It's January, and many are taking the first steps to follow through on their New Year's resolutions. Maybe that's more time at the gym, a diet, or a weekly reading goal. Regardless, almost anyone will tell you that sticking to your goals is tough. So psychiatrist Dr. Yalda Sophie has some tips for those trying to go the distance.
Number one, don't over do it. "Most people get too ambitious," she said. For example, if you've never worked out before, don't make it your New Year's resolution to run a marathon by January."
Not only is that probably impossible, your failure will discourage you from working out more regularly — which is the real goal, not running a marathon.
The best approach, she said, is to focus on small changes that can be made over time. "You can't create a habit overnight. You can't break a habit overnight. So give yourself time." In other words, it's about the process rather than the end goal.
That way, every time you make some progress, you get a little dopamine hit. This can create a positive feedback loop that will make the changes lasting, rather than blip in January.
Sophie said this applies to a common New Year's goal: dry January.
While every person has to assess their own drinking behavior, she stressed that it's best to cut down on alcohol consumption "little by little every day" rather than going "cold turkey."
"Once you start and get the momentum going, it gets easier in the process," she said.
Monday marks 60 years since Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' speech during the March on Washington.
Cheddar News checks in with a coast-to-coast forecast of the weather for Monday, Aug. 28, 2023.
Yale says it will modify its policies regarding medical leaves of absence, including streamlining the reinstatement process for students who return to campus when they are ready.
Hawaiian Electric Co. had not insulated miles of wires, which can spark on contact, or replaced old, leaning wooden utility poles not built for strong winds.
Camp Pendleton, CA - December 05: A MV-22 Osprey aircraft is used during the annual Steel Knight training exercise on Monday, December 5, 2022 at Camp Pendleton. (Photo by Mindy Schauer/MediaNewsGroup/Orange County Register via Getty Images)
The original march in 1963 drew as many as 250,000 people and helped pave the way for the passage of federal civil rights and voting rights legislation in the next few years.
The 21-year-old man used a handgun and an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle — both if which were purchased legally earlier this year — to kill three Black people.
Idalia could approach Florida on Wednesday with winds of up to 100 mph (160 kph), according to the latest forecasts from the Hurricane Center. That would make it a Category 2 hurricane.
A judge in West Virginia ruled that abortion pill sales can be restricted.
Cheddar News checks in with a coast-to-coast forecast of the weather for Friday, August 25, 2023.
