What Can You Do Now to Take Better Care of Yourself for the Future?

2024 is here, and as we kick off the new year, it’s a good time to reflect on your health and wellness journey. The new year is an opportunity to focus on self-improvement—to identify which habits are working for you, and which ones you want to change. So, here’s a simple guide on healthy updates you can make for yourself in 2024, and how to increase your chances of sticking to them.

Practical New Year’s Resolutions to Improve Your Health

Making New Year’s resolutions can be tough—you don’t want to be too restrictive and set unrealistic goals that you can’t meet. On the other hand, there are definite benefits to challenging yourself and setting thoughtful intentions for the future.

How can you go about making resolutions that will improve your health, but that you won’t break after only a few weeks? The key is to keep your goals practical and small, so that you can establish life-long healthy habits.

 

Here are a few examples:

GET MORE QUALITY SLEEP
It’s incredibly common to be sleep-deprived, which can lead to serious health consequences like weight gain, heart disease and depression. The new year is a good time to focus on your sleep hygiene and implement simple practices to help yourself fall and stay asleep. These include limiting screen time before bed, keeping your bedroom at a cool temperature, cutting back on caffeine (especially later in the day) and reducing light pollution in your bedroom.

 

EAT MORE WHOLE FOODS
Whole foods like vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grains and fish contain a variety of nutrients that your body needs to function at its best. A diet focused on whole foods can help reduce heart disease risk factors, body weight and blood sugar levels, as well as lower your chances of developing chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes. Adding more whole foods into your diet doesn’t have to mean radically altering the way you eat, either. You can start by adding one extra serving of fresh vegetables to your diet each day.

 

SPEND MORE TIME OUTSIDE
 Taking the time to enjoy nature has more of an impact on your health than you might realize. It can help relieve stress, elevate your mood and even lower your blood pressure. Spending more time outdoors is an easy and sustainable goal that you can incorporate into your daily life by taking a walk during your lunch break, going hiking on weekends, sitting in your backyard (when the weather is nice) or going to the local park with friends and family.

 

SIT LESS AND MOVE MORE
The CDC estimates that, on average, Americans spend between 6.5 and 8 hours sitting per day. Sedentary work keeps many people routinely inactive, which can increase your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and even some types of cancer. So, an effective and practical resolution might be to go for a walk every day at lunch, or to stand up and move around for a few minutes every hour.

 

VISIT THE DOCTOR MORE REGULARLY
Many people put off going to the doctor because it seems inconvenient, or because of anxiety about medical procedures. However, regularly visiting your doctor for general health check-ups is linked to increased detection and treatment of chronic diseases, as well as reduction of risk factors like high blood pressure and cholesterol. People who go to the doctor regularly also report improved quality of life and feelings of wellness. If you haven’t been keeping up with your doctors’ visits, now is a good time to set up some new appointments.

 

The Health Benefits of Cutting Back on Alcohol

Light or moderate alcohol consumption can definitely fit into a balanced diet, but drinking alcohol frequently can keep you from reaching your health and wellness goals. In excess, it can have a negative impact on your mental, emotional and physical health.

Though alcohol may not be a problem for everyone, many people can still improve their health and wellness by giving it up. In fact, the growing “Sober Curious” movement encourages people to drink less, or not at all, as a healthy lifestyle choice. This term was first coined by writer Ruby Warrington as way to encourage individuals to mindfully consider each decision to drink alcohol.

“Dry January” is a common time for people to cut back on alcohol for a month, but you can benefit from re-evaluating your relationship with alcohol any time of the year. The advantages of giving up alcohol—even just for a short time—include improvements in insulin resistance, weight and cancer-related risk factors.

Other benefits include:

  • Better concentration and memory
  • Better sleep
  • Stronger immune system
  • Lower cardiovascular risk
  • More energy
  • Improved mental health

Across the country, bars are now adding mocktails and other non-alcoholic beverages to their menus. Sober bars are also becoming more popular as a way for people to come together and socialize over non-alcoholic drinks. The expansion of alcohol-free alternatives and the increasing visibility of the Sober Curious movement means that if you are interested in giving up alcohol, or just reconsidering your relationship to drinking, there are many support options available.