Seven Wellness Goals 2021

Happy January 2021, this is a good time to review your daily patterns and habits after months of responding to lifestyle changes and stay-at-home orders.

If you find yourself needing guidance and support to achieve improved health and wellness, creating goals is another way to see your year of possibilities. Keep a record of your progress. Find your seven or more goals and start feeling the wellness.

Goal setting lifts you into a new realm of seeing self-improvements that are the gift of well-being. These changes may alleviate the everyday feels-the-same blues. Health is our wealth as our families and experts know. Here’s a checklist of goals that will add up to lifestyle changes on your 2021 list. If you check new goals that will work for you and continue the ones that have been working, you can stay on the road to wellness.

Start with a review. Your strengths may be developed in many areas currently. These seven categories present achievable goals that potentially will make your year one of the best: Physical, Mental, Social, Environmental, Spiritual, Educational and Financial goals. Ideally, maintain patterns and habits that are working to your best you.

Physical health goals: Activity and Hydration may be part of your everyday. Choose to add goals that will increase your knowledge and physical capacity.

1. 1. Check your digestion as the “conductor of your orchestra”. Take time to plan meals and healthy snacks. Enrich your diet with plant-based foods.
   2. Learn about foods with probiotics and enzymes. Supplement if you want to optimize results. Foods and supplements that contain Probiotics from Yogurt, Sauerkraut, Kimchi, Kombucha, Miso, Tempeh or other sources. Enzyme foods include: Bromelain from Pineapple and Papain from Papaya will give you many health benefits. Supplements may assist digestion.
   3. Eat more Fiber for Digestion, Elimination and feeling full with meals. Oats, Vegetables and Fruit and Beans/Legumes are good sources of soluble and insoluble fiber.
   4. Schedule Wellness check-ups: Many health providers are available remotely.
   5. Improve sleep: set regular hours. Relax before bedtime

Mental health goals: Mental health is important and may require more attention this year.

1. 1. Take a Weekly Media Break. Learn to Love the “Now.”
   2. Spend Time Outside. Have time in Nature to Decompress.
   3. Learn new skills. Read for enjoyment.
   4. Make Room for Mindfulness.
   5. Give of Yourself. Donate time or services.
   6. Use Natural products. Try aroma therapy or essential oils.

Social health goals: Socializing may be challenging as meeting in person has restrictions likely for those outside our homes and some offices/workplaces. Online formats work currently.

1. 1. Check-in regularly with those you care for as they may need to know you are well as you keep up with meaningful experiences.
   2. Meet new folks when you can. Our social networks lift moods and spirits.

Environmental health goals: There are a variety of nature therapies you can do to lower your stress and anxiety.

1. 1. Be in Nature: Spend time with greenery. Experience “Tree therapy” from a Japanese practice: All you do is surround yourself with trees or gardens. The concept is to be free from obligations, effort, and doing.
   2. Plant a garden and/or start growing edible herbs.

Spiritual health goals: Meditation has many benefits lowering anxiety and giving a fresh perspective.

1. 1. Keeping up with church, synagogue or other spiritual group activities is a rewarding effort online or in your family groups.
   2. Reading the great cultural literature or authors that inspire.

Educational health goals: Staying educated about your interests is easier online than before. Learning languages, new recipes, geography, architecture or other topics is available.

1. 1. Self-improvement and degree paths will enhance balance for your physical and spiritual.
   2. Teach, inspire others: tutoring and offering online classes gives a way to channel your life lessons and learn from others.

Financial health goals: Review the financial resources and expenditures. Saving is challenging and rewarding.

1. 1. Build new revenue sources.
   2. Learn about investing and other ways to increase your income.

About Author

Dietitian, Sara Matthews S, RDN

author

Sara’s experience in Diet and Wellness as an RDN, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist began with a fitness career in Houston and Dallas, Texas with an interest in the arts. She moved to Los Angeles, CA with a BFA in Cinema from SMU in Dallas to teach fitness and dance with a goal as a filmmaker focusing on relationships for Veterans, Artists and others. Her film, “Jacob’s Honor” deals with PTSD and family connections. Her family’s interests and health conditions led her to continuing education earning a MS in Nutritional Science from CSULA in Los Angeles and launching work as a lecturer for Digestive Care in Health stores, for LA Unified schools, LA City Hall and media companies. She continued working in Wellness for the Chief Gastroenterologist of Century Medical Center in Los Angeles encouraging nutrition and supplements. She currently works with all ages in wellness, weight loss and health issues with medical nutritional therapy applying an integrative approach.

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