How to Stay Committed to Health and Wellness Year-Round
Congratulations, you made it through the first month of the new year! Hopefully you’re still committed to your health and wellness goals but if your month was jam packed and you’ve noticed your motivation begin to dwindle, we’re here to get you back on track. By keeping your eye on growth and visualizing your successes, you’ll be able to gain new perspectives and stick with the goals you set for yourself. Check out our five tips to help you stay committed to your health and wellness year-round.
1. Focus on Productivity
First, determine your goals and where you want those goals to take you. Then convert those goals into smaller actionable steps broken down into how you will accomplish them daily or weekly. And finally, follow through on those goals by outlining them in depth in a calendar. Rely on this template to outline a centered, focused plan. And if you fall short one week, that’s okay! Just make sure to pick it back up the next.
2. Be grateful
Life is full of unexpected twists and turns that might cause you to fall out of your routine. Be it a week off when you’re sick or when other pressing commitments start to creep in, remember to pause and give thanks for your journey. Acknowledge you are putting in the work, practice self-compassion, and refer to your original intentions to get yourself back on track. Always remember where (and why) you started and where you still want to go.
3. Stack Wellness Routines
You are probably already practicing wellness habits and don’t even know it. Instead of living well apart from other areas of your daily life, merge them together. Weaving wellness into daily rituals doesn’t have to take a lot of work and can often coincide with other activities. When you are out running errands, ditch the sugary latte for a bottle of water, intentionally add in some exercise during your day by taking the stairs over the elevator, and when snack time rolls around, bypass the bag of chips and opt for colorful veggies or fruit instead. Over time, these habits will begin to become second nature and you’ll be well on your way.
4. Adopt a Wellness Forward Mindset
Wellness is not something that can easily fit into a box. Create a personalized approach for yourself that resonates with your own preferences. Physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and even financial health all require constant attention and evaluation. Be cognizant of what you value most and create a foundation for change.
5. Remain Flexible
Knowing your limits, being prepared to pivot when plans change or when something unpredictable happens, and adapting your wellness approaches can help you remain committed. Patience and persistence are just as important as the wellness goals themselves. Wellness routines that may have served you at the beginning of the year may look different six months later. And that’s completely fine. Success is not linear, and you will undoubtedly need to make adjustments throughout the year to continue to move towards your goals.
No matter what season it is or what month of the year, a commitment to health and wellness should enhance your life rather than control it. Set specific goals, devote time to maintaining them, incorporate wellness routines into daily activities, and be grateful for your progress. Combining these components can help develop sustainable habits year-round and improve your overall health and well-being for years to come.
