The start of a new year prompts many people to make resolutions. However, a lot of people fail to follow the New Year’s resolution they made. This repeated failure impedes the ability to make changes in the future.

Dr. Jo Ann Unger, from Clinical Psychology Manitoba, said in a broadcast with Brett Megarry at the Shadoe Davis show that poor choices for change will fail and could have harmful effects in the long-term. She explained that repeated failures damage self-esteem and confidence.

Not good reason enough

Making resolutions has become a tradition. But for Unger, making a resolution just because it is the new year is not good enough reason. When making a change, it is really important to think about why we are doing it. She added that …show more content…
Oftentimes, the amount of effort required is usually underestimated. Rather than setting the bar too high – which is a habit many people have – Unger recommended setting a realistic goal. She stressed that setting up goals that are too hard to achieve simply sets up a person for failure. She added that making a change that is too big is hard to sustain.

Health-related resolutions are most popular

A new research, published by Kaitlin Wooley from Cornell University and Ayelet Fishbach from the University of Chicago, discovered that 55.2 percent of New Year’s resolutions were health-related. It is broken down into 31.3 percent to exercise, 10.4 percent to eat healthily, and 10.4 percent to have healthier habits, Psychology Today reported.

After health-related resolutions were work-related resolutions. It was broken down into 20.8 percent to save, 12.5 percent to get out of debt, and to get organized 1 percent for a total of 34.4 percent. Finally, 5.2 percent of the New Year’s resolutions were social goals. It was broken down into 2.1 percent to spend time with the family, and 3.1 percent to enjoy …show more content…
These are regular exercise, non-smoking, healthy diet, and moderate alcohol use. The analysis made by the study – published in the Journal of Nature and Science – said that if these four strategies are followed throughout people’s lives, they will live seven years longer on the average.

Healthier brain in 2018

Beyond physical health, Dr. Georgia Ede, a Harvard-trained psychiatrist and nutrition consultant who practices at Smith College, in a column for Psychology Today, suggested for readers to commit to a brain-healthy lifestyle. With her suggestions, it will improve the mood, concentration, and energy; lower the stress hormone levels; re-balance the hormones, and reduce the risk of dementia and other chronic ailments.

Topping the list is to eat only real, whole, pre-agriculture foods and to avoid all grains and legumes. She also suggested drinking water and avoiding sweetened drinks, including fruit juices with no sugar