It’s not too late for a healthy 2013! New Year’s has come and gone and unfortunately, so have many of our resolutions. Statistics show that by now, most have either ditched their vows to eat healthy and lose weight altogether or have fallen a bit too far off course. So perhaps we’ve been approaching this all wrong?
After all, we’re parents. We live hectic, busy lives and oftentimes our own goals and needs come after everyone else’s. Although in many cases, overhauling our diets and sticking to a 7 am workout five days a week might be for the best, it’s not always realistic. But if we can change our thinking – in many cases – the rest will follow, or at least the important things will stick.
Here’s how we can “think ourselves healthy” for the remainder of 2013 and beyond:
1. Write down 10 goals, not one – Who says you have to have one resolution? Make a list of 10 things you want to do better or more of and put the list somewhere you will see it often. This is not a test and you don’t fail if you don’t stick to your goals every day. The idea is to keep these things present in your mind and strive for them on a daily basis.
2. Visualize the change – Remember when vision boards became super popular a few years ago? Well, the trend might be out, but they still work. Having a picture in your mind, or something to look at to remind you of what the change in your life looks like is important. If the goal is for stress relief or peace and quiet time, the image can be as simple as a picture of a lake, calm and serene.
3. Talk about your wants and needs – If there’s something you are thinking about that is important to you, talk to your family about it. Whether you want to spend more time together as a family or need more time on your own to take care of yourself, those desires need to be expressed. Communicating your thoughts will get you one step closer now that everyone is on the same page.
4. Set daily intentions – Goals don’t have to be big and they don’t have to be lifelong. You are free to set personal goals for yourself each and every day. Something like “take a ten minute break to meditate this morning” or “have herbal tea instead of a second cup of coffee this afternoon.” The smaller the goal, the easier it is to accomplish.
5. Have a role model – Role models aren’t just for children – we all need them. If there’s someone in your life that is living in a way that you admire, talk to them and ask questions. Think about what it is that you find yourself looking up to, and think of how you can implement those things into your own life. Oftentimes, the changes are smaller than you’d expect to get to the desired outcome.
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Sarah Bregel is a mother, a writer and a women’s personal trainer. She loves yoga, food and wine and believes everything in moderation is the best advice in the world. She lives in Baltimore with her husband, Marshall and their daughter, Piper. She writes about health and wellness at BHealthyBmore.com and her parenting journey at MyPipeDreams.com.
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