Struggling with your 2026 resolutions? Don’t worry – try these simple goals to stay healthy
Special to The Island News
It’s a new year, which means that right now, most people are working on keeping up their new year’s resolutions. Whatever your resolution – and however successful (or unsuccessful) you may be at keeping it – there are a few tried-and-true healthy habits that you can implement to change your health for the better in 2026.
Spoiler alert: your first step doesn’t need to be a long-term goal such as quitting smoking or losing 25 pounds. Those are great goals, but give yourself an easy health win (or two) with a fast payoff.
Try these 10 easy-to-start habits that can have a profound impact on your health and how you feel.
1. Love to load up your plate? Try reducing portion size to facilitate weight loss.
One easy trick to help with this is using a smaller sized plate – it will take less food to fill and provide the same visual cue as a larger plate with more food. This is especially helpful if you tend to eat until your plate is clean.
2. It’s timeworn advice but still reliable: Get eight hours of sleep each night.
If you find yourself not feeling rested after consistently getting eight hours of sleep each night, you should speak with your primary care provider. You may need to rule out sleep apnea, which causes frequent night waking and may have other health implications.
3. Wake up with enough time to make a protein-rich breakfast.
One idea: an egg white scramble with veggies. But if making time to prep breakfast is just too hard, look at make-ahead options including Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, nuts, boiled eggs or overnight chia pudding.
4. If you’ve been given a diagnosis of heart disease, sign up for cardiac rehabilitation right away.
The cardiac rehabilitation program at Beaufort Memorial is dedicated to rebuilding strength in people with chronic heart problems, who have just had a heart attack or other cardiac event, or who are recovering from bypass surgery or other form of heart surgery.
The program offers medically supervised education, nutrition and exercise programs in a friendly atmosphere at the Beaufort Memorial main campus and the Okatie Medical Pavilion. Call 843-522-5635 to learn more.
5. Feeling down? Try daily affirmations.
Tell yourself that you will have a great day or that you’re capable of amazing things. Positive affirmations can decrease stress, increase feelings of well-being and help you make healthy choices. Tape a message or saying on the mirror in your bathroom or another frequently visited spot and repeat it several times a day.
6. New to exercise? Start slowly and work up gradually. Your body will thank you.
Start with small goals and increasing the duration and/or degree of strenuousness over time. You’ll be more likely to build a habit that sticks and maintain your motivation as you accomplish the goals you set.
7. Practice yoga. It’s great for building strength and preventing falls.
Yoga, Pilates and other types of exercise that focus on core strength and balance can be especially helpful as you age. In addition to toning muscles, which can counteract a slowing metabolism, the weight resistance helps keep your bones strong.
8. Make it a goal to have an advance directive for your health care completed by your next birthday.
This important document captures your decisions and wishes for care and comfort should you become terminally ill or have a serious illness and can’t speak for yourself.
You’ll want to consider your definition of quality of life, types of health care decisions that support the quality of life you want, goals you’d have if a condition worsens, your fears and worries about the future, your strengths, what abilities are critical to you, and what you’d want to do to maintain those abilities.
9. Talk to your family about your wishes for healthcare if you become sick, injured or incapacitated.
After you’ve considered what is important to you and completed an advance directive, the next step is a conversation with your family about your decisions. You’ll also want to give copies of the paperwork to your doctors, health care facility and your health care power of attorney.
10. Ask your doctor if you’re up to date on vaccinations. If not, schedule them.
Some illnesses that can be prevented with adult vaccinations are influenza, shingles, pneumonia, tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis, measles/mumps/rubella and human papillomavirus (HPV). Depending on working conditions and individual health needs, you may benefit from additional vaccinations such as chickenpox or hepatitis A.