Life
15 Women Share Their Wellness Goals For 2019 — And They Have Nothing To Do With Weight Loss
With 2019 around the corner, it’s the perfect time to start thinking about how this next year will be different than this past one — perhaps you want to look for a new job, find a side hustle to help build your savings account, or even make it a goal to start dating. But right up there with career, money, and relationship goals are health goals for the New Year. After all, maintaining great health is not only good for your well-being, but also plays a factor in achieving your other goals. And, although people — especially women — often feel pressured to set unattainable resolutions surrounding weight loss in the New Year, health is about so much more than that — including self-care, managing your mental health, and sleeping better overall.
“Good health habits and lifestyle choices should start at a young age,” Dr. Sherry A. Ross, women’s health expert and author of she-ology. The Definitive Guide to Women’s Intimate Health. Period., tells Bustle. However, even today, you can change your mindset around your health and start implementing new routines. “When you embrace and value the importance of your health, this sets the foundation for optimal health and well-being,” Dr. Ross says.
As Dr. Ross says, it’s not too late to change your approach toward your health. Below, 15 women reveal their wellness goals for 2019.
1Tatiana, 23
“This next, year my health goal is to be nicer to myself; a lot of my anxiety comes from comparing myself to others or feeling like I don’t measure up. I am slowly beginning to realize that I am my own biggest critic. In 2019, I want to fall in love with myself.”
2Amy, 27
“Starting now (and I’ll continue into 2019), I will make more of an effort to ‘unplug’ and detach myself from my phone and computer. I will make time to do everyday things quietly for at least five minutes every day (usually, I clean with music on, I cook with YouTube playing in the background; I am constantly surrounded by noise). What would I hear if I blocked all of that out? I will also not look at my phone for the first hour of my day (not for the news, not for my messages, not for anything). I will play positive affirmations as I get ready for work and see how the rest of my day goes.”
3Lisa, 33
“My goal is to sleep more. In 2018, I noticed that everything I did was impacted by how much (or little) sleep I got, with ‘little’ being the common denominator. So I’m going to make it a point to do all I can do to sleep at least seven or eight hours a night, like limit electronics before bed, read physical books more (to make my eyes tired and also to keep my brain fresh), and so on.”
4Maria, 55
“My health resolution is to spend time only with people who help me to be the best version of myself that I can be and to avoid energy vampires; doing so protects and improves my mental health. I strive to be as intentional as possible with my time; it is the one thing we cannot buy or replace.”
5Talya, 52
“Where I have a love-hate relationship with my health and need a goal is in my gum care. It’s a 10-minute regimen which I do at night, when all I want is to go to sleep. Argh! My resolution is to do it every day — before midnight."
6Vicki, 32
“They say that animals help with anxiety and are a relaxing presence, so a self-care health goal of mine for 2019 is to be around animals more. Whether that means going to visit a friend’s pet (or even taking them for a walk!), hanging out at more cat cafés, or volunteering at an animal shelter, I WILL find a way to get my animal fix and stress less!”
7Kathryn, 32
“By going into 2019 as an entrepreneur, self-care is critical. Self-care is the health goal that I am going to continue to tackle going into the New Year. In 2018, I integrated meditation through the Calm app and it has been life-changing. In 2019, I am going to integrate weekly self-care moments, trying anything from float tanks to foot reflexology or massages; it’ll depend on the need at the moment!”
8Veronica, 47
“I intend to have 2019 be my healthiest year yet. My biggest intention is to be loving and accepting of my body and myself as often as I can. I plan on listening to my body and allowing it to guide me as to what it needs at all times. Overall, I’m tuning in within to my inner sparkly wisdom to receive every answer I need to live my healthiest and happiest life. I also intend to: 1) practice yoga at least three times a week; 2) practice meditation every day for a minimum of 10 minutes; 3) walk at least once a week; and eat healthy and nutritious food.”
9Milana, 45
"1) Start each day with a green smoothie. I noticed that when I start my day with a healthy breakfast, all other choices tend to be healthier, too; 2) Do yoga every day (goal is one hour, but even 15 minutes will count). I spend most of my day in front of the computer and, if I skip my yoga workout, my back lets me know right away; 3) Try to work at a standing desk; when not possible, use an ergonomic chair; 4) Jump on the trampoline while watching TV; 5) Make fresh juice on weekends; and 6) Ski or hike every weekend.”
10Emily, 35
“I’m always looking at ways to improve my overall health and what better a time to get motivated than the approaching New Year. I’m a mom of two girls (11 and two), and have my own business. It can get pretty crazy around here and a typical day consists of me being ‘on duty’ from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., with a few late-night wakes up in between. As you can imagine, it’s pretty hard to get any ‘me’ time in. So this next year, for my mental health, I am really going to commit to making time for myself, taking a few minutes every day to do something for me, no one else."
11Alisa, 40s
“My goal is start walking my kids to and from school for a cardio workout, as well as add in some daily pushups.”
12Paige, 50s
“What I have come to appreciate and realize in my 50s is that ‘me time’ is not a luxury or pampering like it was in my youth; now, it is maintenance! In 2019, I will respect my time on the calendar and take myself as seriously as I take my most important clients — because if I am not at my peak performance, I am not going to be useful to anyone else either. I will set aside regular time to recharge my batteries and take better care of myself so that, mentally and physically, I will be sharp and in the best health possible to set myself up for success in the new year.”
13Heidi, 44
“In 2019, I’ll continue my daily self-care routine, which includes a four-minute quiet meditation (I’d like to bump this up to five minutes), a page of journaling (I’d like to add a gratitude and positive mindset piece), and a three-mile run with my Labrador Retriever. I’d also like to continue focusing on eating whole foods when I have the choice."
14Bethany, 29
“My health resolution is to reassess how I think of ‘healthy’ and better care for my body. We live in a world where being thin, eating ‘healthy’ and dieting are seen as positives — and the result is a culture rampant with eating disorders and distorted body images. As a woman and wife who hopes to someday become a mother, I want to rethink how I view food and nutrition so I can be a good role model to my children and those I interact with. I want to be strong for my family and have energy to thrive and give back to the community, and I intend to do that by relearning how to think about, interact with and embrace food, health and nutrition in today’s culture.”
15Isabel, 25
“One of my goals related to health is doing more things for myself (think #selfcare). I’ve realized I’m constantly worrying about other people and it started to affect my health this year, so I’m taking 2019 to watch my own back. I plan on doing that by doing more things to feel beautiful (actually washing my face every night; drinking more water; and painting my nails).”
As you can see, the women above have many different health goals for 2019, yet there’s also a common theme: Self-care. If you're making wellness goals for 2019, use these as inspiration — and a reminder that New Year's goals can be empowering.