By Elizabeth Scott, M.S
Article from About.com Guide
December 26, 2011
What are you hoping to create in your life next year? What stressors would you like to minimize or eliminate? In the coming weeks (and starting today), I'll be sharing resources with you that can help you examine different parts of your life that could be contributing to stress, and find ways to create more of what you want, and less of what you don't want. It's a good idea to start thinking about possibilities now, so you'll be more motivated to create change in 2012. (I'll also be bringing general stress management info and resources, of course, so if you're skipping resolutions this year, you can still find regular old stress management help on this blog.) Happy last week of 2011!
What Are Your Main Causes of Stress?
We all have things that cause us stress, and some of these stressors account for large portions of our overall stress levels. What are the main causes of stress, and how can you begin to manage them? Read on, and see if these common areas of stress are a factor for you. This can help you think about what areas of life to consider changing.
Healthy Habits for A Less-Stressed Life
What lifestyle factors can impact your stress levels in a positive way? Here are three big ones. This article can provide food for thought as you assess your current lifestyle and decide what activities you may want to make habit.
Readers, Respond: What Are Your New Year's Resolutions?
Most people who make New Year's resolutions are looking to improve their lives, and a common thread in these attempted life changes involves stress relief. What are your resolutions, your dreams for the new year, and your hopes for less stress? If you could change one thing, what would it be? Share your new year's resolutions for stress relief, and read the top resolution ideas for inspiration.
Blog Carnival: New Year's Resolutions
About.com has started a monthly Blog Carnival on issues of health and wellness, and you're invited! I've already hosted a carnival on "Stress and...", but this month, we have a bonus carnival: New Year's Resolutions. Some readers would like to lose weight, some would like to change their diet, most would like to make changes that relate to some aspect of health. Because the sites on About.com Health have a wealth of information and resources to help you make healthy changes in the new year, we figured it would be great to have some of our top resolution resources in one place, and here it is!
While I have my own recommendations for making 2012 your best year yet from a stress management perspective, the following blogs provide a wealth of resources, each from a unique health- or wellness-related perspective. Without further ado, I invite you to enjoy the 2012 New Years Resolutions Blog Carnival!
Popular Resolutions
Quit Smoking for New Year's!
Quitting smoking is one of the most popular new year's resolutions for smokers, and for good reason--the money saved and wellness gained are powerful reasons to quit, and the new year can bring just the right motivation to do so. However, as a former smoking cessation counselor, I can tell you from research and experience that it helps to have a plan. If you're going to try to quit, why not give yourself every advantage? Terry Martin's Smoking Cessation Blog brings you the best tips and techniques to quit smoking in 2012.
Getting Started on Your Resolutions
Getting regular exercise in the new year is a near-universal desire for most people who aren't already regulars at exercise. It can be challenging to know where and how to begin, however. Paige Waehner's Exercise Blog brings a nice variety of resources and e courses to help you get started with exercise in the new year. We know you can do it!
New Year's Yoga Resolutions
Getting in shape and managing stress are two of the most popular goals that people set for themselves in the new year, and yoga provides an effective route to both. If you're looking to start or deepen your yoga practice in 2012, Ann Pizer's Yoga Blog brings yoga resolutions and resources for maintaining strength, flexibility, and other health benefits through regular yoga practice.
Jump Start Your 2012 Walking Fitness
As I mentioned, getting in shape is one of the most popular resolutions out there, and walking is a clear route to fitness that most people can easily take. Wendy Bumgardner's Walking Blog brings a helpful (and free!) selection of e-courses designed to help you make walking a habit in 2012.
Pilates New Years Resolutions - and the Ones to Throw Away
Many of us are resolving to get better acquainted with pilates as a route to fitness, and that's a fine goal. However, Marguerite Ogle suggests five resolutions you can (perhaps even smugly) skip entirely, and supplies a list of resolutions that are actually worth your time and energy, in her Pilates Blog.
New Year's Resolution: Quit Drinking or Cut Back?
If you're wondering if it would be a good idea for you to cut back on drinking this year, it probably would be, and you owe it to yourself to explore the topic a bit further at the very least. Buddy T's Alcoholism Blog brings several proven resources to help you examine and reduce your level of drinking in 2012. Whether you're looking to quit entirely or cut back on drinking, this blog is worth your time.
New Year's Resolutions - Be Prepared and Have Safe Sex!
Okay, resolving to practice safer sex isn't always at the top of everyone's new year's resolutions list, but it's a very important one for those who don't already have a contraception plan that they follow and that works well for them. Now is a great time to create a plan for yourself if you don't already have one, not only because it's the beginning of the year and you'll want to use the momentum of resolutions to propel you forward, but because it's risky to wait another day. Dawn Stacey's Contraception Blog brings resources and information to help you become prepared to have safe sex.
