New Years Changes That Work
It’s that time of year again. The time of year when everyone starts to turn their back on this year and look forward to January 1 when they can begin their new resolutions to get healthy once and for all. However, according to Forbes magazine approximately 80% of all New Year's Resolutions fail. Although people tend to just assume the reason resolutions don’t stick is because of will-power, the problem is actually in the mindset people going into the New Year with.
One of the main reasons New Year's resolutions fail is because of the term itself: resolution. With the word “resolution” comes a mindset that you have to change everything all at once. As a result, it causes people to see their life as “all or nothing” or “healthy or unhealthy.” It makes you think that either you are fully healthy in the new year, or fully unhealthy. So even though you may start out strong, when you return to old habits it causes you to feel as though you have failed entirely. Don;t get me wrong: it is good to want to make healthy changes in your life. It is the way people tend to go about it that causes them to ignore all of their successes as soon as they slip up.
So instead of making New Year's resolutions, we need to change our mindset about the new year entirely. Although traditionally people wait until January 1 to make any changes, remind yourself that you can make healthy changes whenever you want. Every day left before 2022 is a day for you to choose to prioritize your health and make choices that honor your body’s needs. No matter how small your changes may be right now, celebrate your choices and allow yourself to enjoy the victory that comes with making healthy choices big or small.
In addition to not postponing changes, we need to change our terminology from “resolutions” to “changes” or “goals.” Getting rid of the word “resolution” allows us to think about the new year in terms of smaller changes we can make to get us where we want to go. Making healthy changes can help you work towards a balanced approach towards your time, diet, and physical activity. Healthy living is a result of small changes and goals that little by little add up to make a big difference- NOT resolutions that change everything all at once.
Furthermore, thinking about our health in terms of changes or goals also allows us to meet ourselves where we are at. So often people go into January thinking they are going to change everything about the way they live. As a result, people often burn out and quit because the way they are living is unsustainable. Instead, making small goals that meet you where you are at allows you to feel confident going into your decisions each day and gives you gradual steps to take toward a healthier lifestyle. For example, if you don’t eat any fruits or vegetables currently then it’s not realistic to force yourself to meal prep 5 different types of produce each week. Instead, making the goal to include one source of color a day for 2 weeks would give you a smaller step to take towards your long term goal of meeting your fruit and vegetable recommendation each day (read more about making healthy goals here).
Finally, in order for changes to work in the new year you need to find support. This can come from friends, family, your local gym, and more. Finding people who will encourage you and hold you accountable day to day will help you stay motivated to reach your goals. In addition, it is important to make goals that are supported and informed by healthcare professionals. This is where we as dietitians can come in. Not only does working with nutrition professionals provide you with evidence-based nutrition education, but we can help you create goals that are specific for your life and hold you accountable to making changes week to week. Lifestyle change is a gradual process, and it’s important to have support from both experts and friends along the way.
Permanent new years changes are possible, you just have to approach them in a sustainable way. Contact us today to learn more about how we can support your healthy living in 2022! Email natalie@nutrition502.com or go to Nutrition502.com to schedule a FREE discovery call today! Be sure to ask about our New Years discounts too!