How To Stick To New Year's Resolutions
January 1st 2010 22:25
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From: CBS news
(CBS) We're only hours into 2010, and somewhere, someone's New Year's resolutions are already toast. Resolutions are a great idea, but experts say many of us aim too high and end up quickly giving up.
Woman's Day Health Director Amy Brightfield shares some tips with "The Early Show Saturday Edition" on how to turn potential failures into success.
Failed Resolution: Exercise Regularly
An easy way to avoid failure is to create a habit gradually, perhaps starting with a five-minute walk daily.
Brightfield sayd, "Try to walk at least five minutes every day. Doesn't sound like much but at this point it's all about setting the groundwork so exercise will be a natural part of your life, not something you have to force yourself to do. Plus, experts emphasize that building a habit gradually and consistently makes it more likely that you'll stick with it long-term."
"After the first week or two, bump the walking up to ten minutes and keep adding five minutes every week until you're up to 30. And consider this amazing health benefit you'll be getting: The Harvard Nurses' Health study, which followed 80,000 women for more than 20 years found that just a half hour of walking daily can slash your risk of a heart attack by 30 to 40 percent. (And heart disease is the number one killer of women and men)," she added.
Failed Resolution: Eat Healthier
"When it comes to eating healthier, don't think "overhaul." For example, some people vow to not eat sweets or dessert or chips, or some other favorite indulgent food. A better way is to focus on the positive, or what you can eat," Brightfield suggests.
"Vow to eat foods that have fewest ingredients possible. Natural, healthy foods like yogurt, fruit and nuts are really just one-ingredient. The longer the ingredients list, the more processed it is, and processed foods tend to be higher in fat, salt, sugar and additives that we don't need," she explained.
"Another big part of a healthy diet is getting five to seven servings of fruits and vegetables daily. That sounds like a lot, but if you vow to eat one fruit and/or veggie at every meal you'll be well on your way. Even better, if you have a simple salad with lunch and dinner (think dark, leafy greens, tomatoes, carrots, skip the creamy dressing and croutons) chances are you'll be getting at least two servings of veggies. In fact, doing this can even help you lose weight: one study showed that people who started with a salad (or soup) ate less during the meal. Plus, fruits and veggies are what experts call "high volume" foods meaning they fill you up for fewer calories. And you can eat more of them," Brightfield added.
Failed Resolution: Be Happy!
"This is always a toughie: you can't just wake up one day and say, 'Okay, I'm going to be more positive.' But believe it or not, you can train your brain to think positively. You just have to start small. Neuroscientists know that thought patterns create neural pathways in our brain. So just like making a trail in the woods, the more often you walk the same path the easier it is to go that way," Brightfield explained.
One easy solution, Brightfield said, is the help someone in a small way every day. "One little thing that'll go a long way is try and help someone every day. It can be something as small as helping your co-worker solve a problem, taking time to stop and give directions to a stranger or listening to a friend vent. Research shows that when you do things for others, there's more activity in the 'pleasure' part of your brain. So it actually triggers a physiological response that makes you feel better, happier."
Also, she said to write down one thing you're grateful for. "If you're helping out but still not feeling the love, try writing one thing down a day that you're grateful for. It doesn't have to be big - it can be as simple as being thankful for your morning latte. This will help train your brain to focus on the positive and help change those negative thought patterns. It'll also give you more energy: one study found that people who kept a daily list of things they're grateful for had 25 percent more energy," Brightfield explained.
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I don't believe in resolutions because they put too much pressure on people to succeed what they will ultimately fail.
I find things will happen more when we are ready to accept them rather than when we set a goal on a calendar date!
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