(BPT) - Welcome to 2025! This new year is full of opportunities to improve your life and rethink your priorities. Do you know what goals you want to achieve this year?
If you're thinking about improving your health and wellness, you're not alone. According to a recent survey, 79% of people that make resolutions focus them on their health.1
Not sure where to start? Consider the following habits to kick and adopt in 2025. This year, you can meet your health and wellness goals. Remember, you should strive for progress, not perfection. Every change you make, big or small, brings you one step closer to a better, healthier you in 2025.
What to kick
Smoking is still the leading cause of preventable disease and death, with more than 480,000 deaths per year.2 Also, on average, smoking decreases your life expectancy. However, quitting smoking can add as much as 10 years to your life expectancy.3
Quitting smoking is easier said than done. Tobacco can be a difficult addiction to kick. However, you don't have to quit smoking on your own. There are many resources at your disposal to help you stop smoking for good.
For example, visit your local CVS Pharmacy® to find smoking cessation products and resources such as gum, lozenges and patches designed to help curb your nicotine craving. As a leading health care organization, CVS® is the first national chain drug retailer to stop selling tobacco products in 2014.
As part of its commitment to helping consumers live a tobacco-free life, MinuteClinic®, the medical clinic located inside select CVS Pharmacy locations, created the START TO STOP® smoking cessation program, which provides individualized support to help patients quit smoking.
3 habits to adopt
1. Hydration: Staying hydrated is one of the simplest ways for someone to improve their health and well-being. Regular hydration can improve brain function and digestion, increase energy, prevent kidney stones and aid in weight management.4
To help you stay hydrated, keep a reusable water bottle on hand. You can even keep one at home, one in the car and one at the office, so you always have an easy way to drink water all day, every day.
2. SPF: Sunscreen isn't just for the summer. Not only can sunscreen help prevent skin cancer, but using products with an SPF of 30 or higher can also help prevent premature skin aging, wrinkles and age spots caused by too much unprotected UV exposure.5
Get into the habit of using products with an SPF of 30 or higher year-round, not just on sunny days when you're outdoors. For example, choose an SPF moisturizer to provide daily UV protection.
3. Sleep: Don't underestimate the benefits of a good night's sleep. Getting enough sleep can help people get sick less often, reduce stress, improve mood, attention and memory, and lower the risk of chronic conditions.6
If someone has trouble sleeping, going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day, even on the weekends, may help in getting into a better sleep routine. Before going to bed, people generally should lower the lights, turn off screens and do quiet, relaxing activities.
You may also need a sleep aid to help you drift off. If you're interested in exploring sleep support products that may be right for you, CVS has a variety of options to consider.
To learn more about the resources available to you to help with your healthy habits this year and get started on a tobacco-free life, visit the Stop Smoking Resource Hub at CVS.com.
Sources:
1. Gracia, Shanay. "New Year's Resolutions: Who Makes Them and Why." Pew Research Center. Access: www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/01/29/new-years-resolutions-who-makes-them-and-why/.
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "About Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking." Access: www.cdc.gov/tobacco/about/index.html.
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Benefits of Quitting Smoking." Access: www.cdc.gov/tobacco/about/benefits-of-quitting.html.
4. National Council on Aging. "10 Reasons Why Hydration Is Important." Access: www.ncoa.org/article/10-reasons-why-hydration-is-important/.
5. American Academy of Dermatology Association. "Sunscreen FAQs." Access: https://www.aad.org/media/stats-sunscreen
6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "About Sleep." Access: www.cdc.gov/sleep/about/index.html. Them and Why." Pew Research Center, 29 Jan. 2024, www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/01/29/new-years-resolutions-who-makes-them-and-why/.
