As the new year begins, many people consider how to improve their own health and wellness. Kacey Justesen, MD, a family medicine physician at the University of Minnesota Physicians (M Physicians) Broadway Family Medicine Clinic, talks about forming habits at the New Year and what you can do to make sure they stick.
For some people, improving health and wellness might mean picking up new habits and engaging in healthier activities like adding more produce to their diet or exercising more often. For others, it might mean trying to stop unhealthy habits and behaviors like smoking or consuming high levels of alcohol.
Barriers that prevent you from forming new habits
While it’s easy to set goals and come up with New Year’s resolutions, it can be hard to follow through on them.
According to Dr. Justesen, time is one of the most common barriers that prevents people from sustaining healthier habits. “We're all so very busy these days and finding the time to do those new behaviors, those new activities can be hard.”
Finances can also complicate the situation. Dr. Justesen says that when we talk about things like healthy eating, sometimes it can cost more up front. It’s often manageable, but it requires being very intentional about it, she explains.
Additionally, other people can prevent you from reaching your goals. Sometimes this might be your friends encouraging you to do things that aren't the healthiest, while other times it can be social media and society that are promoting unhealthy behaviors.
How to develop sustainable habits
Developing new habits that will last longer than a few weeks can be easier when we set realistic goals–the first thing Dr. Justesen recommends to her patients. Breaking things down and making sure that what you’re doing is manageable will help you achieve your overarching goal.
“People that go in with the smaller-scale and realistic goals often tend to be the ones that are the most successful. Those are easier to implement than saying, ‘I'm just going to be healthier this year,’” she says.
It’s also important to be international with your goals and hold yourself accountable. If your goal is to exercise three to four times a week, schedule it in your calendar so you know you have the time and don’t find yourself too busy.
It can also be helpful to find a friend with a similar goal and work towards achieving them together. “If it's something like cutting down on smoking, maybe you and a friend do it together and talk to each other about how well you're meeting your goal,” Dr. Justesen says. “Having a buddy with you as you make these changes can really help you to accomplish them.”
Additionally, Dr. Justesen recommends making concrete health goals that you can check off a list. This could include setting a goal to get your mammogram in the next two months or getting a colon cancer screening by your next birthday. “Those are very clear, very concrete, and you can check them off and feel really good about it once you accomplish that goal,” she says.
The first step you can take with these kinds of goals could be making an appointment with a primary care provider like Dr. Justesen to help you determine which health screenings are most important for you and when you should get them.
At the end of the day–or the coming year– New Year’s resolutions don’t have to be major overhauls. By keeping your resolutions small and manageable, it will be easier to sustain them throughout the whole year, instead of just a few weeks.
“Remember that being healthy and taking good care of yourself and your personal wellness is something that needs to be happening all year round, not just in January,” Dr. Justesen says.
Take the first step by making an appointment with a primary care physician at the Broadway Family Medicine Clinic today.