top of page

If you're in crisis or experiencing thoughts of suicide, help is available 24/7. Call 988. You don't have to face this alone.

New Year... New Healthy Habits

  • Writer: Jan Harding, DNP, APRN-BC
    Jan Harding, DNP, APRN-BC
  • Jan 16
  • 2 min read

I don’t know about you, but I do not like “New Year Resolutions”.


Maybe it is the responsibility of not breaking them or simply that after all these years they don’t carry the importance they once emphasized for me. Yet, let’s face it, what better time to get back on track than after weeks of eating sweet things and taking advantage of colder weather to sit and watch TV.


Healthy eating and regular exercise are hands-down the best habits for a person both mentally and physically and are hands-down the hardest behaviors to adhere to! With the NewYear upon us, here are some tricks to resetting behaviors and sticking to it:


  1. Start small: Set achievable goals such as walking 10 minutes a day.This can be done anytime of the day and anywhere.


  1. Set reminders: Use your phone or sticky notes to remind you of the habit you are trying to create.


  1. Keep a log: Your phone or agenda book (yes, even the one on the dusty dashboard of the pickup will work) is a good place to do this. It helps to keep you accountable and shows your success.


  1. Pick one simple thing regarding your diet to change first: Don’t try to go extreme. Pick one simple thing to change, then add another once that habit is established. For example, if you eat out for lunch every day, cut it back to every other day. Or, if you have a snack every evening at 9 pm, only allow snacks on Friday and Saturday night.


  1. Get a partner: Having a buddy helps keep us accountable. Consider a health care professional when needing someone to help with accountability. Remember to be supportive versus mocking with your partner, everyone falls short now and then.


  2. Advance goals slow but steady: Once a habit is set, add another or extend the goal.


Happy New Year!

Jan


Helpful website:


Jan Harding, DNP, APRN-BC

Jan Harding is a family nurse practitioner. She has been practicing since 1997, primarily in rural healthcare. Additionally, she has taught at Fort Hays State University in the nursing department since 2012. Her family lived in western Kansas for over 20 years where they farmed and had a cow/calf operation. About 5 years ago they started a new life chapter and moved to northeast Oklahoma where they continue to ranch. 


Comments

bottom of page