Making New Year’s resolutions isn’t easy when a pandemic is raging and many factors that affect our health and well-being are beyond our control. Self-care won’t change the anger or apathy many people feel about where we are at this moment. Unfortunately, strictly following all the latest public health guidance will not necessarily prevent you from contracting the COVID-19 omicron variant.
But one thing you can definitely do is take it easy when making your 2024 plans. Remind yourself that you can’t change the course of the pandemic, but you can be kind to the body that has sustained you so far. Even if taking care of yourself feels futile, you can carve out small moments to take care of yourself.
With that in mind, here are five simple 2024 health resolutions that have absolutely nothing to do with weight loss and that seem doable even in the face of the ongoing pandemic.
1. Stop assigning a moral value to your food.
After the holidays, too many people feel guilty about their eating and drinking behavior over the past few days or weeks.
People often beat themselves up by saying things like, “I’m terrible at eating XYZ.”
The problem with comments like this is that they assign a moral value to food, conflating what you put in your mouth with your worth as a person. But there is no such thing as good or bad food. Of course, some are more nutritious than others. But you will never be a bad person for eating a certain way.
So in 2024, especially at the beginning of the year, when you’re bombarded with diet and gym ads, make a conscious effort to resist the “I’m so bad” mentality. A simple strategy is to really recognize when you’re stuck in a zone of moral judgment and flip the script.
Instead of using judgmental words, you can think or speak about how you choose to enjoy your favorite foods this weekend.
2. Move your body.
Need another reason to knock “lose weight” off your 2024 resolutions? A study published found that exercise was more important than weight loss in extending life and improving heart health.
We want people to know that fat keeps them healthy and that healthy bodies can come in all shapes and sizes.
So in 2024, resolve to move your body more — and remember, you can make it super easy. The CDC recommends that adults get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, plus two days of muscle-strengthening activities. But that doesn’t mean you have to go to the gym.Take a walk a few days a week, or mow the lawn.Then do some gardening or yoga to enhance your workout.
Remember, moderation is key. Too much exercise can actually be harmful to your physical and mental health, so allow yourself to spend a lot of time on the couch.
3. Ask for help.
Given everything going on in the world in 2024, each of us is limited in our ability to make ourselves feel better through “self-care.”
That’s why one of the best things you can do for your own well-being this year is to seek help. What this means is personal. Maybe you recognize that now is the time to start therapy—Holmes reminds us all that this is a strength, not a weakness.(Here are some affordable options.)
Or maybe you’re a frazzled parent who needs a break. Ask a family member to watch your children for one night, even if they don’t agree. Give yourself some time. Find ways to recapture the joy of parenthood.
Think about what areas of your life you really need some extra support right now, and then go ahead and ask. You are not forced upon us, and as this pandemic has shown us, we do depend on each other in ways big and small.
4. Continue being responsible when it comes to COVID, but don’t beat yourself up if you get sick.
In just a few weeks, omicron variants have literally transformed the pandemic. It’s becoming increasingly clear that you can do all the right things — get vaccinated and booster shots, wear masks indoors, avoid social gatherings, etc. — and still develop breakthrough infections. In fact, experts are even warning that most coronavirus infections may soon break through.
If you’re someone who has taken the pandemic seriously from the beginning, and you’ve been relatively cautious about the coronavirus, it’s hard to hear that.
That’s why, as we enter 2024, you should swear that if you do get infected, you won’t view it as a moral failure or something shameful. Yes, continue to take the epidemic seriously. Yes, continue to follow the latest public health guidance, whatever they are.
It’s not your fault that omicron is so contagious. If you test positive as variants surge, resolve to repeat this to yourself.
5. “Habit stack.”
This is a great way to make time for self-care, even if you’re feeling completely overwhelmed.
Choose a small new habit you want to develop in 2024, make a list of the daily habits you already have, and then stack them in a meaningful way. For example, you might decide to “meditate for a minute while you make coffee,” do this until it becomes a daily habit, and then you can layer another habit on top of it.
