By JACLYN FRANKS MPH
Purdue Extension-Kosciusko County, HHS Extension Educator

New Year’s resolutions. Many of us had a goal in mind for ourselves when we rang in 2016. We may want to lose weight, quit smoking, or spend more time with family. Whatever your resolution may be, a study conducted by the University of Scranton suggests that just 8 percent of individuals achieve their New Year’s Resolutions.

Many of us tend to set lofty goals for ourselves only to get overwhelmed and lose motivation to complete them by the end of the year. So how do we set ourselves up for success in 2016? Set a few specific and realistic goals that you know you can achieve. Here are some suggestions for small steps you can take towards a better you in 2016:

Lose weight — Try increasing your fruit and veggie intake or walking for 20 minutes a day. According to the CDC, eating more fruits and vegetables adds nutrients to diets, reduces the risk for heart disease, stroke, and some cancers and helps manage body weight when consumed in place of more energy dense foods. Additionally, the CDC recommends adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. Try breaking these into smaller chunks and park at the end of the parking lot at the grocery store or make time for a short walk during your workday.

Quit smoking — Rather than quitting cold turkey, get yourself a free smoking cessation counselor from the Indiana Tobacco Quitline — (800) QUIT-NOW or quitnowindiana.com — and make an effort to reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke each day.

Spend more time with family — Hectic schedules sometimes get the best of us, so try reserving one night a week for “family time.” Make dinner together, play a board game, ride bikes, or go on a picnic.

Less stress — Some stress can be good, however stress is harmful when it is severe enough to make you feel overwhelmed and out of control. Make some time for you this year and take specific action to take care of yourself when you are stressed. Take that trip you’ve always wanted to take, get a massage, or try out some different relaxation techniques like journaling or deep breathing. Using healthy ways to cope can help stressful feelings subside.

Save money — Try using technology to save money this year. Download the mobile apps to your favorite stores and check for coupons or other offers. Some apps even let you print paper coupons from your phone that you can use to save money in store.

Whatever your resolution is this year, I wish you a happy and healthy 2016.

For more information, contact Jackie Franks at [email protected] or (574) 372-2340.