New Year Resolution: Make a Commitment to Your Health

I hope every one of you had a wonderful celebration of the New Year 2008.

Now that the festivities are over and we are all returning to our regular lives I would like to remind why this is a great time to add health and wellness to the list of resolutions.

Why Health Resolutions are Important in the New Year?

Generally speaking many people who are not struggling with a condition of sickness do not pay as much attention to their health and well-being as they ought to. Daily pressures of work and life create a routine that is hard to break - until something unexpected happens. If health is not on the list as a key priority, chances are not much would get done.

New Year is one of the few times when people rethink and revise their plans

This means a chance to reflect and think about the cost of neglecting your health and how much better the life can be if you focus on improving your well-being. Doing a quick web search for Health Resolutions 2008 yields a great overview of what people recommend to commit to.

Blogsports offers a concise and to the point "Top 10" list:

1. Drink more water
2. Lift weights
3. Get 7-8 hours of sleep per night
4. Eat less processed food
5. Eat 5 servings of veggies daily
6. Eat more protein
7. Get a doctor’s physical
8. Eat 5 servings of fruit daily
9. Stretch
10. Don’t drink sugary sodas

Tara Parker-Pope of New York Times Health Blog wonders how many of the resolutions would stick till February. Then she suggests to focus on things that are easy to remember and stick to, warning us that "willpower is a limited resource" and the key is limiting the number of resolutions but making sure you would really follow through on them.

Kristy Sammis at BlogHer goes beyond offering a laundry list of resolutions and instead focuses on how to define and achieve your health goals. She calls her methodology S.M.A.R.T, which stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. Her commenters offer plenty of feedback on what works and what does not work for them.

Why does this matter in the context of healthcare reform? Very simple, awareness of health and well-being matters can be most effectively raised when people are the most willing to listen. New Year Resolution time is one opportunity, but do not forget about every other lifestage event.

So let's all resolve to have a healthy and prosperous Year 2008!