Getting healthier is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions. However, it’s also one of the hardest to stick to long-term. This year, make sure your health goals are realistic and sustainable with these top 10 research-backed tips. By focusing on small changes over time, developing healthy habits, and making self-care a priority, you can successfully improve your physical and mental wellbeing in 2023.
The Key to Improving Your Health in 2023
- Start with Small, Manageable Changes
The biggest mistake people make when trying to get healthier is overhauling everything at once. This abrupt shock to your daily habits and routines is difficult to maintain over time. Instead, make small, incremental changes that steadily build healthier behaviors. For example, if you want to improve your diet, begin by adding one more serving of vegetables per day or replacing dessert with fruit a few times a week. Once this feels normal, you can add another change. Small steps allow your body and mind time to adapt.
- Schedule Time for Self-Care
Between work, family, and other obligations, it’s easy to put yourself last. However, you can’t pour from an empty cup. Set aside time each day for self-care based on your needs. For some, this may mean taking a relaxing bath, reading, or trying a new hobby. For others, it could be exercising, talking to a friend, or meditating. Listen to what your mind and body need to recharge. Protect this time in your calendar and avoid scheduling other activities during it.
- Begin a Consistent Exercise Routine
Exercise is one of the most effective ways to get healthier, yet it’s common to avoid working out due to lack of motivation and time. To make exercise a habit, start small with manageable goals. Try exercising for just 10 minutes per day, or aim for a 150 minute total per week as recommended by WHO. Going on brief daily walks, doing bodyweight exercises like squats at home, or taking online workout classes can get you started. As exercise becomes a normal part of your routine, gradually increase the length and intensity. Consistency is key.
- Focus on Whole, Minimally Processed Foods
One of the simplest ways to eat healthier is to emphasize minimally processed foods like fruits, veggies, beans, lentils, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and lean proteins. Limit highly processed snacks, sweets, fried foods, and refined grains. Read labels and avoid items with long ingredient lists. Stick to the perimeter of the grocery store where the whole foods reside. Batch cook grains and beans to have healthy staples on hand. Structure your meals around produce and clean proteins to meet your nutrition needs.
- Stay Hydrated
Proper hydration is crucial for both physical and mental health. Besides water, you can consume fluids from fruits, vegetables, soup broths, herbal tea, kefir, and non-dairy milk. Aim for at least six to eight 8-ounce glasses of total fluids per day as a healthy baseline, adjusting for your climate and activity levels. Bring a refillable water bottle with you for easy hydration on-the-go. Hydrating first thing in the morning can also boost energy and metabolism.
- Prioritize High-Quality Sleep
Sleep allows your body to fully recharge, repair tissues, consolidate memories, and regulate appetite. To get better sleep, be consistent with your bedtime and wake time, limit screen time before bed, avoid caffeine in the afternoon, and create an ideal sleep environment that is cool, dark and quiet. Try soothing rituals before bed like taking a warm bath, reading fiction, or doing light stretches. Meet the recommended seven to nine hours per night. You’ll awaken feeling more energized to pursue your health goals.
- Find an Accountability Partner
Sticking with healthy changes long-term can be challenging to do solo. Enlist a trusted friend, family member or colleague who also wants to get healthier to be your accountability partner. Check in with each other frequently on your progress, challenges, motivation tips, and goals. Brainstorm solutions together when you get stuck. Meet for healthy activities like cooking wholesome meals, going for walks, taking exercise classes, or meal prepping. Having social support makes getting healthier more engaging and fun.
- Reduce Stress with Relaxation Techniques
Chronic stress can negatively impact nearly every body system, suppress immune function, increase cravings, disturb sleep, and cause mental distress. Make stress relief a key component of your health goals. Experiment with different mind-body relaxation techniques to find what works best for you. Possibilities include deep breathing exercises, meditation, yoga, journaling, spending time outdoors, or progressive muscle relaxation. Even five minutes of relaxing activities throughout your day can counteract stress.
