Mid-year review time: Hit your health resolutions!

Queenslanders can get back on track with their health resolutions using these tips from Cancer Council Queensland CEO Ms Chris McMillan.

Setting goals is easy; the hard part is accomplishing them.

Now we are halfway through the year, it’s the prime time to revaluate your resolutions and improve your health and wellbeing.

Here’s a couple of tips to help you revisit your goals and reengage your pursuit of them.

One, reflect on previous health habits. Consider your current state of wellbeing and what you have achieved since the start of the year. Are you happy with where you are? Do you need to adjust what you are doing to get to where you want to be?

Two, stay positive. Progress is progress no matter how small. If your initial goals were too lofty, perhaps a little tightening is in order. If you wanted to run a marathon, and still haven’t left the house for a jog, consider mini-resolutions. Register to run a 10k, then a 15k, and so on. Hitting milestones along the way will help keep you motivated.

Three, reset and prioritise. How do you keep goals alive? You need to consistently evaluate, reset and prioritise them. Aim to set specific, measurable, attainable goals and develop a plan of action to achieve them. Taking a hard look at objective measurements, such as body fat or 10km run time, can help with this. If your life has changed since the start of the year, the objective measurements you are trying to reach may no longer be compelling. If you’re tracking to exceed your target, there could be value in expanding it, or you could work on accomplishing your goal early and set a new challenge for the rest of the year.

Four, maintain consistency and remove distractions. Implementation, through routine and consistency, is key to achieving goals. Remove the distractions that are hindering your efforts and block out time in your schedule to work on your objective – whether that’s using your lunch break to sneak in a midday yoga class or swapping sedentary activities for active ones on the weekend. Use a journal or app for habit-tracking to keep you accountable.

There’s no time like the present to live your best, healthiest life.

Remember, at least one third of all cancers can be prevented through simple healthy lifestyle changes, including being active, eating well, limiting alcohol, quitting smoking and staying SunSmart.

More information about Cancer Council Queensland and healthy living is available at cancerqld.org.au.

For more information or interviews, please contact: