Live Whole Health #202: Preparing for the New Year

The start of a new year feels like the perfect time to renew our focus on improving our overall health and well-being. Here are two ideas to keep in mind as we kick off 2024.

First, we tend to focus more on our “to-do” list than our “have-done” list. Jobs checked off are forgotten while those we haven’t finished stay with us. While this makes sense, it means we often forget how much we’ve accomplished.

Consider taking a few minutes to look back on 2023 and what goals you reached—or made progress on—during the year. Think about the things you enjoyed and the challenges you overcame. If you keep a journal, flip through it, and reflect on the important moments of the past 12 months (and if you don’t keep a journal, maybe that’s a goal for 2024). Years may feel short, but this kind of review reminds us how much we can accomplish in 365 days and may inspire your 2024 goals.

Second, when setting those 2024 goals, it’s better to think about habits instead of results. Habits are dependable, while inspiration and motivation can fade. Instead of setting goals to get in shape, focus on being someone who’s always active at least 150 minutes a week. Instead of deciding to lose 25 pounds, be the person who eats 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Deciding to be happier is hard to manage, but you may decide to spend 5 minutes a day on a gratitude journal. Small changes done over the course of a year can lead to exciting results in 2025 and beyond!

Another small habit may be spending a few minutes of mindfulness several times a week. This 22-minute body scan exercise will guide you through recognizing where you carry stress or pain in your body and practice letting it go.

If 22 minutes is longer than you want to spend right now, you can find many shorter practices in our #LiveWholeHealth archives or on the VA Whole Health page. Get 2024 off on the right foot with our videos and posts!

Here’s to a happy and healthy New Year!