13 Healthy New Year's Resolution Ideas to Try in 2018

Doable resolutions, reachable goals.
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Ah, New Year’s resolutions. Those things you embark upon with such gusto on January 1, determined that this. Will. Be. The. Year. Then, as always, life gets in the way. Late nights at work laugh in the face of decision to clock a 10K each A.M. Friends, still throwing parties to soften the holidays-are-over sting, turn your Drynuary into Drown(in wine)uary. The list goes on, but you get the point: Changing your habits, no matter how well-meaning, is hard. And if you're looking for New Year's resolution ideas you can actually stick to, well, you're probably going to have to look past the big, giant, obvious ones and seek ones that may seem smaller, but will have a bigger impact in the long run.

Yes, sustainable resolutions do exist, and even better, they can help you build the foundation for a long, healthy, happy life. It all comes down to knowing how to go about it. Here, 13 habits you can actually stick to for good.

1. Make—and actually go to—annual primary care appointments.

A lot of women skip seeing their primary care doctor once a year, especially if they’re on top of things like visiting their ob/gyn as often as necessary for preventive screenings, women’s health expert Jennifer Wider, M.D., tells SELF. But seeing a doctor to monitor things like your blood pressure, cholesterol, weight, and more, should be a non-negotiable, she explains—it gives you a big-picture view of how your health is doing and any potential areas of improvement. If you need to find a primary care doctor—or want to switch to a new doctor—now is the time.

2. While you’re at it, keep a file about your family’s health history.

“Knowing your family’s health history is probably one of the best tips I could give women,” Wider says. Keeping tabs on which health conditions and diseases show up in your family will help inform your own risk factors for certain illnesses and guide you toward the healthiest lifestyle for you. Plus, when you go to the doctor (see above) and are asked for your family history, you'll have all the answers ready to go—no frantic texts to your mom from the waiting room.

3. Get at least seven hours of sleep a night. Seriously.

The National Sleep Foundation recommends seven to nine hours of shut-eye a night for adults, but according to the most recent data available, Americans aren’t hitting the mark. Over a third of adults aren’t getting at least seven hours of sleep on a regular basis, says a 2016 Centers of Disease Control and Prevention report based on data from 2014 .

Skimping on Zs can screw with you in a variety of ways, like priming you for issues with anxiety and depression, causing cognitive impairment, slowing motor functions, and creating pretty monstrous mood swings. It also has a clear connection with your weight—here's how.

For most people, getting more sleep is a welcome, lovely assignment. But if you have problems sleeping and want to tear your hair out at this suggestion, try these natural ways to treat insomnia.

4. Meal prep every Sunday.

A lack of preparation has led to many a woman’s healthy-eating downfall. Batch cooking at home is the perfect way to crush the siren song of takeout during a hectic week and make sure you’re getting your fill of the different macronutrients (protein, carbs, fats), Abby Langer, R.D., owner of Abby Langer Nutrition in Toronto, tells SELF. Plus, it’s guaranteed to help you feel like an actual adult (and potentially help you save money, too).

Here's how one writer meal preps on Sunday to eat healthier all week long.

5. Eat every two to three hours (in other words, don't wait until you're ravenous and hangry).

Skipping meals is not a good idea, whether it’s on purpose to “save calories” for a big dinner or because you had some last-minute meeting prep that made the idea of lunch laughable. “Skipping meals won’t make you lose weight—it’s just going to make you hungrier,” Langer says. Instead, pepper healthy meals and snacks throughout your day at the appropriate intervals. Your reward: long-lasting energy and fullness, plus no hanger in sight. Here are the best foods to eat at every time of day.

6. Wear sunscreen every single time you go outside.

Skin cancer is the most common cancer, affecting around 3.3 million Americans each year. So, while sun exposure is great for vitamin D purposes, getting too much is a classic, avoidable way to put your health at risk. “Even in the winter months, make sure you’re using SPF every day,” Wider says. Also be sure to protect your eye health with quality sunglasses, whether it’s cloudy outside or not.

7. Find an outlet for your stress, and when you’re freaking out, use it.

This is especially important for women, who are more affected by conditions like anxiety and depression, and whose hormonal fluctuations due to things like menstrual cycles, childbirth, and menopause, can exacerbate mental health issues, Wider says.

She recommends seeking an outlet for your stress that you can rely upon when things are spiraling out of control, like talking things out with a trusted friend or unfurling that yoga mat for some meditation. But you should also know the signs of conditions like anxiety and depression and not be afraid to get help from a professional if you’re struggling with mental health issues. “So many women suffer in silence,” Wider says. They don’t need to.

Here are 11 pieces of mental health advice therapists give their patients.

8. Have sex often enough to get a happiness boost.

The exact amount will vary based on your preferences, but frequent sex hits a home run for your health. “Sex has so many physical and mental benefits, from lowering your blood pressure to improving your sleep to reducing stress,” Wider says. And don't forget about masturbation—you don't need a partner to get the benefits of an orgasm.

9. Exercise, of course, but do it in ways that feel good to you (even if you don’t think they “count”).

It sounds so simple, but missing that nuance leads many people to fall off the exercise wagon, Michelle Segar, Ph.D., director of the Sport, Health, and Activity Research and Policy Center at the University of Michigan and author of No Sweat! How The Simple Science of Motivation Can Bring You A Lifetime of Fitness, tells SELF. People sometimes choose exercises like a cycling class they loathe over walking, which they might love but not see as a true workout. “Once you give yourself permission to stop punishing yourself and seek out pleasure [in your workouts], you’re more likely to stick with it,” Segar says.

Been a while since you've been in the exercise groove? Here's exactly how to ease back into working out.

10. And when you don’t feel like working out, think of the short-term results, not the long-term ones.

When embarking on a new goal, it’s all too easy to keep your eye on the far-away prize, like fitting into your clothes better. But long-term rewards just aren’t enough to motivate most humans to maintain new habits, Segar says. That’s why knowing that exercise is good for your health usually isn’t much of a push—it’s too nebulous a payoff. Instead, Segar suggests focusing on the right here, right now benefits, like a morning workout giving you the energy to sail through the day to happy hour with some buzz to spare. Or that legendary runner's high.

11. Schedule your workouts in your calendar.

“Even if they’re motivated, people often don’t feel comfortable taking time out of their hectic lives to nurture their sense of wellbeing,” Segar says. “Once that initial bubble of motivation bursts, this is the derailer of behavior change.” Instead of trying to hold yourself to a mental promise to work out, put it in your calendar as a way to stay accountable. “It is an appointment—with yourself,” Segar says.

12. Drink enough water.

Although that eight cups a day thing isn’t true for everyone, staying hydrated is essential. Not only does it keep all your physical functions, like digestion, running optimally, it makes you less likely to mistake thirst for hunger, a common mix-up that can lead to overeating, Langer says. Here’s how to find out how much water you should be drinking each day. And pssst, you don't only get water from drinking straight H20. Getting fluids from the foods you eat—like water-packed vegetables—will keep you from slipping into dehydration territory, which can make you feel sluggish, headachey, or worse.

13. Give yourself mini-checkups every month or so to see if anything’s changed.

“Nowadays, people have such limited time with their doctors,” Wider says. That means that a lot of your health is in your own hands, literally. Monitor things like your skin, your breasts, and your vulva and vagina for anything that seems off, then don’t hesitate to make an appointment with your doctor and bring it up. (For the record, here are five things you should definitely tell your gynecologist about, even if they seem like no big deal.) “If something deviates from your ‘normal,’ you need to see a doctor,” Wider says. “Often times, proactive patients who take charge are the healthiest.”

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