Every year when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, people make resolutions for the upcoming year. Some of the most common ones include losing weight, saving money, traveling, or putting down their cell phones and living more in the moment. Did you make a resolution for 2019? Whether you have or haven’t, we want to share some of our favorite resolutions that will help you get your health back on track for the year ahead.

Reducing Your Stress in 2019

Stress. It’s a word we all know, some a little too well. Whether it’s work, home, finances or family, we can all feel some stress in our lives from time to time. But how do we cope with it? Here are some easy ways to reduce your stress this year.

Exercising

If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it twice. Exercise is probably one of the best ways to reduce stress. Try to find an activity or exercise routine that you enjoy. You can do something simple like walking or yoga or something more intense like kickboxing or running. Some of the biggest benefits of exercise include:

• Stress hormones: Exercising reduces your body’s stress hormones and helps release endorphins.
• Sleep: Exercise improves your quality of sleep, which can be negatively impacted from stress and anxiety.
• Confidence: When you start to exercise regularly, you may begin to feel more confident in yourself, which in turn can promote mental wellbeing. 

Implementing Supplements into Your Diet 

By adding a few supplements to your daily vitamin routine, your stress and anxiety levels could start to decline. Some of the most common supplements include:

• Omega-3 fatty acids
• Green tea
• Valerians
• Kava Kava
• Lemon balm

Some other ways to reduce stress include:

• Writing down your stressors
• Spending time with family and friends
• Deep breathing
• Reducing your caffeine intake

Visiting Your Doctor Regularly 

We all know people who put off their regular doctor visits, whether it’s because they just downright hate the doctor, or they always say they’re too busy. If you’re that person, it’s time to make an appointment. You should see your doctor at least once a year for a physical. During that visit, your doctor will:

• Check your weight, blood pressure, heart rate and breathing
• Check your breasts for cancerous lumps
• Check family history for any new diagnosis

Scheduling a yearly physical with your doctor is important but, scheduling your regular screenings is even more important. Beginning at age 21, women should be scheduling their screenings every 3 to 5 years, depending on their age. These screenings include:

• Pap Smears and Pelvic Exam
• Mammograms
• Colon Cancer Screening
• Skin Cancer Screening

If you are behind on any of your appointments, make sure to schedule your next visit with one of our midwives or doctors today. 

Practicing Self-Care 

When someone says you should practice self-care, that doesn’t automatically include bubble baths and face masks, even though those are very enjoyable. For 2019, make it a goal to take some time, either every day, every other day or just one a week, to focus on yourself. As women, we usually have five or six things we are focusing on every day, and ourselves usually isn’t one of them.

Here are some ways you can make some time for yourself and practice self-care this year:

• Go out to a nice, quiet lunch or dinner
• Carve out 30 minutes each day to just sit quietly to be alone with your own thoughts
• Schedule a massage or facial at your favorite spa
• Change your diet to make sure you are eating what your body needs
• Learn to love yourself, no matter what

This year, try to get away from those cliché resolutions and take some time to find what YOU really need.