- Define Your Wellness Vision
It’s easier to make lasting changes when you know your “why” behind getting healthier. Define your motivations, values and vision of optimal wellbeing. Do you want more energy to play with your kids? Lower your risk for disease? Run a local 5K? Improved body image? Identify your reasons, and refer back to them whenever you need extra motivation. Post inspirational photos or affirmations related to your vision somewhere visible like your bathroom mirror or office.
- Celebrate Small Victories
Getting healthier doesn’t happen overnight. Honor the small wins along your journey to keep yourself motivated. Did you meal prep for the first time or stick to your workout routine for a whole week? Reward yourself with a non-food treat like a relaxing bath, an at-home spa treatment, buying flowers, or quality time with loved ones. Even minor accomplishments are stepping stones to improved health. Give yourself credit for each one, and learn from occasional setbacks.
The path to better health is different for everyone. By starting small, developing sustainable habits, engaging support, and customizing your approach based on your lifestyle and needs, you can make meaningful progress. With commitment and patience, the healthy version of you in 2023 is within reach. Remember to be kind to yourself along the way – getting healthier happens one day at a time.
Frequently Asked Questions About Getting Healthy in 2023
Getting healthier is a popular goal, but many struggle to make lasting changes. Use these common FAQs to support your journey this year.
Q: How long does it take to see results when getting healthier?
Some positive effects are immediate – better energy, less stress, improved mood. But overall results accumulate over time through daily habits, so patience and commitment to the process are key. Focus on consistency more than perfection.
Q: What if I don’t have time to cook healthy meals?
Make time-saving strategies work for you – meal prep, use shortcuts like pre-chopped veggies, capitalize on weekends to cook larger batches for the week ahead, seek recipes with 5 ingredients or less. Prioritize healthy convenience foods like roasted chickpeas, nuts, plain Greek yogurt, boiled eggs, and protein shakes.
Q: How can I stay motivated to exercise regularly?
Find activities you enjoy rather than force yourself into regimens you dread.Stay accountable with friends.Vary your workouts to prevent boredom.Track your progress with an app, journal or wearable. Set reminders on your calendar. Start small and increase duration and intensity gradually. Reward/treat yourself after exercise.
Q: Isn’t getting healthier expensive with organic foods, gym memberships, etc?
It doesn’t have to be – focus on whole foods, do bodyweight workouts and walk outside, borrow exercise DVDs from the library, find used equipment on Craigslist. Establish a reasonable monthly budget and look for deals, coupons, sales, discounted gift cards and free apps. Prevent waste with proper meal planning and food prep.
Q: How can I stay motivated when slipping up on my healthy habits?
Focus on the big picture rather than perfection. Celebrate mini-wins so you feel progress. Don’t let one off-track meal or missed workout sabotage everything – just get back on track at the next meal or scheduled workout. Be accountable to a friend. Reread your motivations and wellness vision regularly. Every healthy choice matters.
Q: What if I don’t see results from my diet and exercise efforts?
Firstly, are your expectations realistic for the time period? Adjust if needed. Secondly, reassess your program – are you tracking calories in vs out, strength training, getting good sleep, managing stress, etc. Make changes as needed. Thirdly get bloodwork done to uncover any deficiencies or health issues to address. Lastly, focus less on the scale and more on how you feel and fit into your clothes.
Q: I don’t like cooking – what are my healthy eating options?
Many delicious and nutritious prepared food options exist like: salad bars, roasted/grilled veggies at delis, pre-cut fruit, yogurt parfaits, soup bars, quality frozen meals, pre-cooked quinoa/beans in steamer bags, pre-marinated baked tofu or chicken, and smoothies. Invest in an Instant Pot, air fryer or crockpot for fast homemade meals.
Q: How can I stay motivated to prepare healthy meals regularly?
Double recipes and freeze for quick grab-and-go meals later. Enlist family to help prep. Put on music or podcasts while cooking. Seek recipes with short ingredient lists – fewer items to gather and chop. Use apps for grocery lists, meal planning and cooking tutorials. Make it social with meal prep parties. Enjoy trying new spices and flavors.