New Year's Resolutions: From Stressful to Stress-Relieving

• You know you should save. Sometimes this is easier said than done.
• But when you look around and it seems like no one else is doing it, you feel alone. 
• Furthermore, it can be stressful to try to find the money to save. 
• But budgeting for your future doesn’t have to be a stressful task.

Turn your weight-loss resolutions into SMART goals . SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. Here are some SMART weight loss goal ideas:

• I will lose one pound each week until I reach XXX pounds in eight months.
• I will lose six pounds a month until I reach XXX pounds in one year.

• Losing weight is a very popular New Year’s resolution, and it's usually a great idea for overall health as well as for the fun of fitting into better clothes.
• However, especially with certain types of diets, the first days of a new diet can bring frustration (from feeling "deprived" of favorite foods), moodiness (from biological changes in your body), and the loss of a coping mechanism (for emotional eaters who can no longer eat to deal with the stress).
• It can be as stressful to be around a person who is trying a new diet as it can be to be that person, so stress management is key here as well.

• No matter what the specific change you’re attempting, New Year’s resolutions can be stressful if tackled with the traditional method of setting a high goal and trying to attain it immediately.
• When people fail once, they tend to give up.
• This makes keeping resolutions an exercise in perfectionism, which can be stressful for anyone.
• If you’d like to maintain resolutions with less stress, create a different format for your goals.
• Take baby steps, build in rewards for your progress, and make a few other minor changes and you will see greater success with less stress.