6 tips for your wellness mission

6 tips for your wellness mission

It can be hard to make good choices, especially in tricky social situations. Whether you’re eating healthier, quitting smoking, or drinking less, load up your mental rusksack with these tips to help stick to your goals.

1. Recognize—Ask yourself: Who? Where? What? When? How? Before you go out, evaluate possible stumbling blocks and make a plan to battle those risks.
2. Rehearse—Practice saying “no.” Practice might not make perfect but it can make things easier.
3. Repeat—Sometimes people might ask again or insist. Keep saying “no,” and use direct eye contact to be more assertive.
4. Reinforce—Recruit a battler buddy to support your mission. Ask her or him to help run interference if others get pushy. Or consider leaving an event together if your urges to give in are getting too strong.
5. Replace—Replace less healthy actions with healthy ones. Try going to a movie instead of a bar or inviting friends over for a healthy meal instead of eating out. Or swap beer or soda for water.