Use New Year’s resolutions to pursue attainable health goals Members News December 26, 2024 The holiday season might be in full swing, but I have no doubt many of you are already looking forward to setting some fresh life goals for 2025. There’s nothing wrong with making New Year’s resolutions, as they allow us to strive for genuine self-improvement, often in the areas of overall health and well-being. That’s all for the better, although we should resist the temptation to aim too high – at least at first. My advice is to set small goals that, over time, can lead to bigger, more sustainable successes that ultimately result in a healthier you. So, with that in mind, here are some potential health-related resolutions you might want to pursue in the coming year: Adjust your diet to include more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables while reducing red meat, sweets, and overly processed foods. Moderate your alcohol consumption, as research continually reveals its detrimental effects on long-term health. Pursue regular exercise, whether through a gym membership, regular runs, walks around your neighborhood, or whatever fits your schedule best. Prioritize better sleep. The quality of our sleep regimen profoundly affects our overall quality of our life. Practice self-care: resist self-criticism, invest in therapy, find time for hobbies and activities that make you happy, adopt a mindfulness or meditation routine, or treat yourself to a massage or manicure. Make time each day to focus on your needs. Volunteer with a local organization or nonprofit – doing good for others can significantly boost your sense of fulfillment. Limit social media and overall screen time, something many of us can benefit from reducing. Make more time for family and friends. While material things are nice, investing in deeper relationships ultimately leads to a more fulfilling life. While offering these suggestions, I should also point out that The Wright Center is fully committed to improving people’s long-term health through our lifestyle medicine initiative, which is based on the concept that poor lifestyle choices drive most modern chronic illnesses in America. Lifestyle medicine is focused on helping patients and their families improve their health and overall quality of life by adopting a host of long-term lifestyle behaviors, including eliminating tobacco use, improving diet, practicing stress relief techniques, increasing physical activity, strengthening personal relationships and connections, and adjusting sleep habits for better, more restorative rest. Our team is trained in both conventional medicine and lifestyle medicine, and we work closely with patients to create a personalized lifestyle self-care plan that’s not only easily implementable but sustainable. These modifications can go a long way toward preventing or managing chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes (type 2), high blood pressure, high cholesterol, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, metabolic syndrome, coronary artery disease, cancers that are lifestyle-associated (e.g., prostate and breast), osteoarthritis, chronic pain, chronic autoimmune diseases, and chronic psychological stress. The science is clear on this – a healthier lifestyle leads to a healthier, longer, happier life. And if that’s at the core of your 2025 New Year’s resolutions, I’m happy to report you’re on the right track. On that note, happy holidays and happy New Year! Ajit Pannu, M.D., a board-certified family medicine physician, is accepting patients of all ages at our Dickson City Community Health Center. Dr. Pannu is also the associate program director of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Regional Family Medicine Residency Program, where he completed his residency.