Resolutions For Specific Situations and Conditions
Improving Your COPD Symptoms in 2012
Living with COPD can be a challenge. There are several things you can do to enhance your health and quality of life, but it may seem overwhelming to make many changes at once. Deborah Leader's COPD Blog has a list of 12 changes that make a significant difference for people with COPD. Why not harness the momentum of the new year to create some resolutions to improve your COPD symptoms, and use this blog as a guide for making changes throughout the year when you're ready for more?
Heartburn Resolutions
If you suffer from heartburn, there are changes you can make in the new year to better manage the condition and ease the severity of your symptoms. Sharon Gillson's Heartburn / GERD Blog supplies you with the information you need to manage heartburn in 2012.
Two Resolutions You Should Not Make This Year
When you're dealing with fertility issues, one of the biggest challenges is that there's not a clear and guaranteed path from here to there. That said, there are two specific (and perhaps surprising) resolution ideas recommended on Rachel Gurevich's Fertility Blog, that can be both uplifting and thought-provoking, and can help you maintain health and create a wonderful 2012. Read about the two resolutions you should not make, and the two you should make.
New Year's Resolutions With Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Setting goals for the new year can be good for us for several reasons. Following these guidelines can help you to create reasonable goals and reach them, whether or not you suffer from CFS. (You'll also find some excellent CFS resources.) See Adrienne Dellwo's Fibromyalgia & CFS Blog for tips for new year's resolutions.
Resolutions for The Leukemia or Lymphoma Patient
What resolutions might be particularly helpful for those with blood cancers? Hint: many of the same resolutions that are helpful for those without blood cancers, but for unique reasons. Visit Karen Raymaakers' Lymphoma Blog for a list of helpful resolutions for the leukemia or lymphoma patient, complete with research and information on why these particular resolutions are beneficial, and resources on pursing changes in these areas.
Make a New Year's Resolution to Be Healthier
Life with HIV or AIDS can be much easier when healthy lifestyle choices are a high priority. If there are any changes you've been thinking of making, now is the time! Mark Cichocki's HIV/AIDS Blog brings effective information and resources for making healthy lifestyle choices and managing HIV or AIDS in 2012.
How to Keep New Year's Resolutions About Social Anxiety
When you suffer from social anxiety, you may feel like you want to change several things at once, and the whole experience may get overwhelming. Or you may not know where to start--or how. Arlin Cuncic's Social Anxiety Disorder Blog brings a sensible solution for making changes--tackle one change each month--and supplies a list of monthly goals to help with social anxiety. Many of them would be useful for just about anyone to try.
New Year's Resolutions for 2012: The Autism Edition
Life, especially when touched by autism, is unique. This means that resolutions may be unique as well. Sure, you may want to lose weight or reduce stress, but you might also have specific resolutions geared toward dealing with the unique challenges you face. That's why Lisa Jo Rudy shares her personal new year's resolutions on her Autism Blog, as well as her general resolution suggestions for those in the autism community. Share your resolutions there!
IBS New Year's Resolutions
When living with IBS, maintaining a proactive management plan can help immensely with the sometimes-unpredictable symptoms, and can help create a much more enjoyable 2012. Dr. Barbara Bradley Bolen's Irritable Bowel Syndrome Blog brings very well-researched information and resources to help you create an effective IBS management plan for the new year.
Maintaining Resolutions
Make a New Years Resolution That Works!
Change happens in specific stages, and no matter what behaviors you're trying to eliminate, Elizabeth Hartney's Addictions Blog has resources that can help. From compulsive shopping, drinking, or smoking, to junk food eating, she has resources to help you use what we know about change to make a resolution that works.
Have Your New Year's Resolutions Planned?
The new year presents a fantastic opportunity to make changes you've been thinking about all year. What helps people keep their resolutions, and how many people do? See Amber J. Tresca's IBD Blog for more on keeping resolutions.
10 New Year's Resolutions To Help Prevent Sports Injuries
If you're one of the many who have resolved to get into better shape in the coming year, good for you! (You're in good company, I can assure you.) However, it's wise to take steps to prevent injury if you're going to increase your workout level, so you don't end up doing more harm than good. Elizabeth Quinn's Sports Medicine Blog brings very practical tips to prevent sports injuries as you increase fitness in the new year.
I want to thank all of the bloggers who participated, and invite you to let me know (in the comments) if you want to see more blog carnivals in the future, or let me know (via email) if you want to participate. Happy New Year, everyone!!
Blog carnival posts and links are not reviewed by About.com's Medical Review Board.
Article from About.com Guide