Resolution Redo

It’s an experience shared by many: You make an ambitious health resolution at the start of the year and a few months - or weeks - later, you lose steam and throw in the towel. This year break the cycle of broken resolutions by focusing on simple, yet effective ways you can impact your wellness long term. The key? Small daily habits.

Nicholas Frye, MS, LCPC, CHES, shares how you can create lasting healthy habits, break those unhealthy ones and create positive changes to your wellbeing:

Forming new habits

As an example, to develop a new, healthy walking habit, first select a specific healthpromoting behavior such as “go for a 10-minute walk.” Then identify a stable cue which occurs daily in your life such as “after breakfast.” Then repeatedly perform the walking behavior in response to the after-breakfast cue which will, over time, result in a habit. It takes 66 days - on average - to develop a new habit, however, the exact timeframe is different for everyone. As the behavior is repeated in response to the cue, the association between them becomes stronger, more efficient, and automatic until the cue alone is enough to trigger the associated behavior without conscious thought.

Breaking old habits

For example, to break a habit of drinking sugary sodas while watching television, replace the soft drink with sparkling water every time you sit down to binge your favorite show. Eventually, you’ll associate watching TV with this new, healthier behavior.

MicroHabits

Frye recommends instead of committing to a big, audacious goal, try incorporating small daily habits into one’s life. These small behaviors are called microHabits and they can compound to have big results like parking at the back of a parking lot to get your steps in.

“By developing these habits, one small step at a time, we can overcome the intention-behavior gap - in other words, when what you do doesn’t live up to your previous intentions - and it is all the less daunting,” said Frye. “This sets one up for success as opposed to overly ambitious resolutions that don’t guide you from A to B.”

Celebrate Valentine's Day with Helping Others Together (HOT) Community Foundation!

When: February 14, 2023 from 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Where: Tuscany Falls Ballroom @ PebbleCreek, Goodyear, AZ

The Party with a Purpose is HOT's primary fundraising event and supports our Sugar Plum Fairies program. Sugar Plum Fairies creates a magical Christmas for struggling children in the West Valley by bringing much needed clothing, hygiene essentials, and food to them and their families. The event’s Master of Ceremonies, actor and philanthropic-minded celebrity, RJ Mitte, who played the son of Walter White in Breaking Bad, will emcee guests through a reception and sit-down dinner, followed by a fun evening filled with casino games, a silent and live auction, and dancing.

HOT and RJ share philanthropic ideals. Growing up, RJ saved money each year to purchase Christmas gifts for needy children. Currently, he is a spokesman for people with disabilities. RJ educates and inspires others with cerebral palsy to see the disease not as a weakness but as a place of strength. When RJ heard about HOT's mission to provide help and hope for struggling children, he gratefully volunteered to emcee HOT's Party with a Purpose!

What an exciting opportunity to spend an evening with a like-minded celebrity and share time together while having the chance to improve life in the West Valley.

Scan the QR code to register today for the 2023 Valentine's Day Party with a Purpose! We look forward to seeing you there, Helping Others Together (HOT) Community Foundation https://hotcommunityfoundation.org/events/valentines-2023/tickets/