Written by: Sarah Alysse Rosner, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Health & Wellness New Years Resolutions can be very overwhelming and so often people give up on them by the middle of January. The end of the year is the perfect time for goal setting, but lofty goals with no plan of action will leave you lost and uninspired. Writing a wellness strategy may not be high on your list of things to do for the New Year, but it will be an effective way to achieve your goals.
Why Write a Wellness Strategy?
Wellness is broad and only you can determine what area is most important to you. Instead of challenging yourself to lose weight, eat less carbs, or meditate, I implore you to go deeper with your why. When selecting a goal, ask yourself ‘what’s the purpose behind this goal’ so that you are more driven to achieve it.
Before choosing that ultimate wellness goal, I want you to ask yourself 5 important questions:
What area do you wish you made more time for regularly: Movement, Nutrition, or Self Care?
Why do you feel you haven’t made time for that activity?
Who can hold you accountable and support you with the goal you have chosen?
What will you feel as soon as you achieve your wellness goal?
How will this impact your future and the people around you?
Once you have decided on your specific wellness goal, it’s time to change your story. Whenever I work with companies and clients, we look into the old patterns that have been holding them back from making a change. Often, not enough time and lack of sleep are the main reasons for them not achieving their goals. What if you were to flip that around by saying out loud ‘I have all of the time in the world to put my health first.’ The more you would hear it, the words and belief would sink in.
Let’s say this year you wanted to make more time for your movement practice. In the past, lack of energy and late nights at work would keep you from working out. However, you loved how it felt to blow off some steam and how much more energy you had afterwards. Take that positive feeling and run with it!
Make the Time for Your Plan
It all starts with saying yes to the wellness goal and placing it into your busy schedule. The next step is to write down 5 action steps that will help you attain your goal. An action step is an in-between step that will help you get to the next level of your plan. Get as detailed as you possibly can including the time it will take you to get from point A – G. For example, if you were trying to reduce your sugar intake over a 6-month time span, maybe the first 2 months you try to only drink black coffee instead of with cream and sugar. Then 4 months into it, you progress it to no sugar after 7 pm.
Allow Yourself to Celebrate Small Wins
Once you start putting your wellness strategy into motion, be proud of yourself every time you get to the next level of your goal! You can give yourself a little reward like treating yourself to your favorite dinner spot, going to see a movie, or even lighting a scented candle. Celebrating your small wins will give you more motivation to continue on this healthy path.
What a Wellness Strategy Ultimately Does for You
Wellness strategy may take a while to write, but after it’s finished, you’ll be proud of yourself. You will have the joy of knowing that you took a huge step forward to make progress on something that will positively impact your health and life.
As you start to check off each action step, you’ll be glad to have something you can rely on to guide you. One of the nice things about goal setting is that it gives you guidance that keeps your actions aligned toward your goals. That said, this doesn’t need to be written in stone or the perfect plan. Be open to making changes as you and your wellness strategy evolve.
Sarah Alysse Rosner, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Sarah Alysse is a corporate stress management coach that helps companies cultivate a low stress environment so that their employees can be happier and more productive. She’s the creator and CEO of Live Well Enhance You which formed out of a need for her Pilates clients to find balance in their lives. She branched into the corporate market to assist employees in creating out of the box wellness solutions. She utilizes her BFA Musical Theater Performance background to coach others how to be confident and understand the connection between the brain and body. Spanning over a decade, Sarah has collected an abundance of certifications from Integrative Institute of Nutrition, STOTT Pilates, to National Academy of Sports Medicine. She’s been featured on WGN's Living Healthy and WGN Around Town’s segment as a Stress Management Expert. Also, she has been promoted on Business Insider, Yahoo Finance, Authority, Kivo Daily, LA Wire, The Chicago Journal, NY Wire, NY Weekly, IdeaMensch, and US Reporter. In addition, she’s the host of the Stress Free SOULutions podcast.
