January, can only mean one thing, it’s time for New Years Resolutions! We all start the year with New Year, new me goals but how many of us manage to stick to them long term? Studies have found that as many as up to 64% of people didn’t manage to keep to their resolutions by the end of the year.
Whether it’s hoping to eat better, stop smoking, cut down on alcohol, exercise more or spend more quality time with loved ones, there are a number of key points to ensure those New Year, New You goals get met in 2019!
- Find activities/ food which are enjoyable! It will never be tempting to take up a new habit if it’s not enjoyable. Find healthier versions of favourite meals or an activity where friends and family can join in to help make the goal an enjoyable one!
- Not a first attempt? Reflect and plan! If this isn’t the first year a healthier lifestyle has been the goal, think about what worked well previously and what didn’t. Use this to plan and set smaller targets with the New Year goal as something to be achieved over the longer term
- Eat, sleep, exercise repeat! It can take up to 66 days to form a new daily habit so it is going to take a couple of months for the New Year goal to seem the norm. There will be days where it is more difficult than others but keep going!
- Be kind! We can all have a bit of a wobble sometimes, don’t spend time or energy reflecting on that wobble or worse still, scrapping the goal altogether. Maybe the end target needs to be reviewed as the months go on, sometimes what was originally planned just isn’t achievable.
For additional support and help with lifestyle goals for 2019, our teams have a range of services available to help!
- Quit With Bella – Quitting smoking is rewarding but it can be tough, so it’s best to have a fully trained stop smoking coach. Bella is a personal stop smoking robo-coach, there 24/7, whenever support is needed to become smokefree. Find out more about the Bella app here.
- ShapeUp4LifeOnline – The ShapeUp4Life plan comes with unlimited access to our free recipes and snack ideas. Developed by our experts and the NHS these healthy foods contain a balanced mix of nutrients helping you to eat well and enjoy meals. ShapeUp4Life isn’t a diet or a fad, it’s a lifestyle change. It’s about eating a healthy balanced diet full of all of the nutrients that bodies need, enjoying healthy snacks and eating out in a healthy way. At the same time as being more active and loving what you do! Find out more about our ShapeUp4Life plan here.
- MySelfCare – Looking for ways to better manage your health? MySelfCare is a unique service that enables monitoring of long term health conditions with our innovative health care app and easy-to-use home healthcare devices. MySelfCare lets you take control of your own health by providing the next generation in medically approved monitoring devices. Complete peace of mind is provided through automated alerts that share your medical readings with doctors, family and loved ones. Find out more about our MySelfCare service here.
We also offer a range of face to face services across the country with trained advisors supporting those wishing to lead a healthier lifestyle. Find out more here.
