How to make your healthy resolutions stick this year

Making New Year’s resolutions is easy. Sticking to them is hard.

Whether you’re looking to eat better, start a new fitness program or just achieve a healthier overall lifestyle, here are some tips to help you find success in your resolutions throughout 2019.

Start small and be focused.

Trying to do too much too fast could lead to burnout. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when you’re trying to improve your health, so instead of focusing on wholesale change throughout your life, work on changing one unhealthy behavior at a time.

Trying to cut back on sugar? Start by eliminating one soft drink a week. Looking to exercise more? Start by working out once or twice a week and increasing your frequency only when you feel ready.

Be patient.

New behaviors won’t stick overnight, and new habits can take weeks or months to form. Give yourself time, and know that committing to small lifestyle changes now will make a big difference over the course of the year.

Tell your friends.

Don’t keep your resolutions a secret, and don’t be ashamed to tell your friends and family what you’re aspiring to accomplish. Having a support system can make your resolutions seem less overwhelming, so talk with friends and family members about your health goals, struggles and successes.

Don’t beat yourself up.

None of us is perfect, and missteps along the way are nothing to be ashamed of. Improving your health is a long-term effort, so don’t let one mistake or setback get you down. Instead, resolve to do better going forward.

Celebrate your successes.

Be proud of your success! Improving your health shouldn’t feel like punishment, so don’t be afraid to reward yourself when you accomplish a goal. Of course, moderation is key, and overindulging too much can undo the healthy gains you’ve made or the new habits you’ve acquired.

However, it’s OK to have a tasty dessert (a piece of chocolate, not the whole box) if you’ve been sticking to your goal to eat better.  Or if you’ve hit your exercise goal several weeks in a row, it’s OK to take a day off and binge watch your favorite TV show.