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The New Year, for many people, is the best time to set goals in life. It is the time that many people pause and think about how they fared in the previous year and strategise for the new one.
Even if things went well, one still wants to think of some other things that one can do better. If one perceives that it is not going the right way, it is only natural for one to want to make it right starting from the January.
However, many tend to overlook their health when they set goals for themselves in the new year. For most people, health resolutions are usually at the bottom of the list, in fact in some cases, it is missing on that precious list.
If getting a new car, building a house or buying lands or even saving more is what you have prioritised in your goals this year, you must remember that for you to achieve all these, you must be alive and healthy.
Your health is your wealth this year, says public health physician, Dr. Segun Arowolo. He states that being in a good state of both physical and mental health would help you achieve your financial, spiritual and social goals you have set for yourself.
Arowolo states that the best resolution one can make this year is to adopt a healthy lifestyle in all ramifications.
He says, “What should top your goals this year is your health. Ask yourself some salient questions about your body: Am I fit? Do I exercise regularly? Do I drink too much? Am I eating properly or do I lose weight?
What should be at the back of your mind is how do I reduce my stress levels to make me healthier.
To get a better picture of your health, it may help to pretend you are in a helicopter up above your life looking down on it.”
Arowolo adds that eating right, keeping fit and reducing stress levels would not only make you fit but they could also reduce one’s chances of developing non-communicable diseases like hypertension, diabetes and cancer -ailments that now seem to be ravaging the world. Whether it is cutting back on salt or sugar, breaking a habit can be a bit difficult.
What usually happens is that we forget them! Experts suggest that you are more likely to stick to your health habits if you establish realistic and achievable goals.
Executive Director of Wellness and Medicine at St. John’s University in New York , Dr. Luis Manzo, says people often try to do too much, too fast and set unattainable goals, which simply sets them up for failure.
Manzo says,” There is no sense in making a resolution to wake up every morning at 5 a.m. and run five miles if you know you are not a morning person and you have never ran more than a mile in your life. Such a goal will just demoralise you when you are unable to stick to it.”
“Rather, play to your strengths, select goals that you can do and that work for you. Maybe a more realistic goal is running after work for 20 minutes two days during the week and once on the weekend for 25 minutes. Start small, build your confidence and your motivation will skyrocket.”
The physician adds that If you practice a new habit you want to adopt every day for the next three months it can become a habit for life.
He notes, “If you were really serious about keeping fit, regular exercise 30 minutes a day and four times a week is enough to keep you fit but you need to walk every day for a month to create the new habit and then it will be set in concrete after you have done it every day for three months.”
Also, if you want to achieve your health goals this year, experts advise that your must surround yourself with people who are supportive of one’s goals. One can set goals with a friend so that to encourage each other.
For example, if you want to quit smoking and drinking, let your spouse, family and colleagues at work be in on this target and it also goes without saying that you should also reduce the time you spend hanging out at night with your buddies that do so.
The temptation to fall back on old habits is real, however, simple baby steps like drinking at least four cups of water each day will go a long way. Once again, happy New Year!
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