BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — New year’s resolutions are all about bettering yourself, checking in. Many go straight for the health and wellness route.
"How you’re caring for yourself, how you’re doing nutritionally or with your diet, how you’re doing with sleep and relaxation," said Dr. Richard Charles, Chief Medical Officer at General Physician.
A lot of people tend to take wellness into their own hands, or put it off.
"People will say, the day after a holiday, jeez it’s a terrible time to come to a doctor. I actually think it’s a great time. I want to see people sort of when they’re at their lowest or worst because that’s a great starting point," said Dr. Charles.
He says since the beginning of the pandemic—fewer people have been coming in for screenings and check ups.
"Between the teens and the 60s is where people don’t go to the doctor, particularly men," said Dr. Charles.
So here are 7 tips to better wellness, physically and mentally in 2022.
Tip #1: Give yourself a break
Elizabeth Woike-Ganga, LCSW at best self behavior health says it’s about having compassion for yourself.
"The pandemic is really dragging on now and folks are putting a lot of pressure on themselves to make some big goals and achieve them right away, remember we’re all going through this together," said Woike-Ganga.
"Make sure there’s time for yourself, to do something for yourself every day,” said Dr. Charles.
Tip #2: Make a game plan with your doctors
Dr. Charles says a lot of people come in with weight loss goals or wanting to get off of medications and that many of these things are possible with a plan, come in with a list of things to address.
"Where are you with cardiovascular risk, where is your cholesterol, blood pressure, glucose.Set up a gameplan of what tests you should have, what procedures. We all make time to look at our portfolios for retirement, we should take time to look at our portfolios for our health," said Dr. Charles.
Tip #3: Set small, achievable goals
"Improving your sleep, going to bed a few minutes earlier, a walk a couple times a week, stretching for 15 minutes in the morning, practicing gratitude maybe for 5 minutes a day,” said Woike-Ganga.
Tip #4: Schedule your screenings/check ups
- Breast Screening
- Colon Screening
- Vaccinations
- Cervical Screening
- Prostate Screening
- And more
"There definitely has been a decline in critical screenings...you really have to assess," said Dr. Charles.
Tip #5: Assess the people in your life
"Maybe they are giving you negative messages that are not useful for our own mental health...maybe limiting contact with some of those people," said Woike-Ganga.
Tip #6: Assess your medications
"All the supplements you're on, are the medications you're on the right medications, do they interact, are they at the right doses, are they being monitored correctly," said Dr. Charles.
Tip #7: Know when to ask for help
"If you're seeing that symptoms are interfering with your ability to function, not being able to sleep, sleeping too much, problems with appetite or any kind of suicidal thoughts, it's important to get into treatment right away," said Woike-Ganga.
