night of rest not only provides energy; it also improves your physical and mental health. Aim to get six to eight hours of sleep each night. If you have trouble sleeping, establish a bedtime and wake-up time that you can follow each day. You should also limit screen time in the hours leading up to bed. Instead of watching television, try reading a physical book or listening to lyrical music.

How Visiting Angels Can Help

If you need help starting or maintaining healthy habits this year, Visiting Angels is happy to help. Our team of trained caregivers can join you on a walk around your neighborhood, help you prepare healthy meals, or assist you with a nighttime routine to ensure quality sleep. Our Foley office serves those in the Alabama Gulf Coast, including Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. If you’d like to learn more about our services, give us a call at 251.517.9700.