The Case for Not Waiting Until New Year’s to Start on Your Health Goals, According to a Psychologist

If that's never happened to you, lucky you. If it has, you know how defeating it can feel, which has probably tempted you to avoid setting new year's goals in the first place (keeping you from the transformation they can yield). Luckily, you don't have to swear off personal improvement in the name of better sleep, according to licensed clinical psychologist Aimee Daramus, PsyD.

Instead, she recommends kicking your goal setting into overdrive—by getting the ball rolling on your wellbeing-boosting initiatives now, instead of waiting for the clock to strike midnight on New Year's Eve.

"By starting to think about your new year’s goals before the new year actually gets here, you give yourself time to really think them through," Daramus says. "Goals need to be feasible. If your goal is to have more of a social life, how are you going to make that measurable so that you know you’re making progress? How will you know when it’s working?"

“By starting to think about your new year’s goals before the new year actually gets here, you give yourself time to really think them through.”

In short, it's about coming at your desired outcome with a constructive mindset you can take actionable steps toward—because if you start small, you'll increase the likelihood of accomplishing your goal, which will give you the confidence to progress toward larger goals. For example, if your aim is to boost your overall wellness, starting a supplement routine (which can have a huge impact on your skin, body, mood, and more when done daily) is a great place to start.

HUM Nutrition makes it easy to get started with a three-minute quiz to find out what supplements (with clean, clinically proven ingredients) can help you feel your best—like Mighty Night, which helps you sleep soundly and restores your skin overnight—so you can get to tackling the rest of the items on your list (not losing sleep over them).

Scroll down for 3 small changes that will help you get started on your new year's goals ASAP.

1. Prioritize the right people

No matter what your goals are for this year, you're going to want to have a strong support system around you (because #accountability). So first up on your take-action plan is taking inventory of your circle of trust.

"Spend as much time as you can with people you truly value," Daramus says. "Minimize the time you spend with toxic people, even if they’re family, and prioritize people who really care."

By reducing the time you spend on one-sided relationships, you'll have more energy to devote to the people who want to be in your life—and who will be key to encouraging you throughout the year.

2. Don't forget about down time

Next, you need to make sure you're taking care of yourself during your go-getter process. It's easy to look at goals as additional things you have to do, but maybe all you need in order to accomplish more is to take time to do a little less.

"Put me-time and relaxation time in your calendar now, and treat them as respectfully as you would any other appointment," Daramus says, and she notes that down time (AKA self care) is crucial for keeping your momentum going during a typically high-stress time.

Quality sleep is a vital component of self care, so if you need a nudge to help maximize shut-eye, try HUM's Mighty Night. The double-duty supplement features valerian root, ceramides, CoQ10, and ferulic acid to help you stay asleep while also working to improve skin texture and tone—all while you're busy dreaming.

3. Check yourself

FYI: This is the tip you might want to get tattooed on your arm as an all-year reminder. Daramus recommends checking your attitude to make sure you're not stressing over the things you have no control over—because your goals should be making your life better, not overwhelming you.

Start weekly or monthly mental check-ins with yourself to ensure you're still on the same page with where you want to be in 2020. If you find that you're getting annoyed or upset with the objectives you set out for yourself, change them—no one says your original stated goals have to be set in stone.

All it really takes is a few (minor!) tweaks to set yourself up for a year you'll be proud of at any point in the year—and to put those racing thoughts to rest for good.

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