Every year resolutions are made. For 2020 why not make a prediction?  Be a Nostradomus for your health. A resolution is simply a statement. A prediction, on the other hand, creates a mystical tone that can inspire you to bring that prophecy into existence. Anyone can state they are planning to complete a task. When it comes to bettering your health, it’s not a single task. It is the accumulation of small tasks performed over and over to attain improved health and then maintaining it. Let’s touch on some daily tasks necessary to be healthier in 2020.

Dietary tracking is a major component of most weight management programs. Putting the idea of weight loss aside, it’s also used in other programs that focus on disease prevention. The small task of writing down everything you eat can be tedious.  There are numerous tracking apps that help make those tasks less of a burden. Finding one that works for you is the goal. A study published in the Journal of Diabetes Research noted that there is a linear relationship between those that tracked their diet and weight loss. Only those that tracked consistently (>66% of the days) lost a significant amount of weight over a year’s time.¹ Tracking, whether it be physical activity or diet, keeps you conscious of what you are doing (or not doing) and eating and it simply works.

Daily affirmations, although corny to some, are a great way to get your mind right for the day or before an otherwise anxious moment. If you want to go the Stuart Smalley route and perform a whole speech for yourself in the mirror, do so. Otherwise, simply focusing on what you accomplish and giving yourself a brief reminder that you can do the tasks it takes to be healthier will make a difference. Self efficacy is part of every successful endeavor.

Sleep is a natural daily task we all perform. The importance of quality sleep, however, is sometimes overlooked. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posts statistics on all sorts of health related topics including sleep deprivation. Short sleep duration is defined as less than 7 hours in a 24 hour period. Across the board, those that regularly perform the unenviable task of short sleep duration are more likely to either participate in less healthy activities or suffer from chronic illness. Whether a causation or correlation is of little importance. The fact is those that don’t get enough sleep are less healthy. Here are some items that particularly stand out from the latest statistics (2014)……

In 2020 have the foresight to become a healthier you. The road to better health has no end. Performing the proper tasks regularly will lead you where you need to be, but they must be continued to maintain the progress you make. 

¹The Effect of Adherence to Dietary Tracking on Weight Loss:  Using HLM to Model Weight Loss over Time.-2017