The start of a new year is an opportunity to redefine habits, especially in health and wellness. Eric Walsh, MD, medical director of Hartford Healthcare-GoHealth Urgent Care encourages patients to use the New Year motivation to build a feel-good regimen that focuses on six key areas: movement, social connections, food, sleep, stress management and avoiding risky substances.
Here are some tips:
Move with joy — Movement should make you feel good and be something you love to do, Dr. Walsh says. If you don’t enjoy running on a treadmill, try running outdoors, hiking or gardening, walking nine holes of golf or joining a pickleball league. Those who have been sedentary should start slow—it’s not the right time to charge into a high-intensity routine that makes you too sore to lift your arms the next day.
Make healthy connections — Social connections are essential for health and wellness, Dr. Walsh says. People can also leverage the fun of seeing friends and family by making them partners in building healthy habits. A person developing a daily bicycling habit is less likely to blow off the ride if a friend is biking, too.
Eat natural foods — All bodies are unique, and no single diet suits them all, Dr. Walsh says. Put aside holiday indulgences and remember to keep things simple by eating foods as close to their natural state as possible. Avoid artificial ingredients, sweeteners, emulsifiers and added salt, sugar and fat. Instead, savor a rainbow of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds to keep your body working and feeling its best. Most daily calories should come from a varied cornucopia of plant foods, “because every single different plant has different vitamins and antioxidants and phytonutrients” that are good for our bodies, Dr. Walsh says.
Avoid risky substances — Just as you put good things in your body, keep out the bad, like too much alcohol. You can reduce the risk of cancers associated with alcohol, save on unnecessary calories and help you manage weight effectively. Alcohol can make you drowsy, but it doesn’t help you stay asleep. In fact, it disrupts your sleep cycle and decreases the amount of time you spend in deep, restorative REM sleep. Not drinking alcohol can also boost cognitive function with clearer thinking and improved memory.
Protect your rest — The average person needs at least 7 hours of sleep. People who try to slide by on less can feel sluggish and miserable the next day. Did you know the half-life of caffeine is about five to six hours? That means your 4 p.m. cup of coffee is like drinking a half cup at bedtime, making it hard for you to fall asleep. Large meals before bed can also interrupt sleep. At night, avoid screens, lower the thermostat and help your body ease into a consistent schedule of rest—going to bed and waking up at about the same time every day.
Say no to stress — Dr. Walsh has seen a number of patients struggling with stress and anxiety. The good news is there are stress management techniques that can help ease that burden. Try meditation, spending time in nature and connecting with the environment. Mindful breathing techniques can help people slow their heart rate, lower their blood pressure and feel safer and calmer. Keeping a gratitude journal is another useful way to direct your mind toward the things that make you feel safe and calm.
One of these six lifestyle changes isn’t more important than another, Dr. Walsh says. They are more like essential spokes that work together to support a wheel. Unmanaged anxiety contributes to sleeplessness, for example, while poor sleep makes it more tempting to nap rather than exercise.
People who grow into these six wellness areas every day will not only feel better now, but they will slash their risk of common chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, stroke and dementia.