The new year brings with it an opportunity to recommit to our health and wellbeing with resolutions, usually to eat better and exercise more.

Changing behaviour is hard, and without structure, many of us will fall off the bandwagon before we’ve even begun.

Here are some tips to stay healthy in 2020 with sustainable new year’s resolutions:

1. Think big, not small

Consider looking past the big, obvious resolutions and instead focus on the goals that may seem smaller but will have a larger impact in the long run. A series of smaller goals, achieved successfully, will yield better results than one big lofty goal.

2. Be specific

Instead of saying “I’ll exercise more”, try and quantify the goal e.g. “I will go to the gym twice a week” or “I will commit to walking 10k steps each day.” Setting a tangible, achievable outcome will improve your chance of success when sticking to a resolution.

3. Be realistic

Many of us set ourselves up for failure when committing to unrealistic goals, which is demoralising and detrimental to long-term success. Instead, set yourself up for success with goals that are achievable in terms of time, cost, experience, and commitment. If you aren’t sure whether you can address these, it probably isn’t a realistic resolution.

4. Avoid the all or nothing mentality

This can be a hard one for most people to come to terms with, but how you handle roadblocks is one of the key factors in successful resolutions. If you do get a little off track with your goals – say you’ve missed the gym for two weeks, or you’ve had a particularly indulgent weekend, don’t despair and continue to spiral because you think there’s no point. Instead, just pick up where you left off. After all, you wouldn’t tip an entire plate of pasta on your lap just because you spilled some sauce on your top would you?

5. Make resolutions measurable

Wearable technology has made it easier for us to track and measure our health goals. Most smartphones have built in pedometers to count your daily step count and there are numerous free calorie tracking apps available for download. Whatever your goal, there is a way to track progress to keep you accountable.