In the new year, put resolutions toward healthy living goals
We’re now fully immersed in the holiday season, but as we know, the new year is lurking just around the corner.
For many people, that means making a new set of resolutions for 2026. There’s nothing wrong with that, as these goals often help us pursue genuine self-improvement, especially when it comes to our health and well-being.
As a physician, I applaud this approach. However, it’s important not to be overly ambitious at the start. My advice: set small, manageable goals that can evolve into sustainable lifestyle changes over time. Those steady improvements are what ultimately led to a healthier you.
With that in mind, here are a few potential health-focused resolutions you might want to consider for the coming year:
- Improve your diet by choosing more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, and cutting back on red meat, sweets, and ultra-processed foods.
- Moderate your alcohol consumption, as we’re learning more about its significant long-term health impacts.
- Stay well hydrated by using water as the preferred beverage.
- Move more – through a gym membership, a running routine, or simply regular walks around your neighborhood. Whatever fits your lifestyle is the right place to start.
- Prioritize sleep, which plays a major role in your overall quality of life.
- Practice self-care by resisting self-criticism, investing in therapy, enjoying hobbies, trying mindfulness or meditation, or simply carving out daily time that’s just for you.
- Volunteer with a local organization or nonprofit – doing good for others often boosts our own happiness.
- Limit social media and screen time, freeing up precious hours for more meaningful activities.
- Make time for family and friends, because while material achievements are nice, strong personal relationships are what truly enrich our lives.
Jumee Barooah, M.D., FACP, is senior vice president of education and designated institutional official for The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education. She is quadruple board-certified in internal medicine, addiction medicine, obesity medicine, and lifestyle medicine. To make an appointment, visit TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.
I’d also like to highlight that we at The Wright Center for Community Health are deeply committed to improving long-term health through our Lifestyle Medicine initiative. This approach recognizes that less desirable lifestyle choices drive most of the chronic illnesses affecting Americans.
Lifestyle medicine helps patients and their families enhance their health and quality of life through long-term behavioral changes such as eliminating tobacco use, improving diet, managing stress, increasing physical activity, strengthening personal relationships, and optimizing sleep for better, more restorative rest.
Our team is trained in both conventional and lifestyle medicine, and we collaborate closely with patients to create personalized self-care plans that are realistic and sustainable. These lifestyle modifications can significantly help prevent or manage chronic conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, metabolic syndrome, coronary artery disease, lifestyle-associated cancers (including prostate and breast), osteoarthritis, chronic pain, chronic autoimmune diseases, and chronic psychological stress. Most importantly, it’s the choices you make to help you feel better.
There’s nothing magical about it – adopting positive daily routines naturally leads to a healthier lifestyle, a longer life, and greater happiness. So, if you plan to make lifestyle improvement the driving force behind your 2026 New Year’s resolutions, I wholeheartedly support you.
Happy holidays and happy New Year!
