New Year’s Wellness Resolutions
With the Christmas tree outside on the curb waiting to be picked up and the ornaments boxed and stored until next December, what’s next on the agenda? Maybe making New Year’s resolutions? Even if we don’t keep all of them, it’s a restorative exercise if you chose to partake. Like many of us Dr. Sanjay Gupta did.
This morning, before hopping out of bed, I asked my virtual assistant Alexa to play Gupta’s podcast, “Chasing Life.” Listening to America’s most popular neurosurgeon and his simple tips on how to maintain a healthier lifestyle is always a good way to start the day. The specific topic today was making New Year wellness resolutions. Right on schedule, Dr. G!
On his segment Dr. Gupta surveyed some of his listeners to learn how they planned to maintain a better mental and physical health in 2022. Let’s face it. This has been a universal challenge ever since the pandemic roared through our lives two years ago. So, naturally this topic piqued my interest.
Consider for a moment what Americans have gone through of late. The country is experiencing extreme anxiety mostly brought by long bouts of uncertainty. How can it not be otherwise when you consider our reality: the questionable health of our democracy; our government’s partisan disfunction; the endless confusion caused by our national health officials; and to top it off, our collective concern about the long-term effects of remote learning on our youth. Can we agree that Americans are basically burnt out.?
But do not despair completely. Even though we cannot control these larger issues, at least we can reset our own personal goals and start afresh in the new year. Everyone recognizes the classic resolutions: losing weight, eating healthier, and spending less time on our smart phones. They have become almost clichés. But let’s go beyond these predictable objectives. We can do better than that.
Here are a few tips gleaned from listeners on Dr. Gupta’s recent podcast—plus a few random ideas scribbled down from other experts—which appealed to me. Maybe they will to you as well.
My resolution is to try to integrate at least five of these into my daily routine in 2022:
· Set attainable goals by doing them in small increments, not large, unsustainable chunks of time and effort. Then, celebrate achieving each tiny goal, one by one.
· Maintain a positive morning routine by making a list the night before of things you want to achieve. First thing on the list is to take my vitamin pills as soon as I get up, even before my first cup of coffee.
· Drink more water. Experts recommend eight glasses a day but keep in mind, that also includes teas, juices, and even water from the foods we consume. Sipping liquids throughout the day, even if you are not thirsty, helps reach that magic number eight. To achieve this goal, I plan to start and finish my day with consuming an 18-oz Yeti Rambler bottle filled with ice cold New York City water. In addition to keeping your body hydrated, drinking water also helps puff up those wrinkles, every woman’s preoccupation. Having a serious water regime carries multiple benefit: health, beauty, and self-esteem.
· Get a good night’s rest. There’s a myth that adults require less sleep as they age. In truth, people 65 + need seven to nine hours a night to maintain good physical and cognitive health. This year, for fun, I intend to try audio bedtime story podcasts as a route to deep sleep. As an insomniac, I am curious to see if these podcasts might help distract me from the worries which bubble up at night. Hopefully, podcasts such as “Get Sleepy” or “Sleep with me,” or the app “Calm,” will achieve getting my adrenaline and active brain waves to calm down a bit.
· Partake in “exercise snacks.” NY Times writer Tara Parker-Pope selected this as her favorite piece of advice for mitigating stress. As she describes it: “This is a short burst of movement you can do anywhere, anytime. Try ten wall push-ups or twenty jumping Jacks.” Apparently, while this might not seem like much activity, when pieced together and done regularly, excise snacking can make a difference in your overall health.
(Excuse me while I interrupt the writing of this post to do ten wall push-ups and ten deep knee bends.)
· Be mindful about what you’re putting into your body. To ward off the anxiety of the Omicron wave spike, I recently started enjoying a nightly cocktail before dinner along with two Trade Joe’s cheese straws. While this is a relaxing way to start an evening, eventually this indulgence puts on unwanted weight. As I believe in what the 700 BC Greek poet Hesiod said about moderation: “Observe due measure; moderation is best in all things,” I now plan to partake in at-home cocktails only over the weekends, not during the normal week.
· Cut yourself some slack. One of Dr. Gupta’s listeners talked about “giving yourself grace.” That sounds a tad too spiritual for my liking, however, the concept is valid. Think about it. We tend to cut other people slack with no remorse for going so. Why not do the same for you and me too? Being less critical of our mistakes is a healthy approach to life. Beating up on ourselves is not.
· Be more in the moment and find the joy in life’s smaller things. Take time out to focus on a child’s smile, a beautiful sunrise, or even a kind gesture. The other day, for example, the parking attendant in my building’s garage looked up when I passed by, smiled and waved. While I’ve seen this man for over ten years now on my daily walk, he had never acknowledged my presence. Nor me, his. That recognition, while seemingly a small gesture, gave me an immediate emotional lift. Now every time I pass by the garage, I look for José so that we can give each other a virtual high five.
Wishing all of you faithful subscribers a healthy, happy New Year. May each of you have lots of hours of deep, uninterrupted sleep, a regular diet of exercise snacks, and a positive attitude which precludes taking yourself too seriously. Remember as well: Be good to yourself! You deserve it after all we’ve been through together these past two years.