Submitted by Thurston County Public Health and Social Services
The New Year brings many people to make resolutions to improve their health. At Thurston County Public Health & Social Services, we recognize that health depends on many factors. Thurston County Board of Health’s Thurston Thrives! initiative is bringing together community organizations in nine key areas to improve health across our community.
Still deciding on a New Year’s Resolution? Here are ten New Year’s Resolution ideas for improving your health.
1. Review and update your budget. Effective management and understanding of your finances and can improve your health. It can lower stress levels, provide you with some savings, and perhaps help you pay for that gym membership or healthier food choices, or maybe even finishing up that Bachelor’s degree you are so close to. If you are not familiar with how to create and follow a budget, make your resolution to learn how. There are free financial education classes with the local nonprofit organization, Enterprise for Equity.
2. Keep up with home maintenance. Our homes are important to our health. Proper maintenance of your home can help improve safety, indoor air quality, and provide a better quality of life for you and your family. Maybe you are not the most confident with home maintenance. In that case, make your resolution to learn some new skills.
3. Volunteer. Volunteering in your community is a great way to improve health. By volunteering, you are gaining new skills, networking, developing positive relationships, and promoting a healthy community. Volunteering is good for your soul and your résumé.
4. Take time for you. It’s no secret that stress can negatively impact your health. Taking time to lower your stress levels is a great way to improve your health. Stress reduction can include taking walks, meditating, 
yoga, pet therapy, and a hobby such as gardening, painting, hiking, playing music, dancing, and more. For stress reduction, activities away from the television and computer screens are best.
5. Buy local. A healthy local economy helps support healthy residents by creating local employment, strengthening our neighborhoods, and encouraging community connections.
6. Choose nutritious food. Selecting nutritious food rather than “empty” foods is a great way to improve your health. Your resolution can be to eat the recommended five servings (total) of fruits and vegetables daily. Or maybe resolve to eat more whole grains or more protein.
7. Reduce chemical exposures at home. There are many ways you can reduce you and your family’s exposure to toxic chemicals. Your New Year’s Resolution can be to go through your home and properly dispose of household hazardous products, to discontinue the use of scented products and take other steps to improve the indoor air quality of your home, or to switch over to nontoxic, green cleaning or safer personal care products.
8. One healthy choice a day. If you are having some difficulty deciding on a resolution. Why not choose a variety? Resolve to make one (or more!) healthy choice every day. This can help improve your health and the variety can help you stick to your resolution. Each day you can choose a healthy action as simple as taking a walk, saying no to sugary drinks, changing your furnace filter, weeding/planting the garden, any of the actions in this list and whatever else comes to mind that works for you.
9. Enroll in a health insurance plan. The past few months have been busy for many of us and getting online to the Washington Health Plan Finder website can sit on the back burner for weeks. Set the goal to sign up well before the deadline. This will allow you to take the time to compare plans and apply, rather than rushing at the last minute. Open enrollment runs until March 31, 2014. Compare plans and sign up at www.wahealthplanfinder.org
10. Get a checkup or flu shot. Getting a checkup is as good for your mental health as it is for your physical health. Even if you are not sick, meeting with your doctor to discuss your personal health can help reinforce your healthy habits and give you information to help you make necessary changes. At your checkup, you can request a flu shot. The best way to protect you and your family from the flu, is to get flu shots.
Thurston Thrives! is taking action to improve the health of Thurston County residents by working together for community action and increasing the opportunities for healthy choices. When we make healthy choices for ourselves, we are supporting a healthy community.
*Photos provided by Thurston County Public Health
