As we make our New Year’s resolutions for 2017, let’s keep in mind that our success spills over to our kids. How well we do with more exercise, eating more real foods and less processed foods, taking care of our mental health, and quitting nicotine directly affects our kids’ health.
After all, research shows that:
- Parents who model healthy eating behaviors increase the likelihood that their kids will also make healthier food choices.
- Girls are more physically active when their moms exercise regularly.
- Children of parents who are depressed may score lower in school than those who have parents without a mood disorder.
- Laws that limit spaces where people (i.e., parents) can smoke have led to fewer asthma hospitalizations for kids.
So here are some tips to keep going strong for ourselves and our kids through the entire 2017 year.
1. Make small, specific changes.
Here are some examples:
Healthy eating
- Stop buying sugary drinks on a regular basis.
- Bake instead of fry.
- Plan your meals and on-the-go snacks so there’s less last-minute fast-food purchases.
- Get your kids involved with the meal by choosing the vegetable or fruit from the market or washing them.
- Eat a protein-packed salad a few times a week.
Exercise
- Take a walk during the first or last 5 minutes of your lunch break.
- Show off dance moves with your kids for 5 minutes after dinner every day.
- Did you know that dancing the hokey pokey takes about 1 minute? Add in a few body parts and you’ve got 5 minutes of movement!
Mental health
- Plan for 5 minutes of “me” time every day.
- Spend some time to reflect on what you’re grateful for.
- Stretch and clear your mind after every hour of sitting at work.
- Call your therapist (if you have one) for that belated appointment.
- Call your psychiatrist (again, if you have one) to let them know you’re not really taking your meds because of side effects.
Smoking cessation
- Set a date to quit smoking.
- Set a quit date again.
- Download a quitting app (the first six on my App Store search were free and highly rated).
- Plan a change in your routine to shake up the habitual reach for a cigarette.
2. Make frequent changes and adjustments to your goals.
This keeps your resolutions and goals fresh and flexible. It won’t make defeat seem ominous. Just try again — maybe a different route, a different running partner, a different therapist, a different water bottle, a different day to cut down on cigarettes.
3. Team up.
Get a friend or a family member involved in some of these goals and resolutions. Having company is always a great motivator to persevere. Plus, having another body around means another mind to hold you accountable.
4. Talk to your doctor about your goals and resolutions.
Your doctor may offer resources to help you achieve your goals, or they may help you map out your progress to make sure you’re not losing too much weight and to make sure you have no medical conditions that may interfere with success (e.g., thyroid disorder, diabetes, clinical depression or anxiety).
So get out your pen and paper, or the notes app on your phone, today, next week, next month, next next month, and 6 months from today. Get started on writing or typing out your goals — day by day, week by week, month by month — to attain a healthier 2017 for you and your kids. I’ve done mine, and look forward to editing, deleting, adding to, and CAPITALIZING this list as the year goes by.
