I know, in the Jewish community we made our resolutions between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. We promise to learn more, daven better, be more assiduous with mitzvot and abjure lashon hara, (evil speech). That was three months ago. Are you still on track?

I like to think of secular New York’s Eve as a check-in for my resolutions. What’s working and what’s not? If I haven’t been keeping up, what needs to be adjusted?

The winter season is a great time to make resolutions for health-oriented goals. In Chinese medicine, winter is the ultimate yin: cold, quiet and dark. This time of year is for contemplation, reading, writing and consideration of the future. Imagine a lake in winter, surrounded by snow and empty, leafless trees. The lake is still but deep, with life carrying on below the surface. Use this perspective when thinking about your resolutions for 2025, preparation now, for action in the spring.

There is no need to reinvent the wheel when preparing your resolutions. SMART goals—those goals that are specific, achievable, relevant and time-bound—are most likely to be kept. Personally, I like to use a small notebook easily slipped into a pocket to track change.

Keep in mind that the most likely success comes from small changes that can be maintained over time.

Some suggestions for resolutions:

• Adopt meditation practice. Learn to cultivate stillness in this noisy world. Meditative movement, like Qi Gong, is also great. You can look up different practices on the internet or YouTube. Start with five minutes a day.
• Exercise daily. Find something you like enough to do on a regular basis. Start with 15-20 minutes a day. Keep your gear ready and accessible. I like to exercise in the morning; my sneakers and leggings are next to my bed. Keeping your gear in the car for an evening workout could be your ticket.
• Stretch twice a day, right after exercise and before bed. Your body will thank you for it.
• Make positive food choices. Say, “I will eat a cooked green vegetable with lunch and dinner” instead of “I will not eat any chocolate.” Planning your meals will avoid willpower fatigue from too many decisions.
• Journal your thoughts before bed to get them out of your head and onto the page. Use this nighttime book to include thoughts and to-do lists, an extra one or two things you won’t worry about at night.
• Work on alleviating one mental or physical issue that is causing distress. Outline the goals and possible steps in your pocket notebook. Life is too short for chronic pain.
• Get acupuncture to reset your nervous system, reduce pain and alleviate stress. Morning Light Acupuncture is in network with Horizon BCBS of New Jersey and other local BCBS plans. Acupuncture is also eligible for reimbursement on most FSA plans.

Have a happy and healthy 2025!

Sara Youner, DACM, is the owner of Morning Light Acupuncture in Springfield, New Jersey. She can be reached at sayacupuncture@gmail,com or by phone and text at (908) 400-2314.