Things to Look Out For in 2016

New Year’s Resolutions tend to get left by the wayside 2-4 weeks into the new year. Everyone has good intentions, or they were drunk when they made resolutions, but lifestyle changes are hard to stick with. Change is hard for most people. Many times their resolutions are not realistic or they are overly generalized.

If you really want to stick to your New Year’s Resolutions think about changes in your lifestyle, then come up with realistic goals for the next year. Make the goals detailed and set a date, plan a reward for yourself if you have been successful by that date. This gives you an action plan, a date and something to look forward to when you meet each goal. Also, try not to beat yourself up if you stagger off the path a bit on your way. You can still succeed at reaching your goal even if you backslide a little on the way.

There are some very healthy, but very easy goals to set for lifestyle changes and things to look out for in 2016. Here are several easy but very healthy ones to get you started.

• Drink more water

75% of Americans are dehydrated, chronically. This is mostly due to unhealthy habits of drinking pop and alcohol. Dehydration has dangerous effects on our bodies; fatigue, foggy memory and irritability among the main symptoms. It also restricts your metabolism and puts you at higher risk for kidney stones.

• Realistically vow to lose weight- or just to change to a healthier eating lifestyle

Fad diets are not realistic, and usually can’t be a lifestyle change long term.

• Stay social with family and friends

Spending quality time with family and friends keeps your life balanced and happier. Lack of socialization can be more unhealthy than alcohol abuse and smoking.

• Get more sleep

The body needs to have down time to stay healthy.

• Get organized

Being unorganized causes excess stress.

• Eat less but more

Eat less at one sitting, but more often per day.

Making healthy lifestyle changes makes your goals easier to stick with, rather than useless resolutions that are not realistic changes. By taking things as goals and rewarding yourself when you reach each, you are more apt to succeed in creating new habits that are healthy. Lifestyle changes are much easier to stick with long term than fad diets or short-term plans that are super restrictive.