Dr. John Myers with Baylor Scott & White shares advice on building sustainable healthy habits after the holiday season.
TEMPLE, Texas — As the holiday season winds down and 2026 approaches, many people are thinking about New Year’s resolutions. But how do you make healthy habits actually stick?
Dr. John Myers with Baylor Scott & White says the period following the holidays is when most people are ready for a reset.
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“We’re just coming out of a season where it’s really hard to have any healthy habits,” Myers explained. “All of the holidays are lined up. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas—they all revolve around food. Most people come through the holidays and they’re just ready to start over because they just don’t feel good anymore and they want to feel good again.”
Avoid the Extreme Approach
One of the biggest mistakes Myers sees is people going too extreme with their resolutions.
“The reality is that anything that’s extremely strict, the data shows we just don’t stick with and we end up doing well for a little while,” he said. “But then when we fall off, we fall off really hard, we crash.”
Instead of dramatic overhauls, Myers recommends thinking about sustainability throughout the entire year, not just the beginning.
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The key to success is breaking down big goals into smaller, manageable steps. Try cutting down eating out by half, hitting the gym three times a week, or even just taking a walk—whatever works best for your lifestyle.
“Make them measurable,” he said. “Make them achievable. Try to give yourself a time frame to achieve them…Instead of the entire year, maybe I’m going to focus on the first month. For the next month, I’m gonna get outside twice weekly to walk for 10 minutes, then I’m gonna see where I’m at and then I can build on that.”
Set Yourself Up for Success
Myers emphasizes the importance of aligning your life with your goals. Lower your obstacles as much as possible.
“If you join a gym and it’s 30 minutes away from your house, probably not going to go there very often,” he noted. “You need to try to align your goals in a healthy way, but you have to align your life in a way that makes those healthy goals possible.”
Practical strategies can make a difference. Consider pre-ordering groceries to avoid temptation from impulse snack purchases. Put nutritious foods front and center in your refrigerator where you’ll see them first, rather than hiding vegetables and fruits in the back.
It’s Not Just Diet and Exercise
While most people focus on eating better and working out, Myers says there are other important factors to consider.
“Are they thinking about their sleep? Are they getting good quality sleep? Are they on their cell phone late at night, not falling asleep, just doom scrolling?” he asked. “How’s their emotional health? Is their anxiety under control? Is their depression under control?”
Myers stresses the importance of being intentional with your habits.
“At any point, if you are not being intentional, it’s really easy to let something that you think has become a habit slip back into the norm,” he said.
But perhaps most importantly, give yourself grace.
“Just remember that we’re all human,” Myers said. “We all make mistakes. Fall off the wagon. It’s not expected to be perfect all year. It’s expected you’re going to fall off. And when you fall off, if you can just kind of pick yourself up and be like, you know, it’s OK, I knew that was going to happen. I’m going to move on. I’m going to get back on it. I think you’ll have a much more smooth, long-term result.”
