{"id":806,"date":"2023-12-14T15:55:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-14T15:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hvcct.com\/wordpress\/?p=806"},"modified":"2024-01-04T16:16:47","modified_gmt":"2024-01-04T16:16:47","slug":"tips-on-how-to-achieve-your-new-years-resolution-according-to-an-expert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hvcct.com\/wordpress\/2023\/12\/14\/tips-on-how-to-achieve-your-new-years-resolution-according-to-an-expert\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips on how to achieve your new year\u2019s resolution according to an expert"},"content":{"rendered":"

Written by Cait Mallay and originally published by the Rockland County <\/a><\/em>Times<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

The new year is approaching soon and with that comes new beginnings and the brand new you.<\/p>\n

While it may be easier for some, It may be hard for others to make adjustments into their everyday lives, even the smallest of changes.<\/p>\n

Dr. Jennifer Buchwald, a clinical psychologist at the Hudson Valley Center for Cognitive Therapy, spoke with The Rockland County Times to share her advice on how one can stick to their new year\u2019s resolutions.<\/p>\n

Before the new year, try mapping out your objective.<\/h2>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really helpful to make a specific plan for how you\u2019re going to make the change. Write down your reasons for making the change, so you can read your list over when you\u2019re feeling tempted to do the behavior you\u2019re trying not to do,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Dress for success!<\/h2>\n

How we start our day and how we present ourselves can impact the way we feel.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am a big believer in getting dressed every morning. I know it sounds very basic, but it\u2019s a very important way to start the day and get into a positive mental space to achieve our goals,\u201d Buchwald said.<\/p>\n

Out of sight, out of mind<\/h2>\n

Add blockers to the behavior you\u2019re trying to prevent.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor example, if you want to take time off from social media, delete the apps from your phone or if you\u2019re having an issue with spending too much money, start spending things using cash and carrying only the amount you allot for yourself,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s not that someone can\u2019t get around the blockers, but it helps from engaging in these behaviors impulsively and enforces people to make a more conscious decision about what they\u2019re doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trying to cut out sweets?<\/h2>\n

If they\u2019re in the kitchen Buchwald recommends putting them on a higher shelf to make it harder to reach for.<\/p>\n

Develop a schedule.<\/h2>\n

If your new year\u2019s resolution involves adding something to benefit you in your everyday life, rather than breaking a habit, Buchwald suggests setting up a time.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s helpful to schedule when you\u2019re going to do the behavior and brainstorm ways to make the behavior more pleasant,\u201d she said. \u201cFor example if the goal is to work out more often, schedule when you\u2019re going to work out, such as making a playlist that you love that you can listen to while you\u2019re exercising.<\/p>\n

Picture yourself in the long run.<\/h2>\n

I always say \u2018An inch by an inch is a cinch. A yard by a yard makes it hard.\u2019<\/p>\n

Large goals may seem unattainable at first, but if you break down the main objective into smaller achievements, you\u2019ll get there in no time.<\/p>\n

Picturing the future rewards while in action and imagining what things will be like once you achieve that goal, Buchwald says, \u201ccan be really enforcing for today\u2019s change.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaking change is hard, but it is doable. Keep in mind that it is a work in progress and I think it\u2019s helpful to try different things and find what\u2019s working for you,\u201d she said. \u201cIt takes three weeks to form a habit, so try to stick with the new behavior for three weeks and after three weeks, you\u2019ll start to see the benefit of making the change, which is reinforcing, and the behavior will feel more natural.\u201d<\/p>\n

Uncertain what to propose for your 2024 resolution?<\/p>\n

A survey of 1,000 adults from Forbes Health\/One Poll, showed that this year\u2019s most commonly-selected new year\u2019s resolution was focused on physical health (48%) rather than mental health (36%) in contrast to last year\u2019s findings.<\/p>\n

Though this may be the case, physical and mental health are interconnected in many ways.<\/p>\n

\u201cPhysical activity has many well-established benefits such as improved brain health and improved ability to think. It also reduces the risk of anxiety, depression and it improves sleep,\u201d Buchwald said.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, studies show that positive psychological well being can reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.<\/p>\n

\u201cMental health issues can negatively affect physical health and mortality rates with people with specific depressions,\u201d she said. \u201cDepression has been found to increase the many types of physical problems, such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke. The mortality rate from cancer and heart disease is higher among people with depression or other mental health conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Hudson Valley Center for Cognitive Therapy was founded by Dr. Christine Ziegler in 2001 and is one of the few centers in Rockland County that specializes in cognitive therapy.<\/p>\n

They offer services for people of all ages.<\/p>\n

To learn more, please visit their website at www.hvcct.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Written by Cait Mallay and originally published by the Rockland County Times. The new year is approaching soon and with that comes new beginnings and the brand new you. While […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pgc_meta":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-806","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-media-coverage"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hvcct.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/806"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hvcct.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hvcct.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hvcct.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hvcct.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=806"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.hvcct.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/806\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":808,"href":"https:\/\/www.hvcct.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/806\/revisions\/808"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hvcct.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=806"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hvcct.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=806"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hvcct.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=806"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}