Happy New Year. May it be filled with joy, love, good health, kindness and prosperity.
This is a hodgepodge of things to think about and consider for the year ahead.
Let’s start with the polar vortex that may have already arrived in your part of the country or it’s on the way.
Prepare for Extremely cold temperatures and winter storms: People with chronic conditions, the elderly and the very young are most at risk from extreme cold, so preparation is key, particularly if you live in an area that seldom experiences frigid temps, let alone snow.
• Every state has some form of alert system. If you aren’t registered for it, you can do a quick search using your state’s name and “alert system.” Sign up so you receive notifications about weather, and other type of emergencies in your area.
• Prepare for power outages
• Have enough nonperishable food, water and medications to last for three days
• Update your first-aid kit
• Gather up your warmest clothing and blankets
• Keep your phone charged
• Minimize the time you and your pets spend outside: If you are going out, take precautions and dress appropriately
• Make sure your heating system is in good working order.
• Insulate pipes
• Open sink cabinets to expose pipes to heated air and disconnect hoses and sprinklers to prevent pipes from freezing and bursting.
• If you use a generator make sure it has sufficient fuel
• Have a back-up plan of where you can go if your home isn’t winter ready
• Check on neighbors, family and friends
Learn more ways to prepare:
• Don’t Be Frozen Out of Preparedness, Be #WinterReady
• Winter Weather Safety from the National Weather Service
• Check local resources, particularly if you live in an area that rarely experiences cold temps, as many states are issuing guidelines along with information on warming shelters.
Bird Flu: Yup it could be a thing though the risk to public health is low. Here are two steps to take to prevent it.
• If you work closely with sick or dead birds or animals, wear PPE (personal protective equipment).
• If you drink or cook with milk, use pasteurized products.
Dry January: Whether you’ve given up alcohol for the month, or are contemplating doing it, there are lots of health and financial benefits as well tips and resources to make it easier. While a few links are listed below, check out local resources from your health department, hospital, clinics etc. Having local resources can be very helpful. A few links and a video to consider:
Try Cognitive Shuffling for better sleep: Wake up in the middle of the night and have trouble falling back asleep? The Cognitive Shuffle—Serial Diverse Imagining (SDI)—is a technique designed by Dr. Luc P. Beaudoin to help people get to sleep. It scrambles your thoughts. This helps you keep your mind off issues that prevent you from sleeping. Also, because The Cognitive Shuffle gets you to imagine random objects, the sleep regulators in your brain may be tricked into thinking that it’s time to fall asleep. The Cognitive Shuffle involves thinking of random items that are easy to visualize, non-threatening, and conducive to sleep. I’ve been doing this for a while and find it does work. Last night, I tried this video and was asleep well before it finished.
To make or not to make resolutions. NPR’s Life Kit has a good post on this topic: New Year’s resolution ideas 25 fun and practical goals to reach for in 2025. Speaking of NPR, their article 9 Unexpected Things We Learned about Mental Health and our brains in 2024, is an interesting read with some tips that might make for some good “resolutions.”
5 nutrition goals that are better than weight loss: Losing weight is a popular New Year’s resolution, yet few keep to it. However, research shows that if you do things differently-adding instead of subtracting (e.g. eating more fiber)-you are more likely to be successfully. Check out the Popular Science article on ways to add instead of subtract.
Finances: Always an issue, regardless of the year, for many, NPR has some good suggestions: 5 financial habits to leave behind for a more prosperous new year.
