Healthy Choices
Winter l Spring 07
more or performing random acts of kindness. Maybe
your challenge will be to reach out to friends with whom
you have lost touch.
• Emotional challenges: How often do you find yourself
thinking how grateful you are for the things in your life?
Or do you tend
to find it easier
to find things to
complain about?
If the latter is
more applicable
to you, then
challenge yourself
to practice
gratitude. Try to
list something
you are grateful
for everyday. It
could be the fact
that you have
clean drinking
water, or a roof
over your head.
If you pause and really think about it, you will probably
find you have a lot of reasons to be thankful.
• Nutrition challenge: How is your hydration level? Do
you eat enough fruits and veggies throughout the day?
If not, these are two areas on which you could focus.
Being properly hydrated is important to the overall
function of all your body systems. The
general consumption
recommendation is at least half your body weight in
ounces of water. With fruit and veggie consumption,
the recommendation is seven servings a day. If you are
currently eating only about one serving, try for two and
then increase from there. The foods we
put in our body can not only help us
maintain a healthy weight but also assist
with disease management goals.
• Financial wellness challenge: Money (and
often the lack thereof) is one of the most
stressful and common concerns adults
have. There are two ways to improve your
financial situation: make more or spend
less. Getting a raise or higher paying job
may not be the easiest thing to change
quickly, but you do have more control
over your spending habits. Changing things
like brewing your coffee at home, packing a
lunch instead of eating out and trimming down
on unnecessary expenses can put more money in your
pocket, which you can use to pay down debts or put in a
savings account. Learning to live within your means will
bring a lot of peace to your state of mind.
Another option for a New Year’s resolution is to commit
to stepping out of your comfort zone to try something you
have always wanted to do. For instance, maybe you have
been asked to make a presentation at work but you have
always been too scared of public speaking. Practice with
a trusted colleague ahead of time and go for it. While
it’s okay to have some fears, a lot of what we fear ends up
holding us back from doing something we may really
enjoy. See if you can overcome that fear and start living the
life you want by experiencing new and exciting activities.
Our Parks & Recreation Department has
so many opportunities to help you
enjoy your life more, including
fabulous facilities, sports
leagues, many volunteer
opportunities and several
wonderful events and
athletic tournaments. Visit
myclearwaterparks.com
for more information
on all Clearwater has
to offer in 2018!