Setting goals – including New Year’s resolutions – is often the key to success. Envisioning yourself in the future, imagining your success, and focusing on positive outcomes can actually influence the outcomes. The journey toward success is as important as the success itself. In fact, the simple act of setting a New Year’s resolution can have a positive effect on your physical and mental wellbeing.
It doesn’t matter your age, your actual resolution, or even whether you successfully keep it, so long as you set one. Here are a few beneficial options that will serve to improve your overall wellness to get you started:
Eat better.
Making healthy food choices means more than simply managing your weight. While it’s just as important to keep your weight down – or up – to a healthy level now, it’s also important to make sure the foods you eat are providing the nutrients you need, including sufficient lean protein, fiber, and vitamins, to feel vibrant and energetic.
Keep moving.
It’s important to find ways to keep moving throughout the day so you can maintain and improve mobility, flexibility, and balance. Find a method of movement or exercise that’s genuinely fun for you, then make it part of your daily habits. Physical activity also supports heart health, strengthens joints, and reduces the risk of injury from falls.
Keep learning too.
What have you always wanted to do, but never had the time for? A new language, craft, or hobby? Now is a great time to learn it. Learning new things keeps you engaged and optimistic, while also keeping your brain alert and nimble. Set a goal to keep learning this year.
Stay social.
Did you know that loneliness and isolation can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke as much as smoking? Keep loneliness at bay by scheduling regular time with
family and friends. Meet for lunch, attend church, get together for games or just coffee. No matter what you do, it’s important to make new friends and keep in regular contact with old ones. If you’re struggling to meet people you connect with in your same stage of life, you might consider moving to a senior living community. At Crimson Village, residents enjoy a robust social calendar filled with fun, engaging activities perfect for fostering new friendships.
Stay creative.
Finding a creative outlet for yourself can be as simple as pursuing a craft you enjoy, such as knitting, painting, even assembling jigsaw puzzles. Or pick up an artistic endeavor you gave up long ago: creative writing, playing the piano, landscape painting. Let 2025 be the year you try a new form of art. Creativity is important for brain function, so make it a priority.
Preserve your life story.
Take the time to document your life story this year. Include details about what it was like for you to go to school, where you went to church, and information about the town where you grew up. These relatively mundane details will make history come to life for your grandchildren and great-grandchildren. And they’ll be delighted to learn about how you met your spouse, what types of jobs you had, and what their parents were like as children. Memorialize your life story in a way that your descendants can read or watch. You could scrapbook, compile photo albums, write a memoir, or record videos of yourself talking about your life.
If some of the items on this year’s list of potential resolutions seem out of reach while living alone, it might be a good time to consider finding a community that will help you develop and retain a positive outlook on life and an optimistic eye toward the future. Make it your New Year’s resolution to check out the facilities at Crimson Village for a smooth transition to possible future living arrangements, including temporary respite care, assisted living, and memory care. You can learn more about available amenities, floor plans and medical support by exploring our website or contacting our helpful team members by email at marketing@crimsonvillage.com or by phone at 205-632-6699 to discuss your specific needs.