Don't Make any New Year Resolutions!

It’s the New Year! Despite this been the time that some people sit down and write a list I must admit that I’m not one for making New Year resolutions.

If I realise something I need to be doing to improve my wellbeing, personal or professional growth, I find planning a strategy to incorporate this into every day life is far more effective than an unrealistic New Year resolution.

Working out how you can improve aspects of your health can seem overwhelming but there are often small things we can do each day that will take us in the right direction. Change does not always have to be drastic as over committing may see you set yourself up for failure and back at square one.

Little things such as taking the stairs when you have the opportunity and getting to bed earlier are great starters. Building healthy habits into your daily routine will not only improve your long term health but also benefit fertility!

You may want to start the year with a process of self-reflection to help guide you in what you plan for the New Year. What went well in 2018? What constructive and positive elements do you want to carry over into 2019? What didn’t work so well in 2018 and what are you looking to change in the New Year? What elements can you take control of to reach your goal?
 
A great exercise to include in this self-reflection is an oldie but a goodie- the pros and cons list! This can be considered like a balance sheet for weighing up how important change is to you and also letting you know what habits you don’t want to let go of! Get out a pen and a clean sheet of paper that you divide into three columns.

For an example of how to fill out the sheet, we can focus on a health behaviour where someone may not be regularly exercising (we could consider regular as a minimum of 3 aerobic sessions a week plus two strength sessions) write down in the first column “staying sedentary” and then you can put the pros (all the positives) of that behaviour in the second column and then write the cons (any negative consequences) associated with that behaviour in the third column.

Beneath this they would write an alternative behaviour such as “exercising regularly”. They would then list all the pros and cons associated with this behaviour.

Think about any behaviours you have thought about changing or that you know may be holding you back. Once you have your own table complete, take some time to contemplate the pros and cons of each behaviour and see if you have some clarity around where you will focus your energies for 2019.

Plan little changes into your current daily routine to give yourself every chance of success and may 2019 be your year!