Teens: New year, new you? How to make resolutions for 2020 that work
The Internet and social media bombard adolescents with recommendations to be their “best selves” for 2020.
Teen Vogue suggests adolescents “can improve fitness.” A Huffington Post teen blog lists “read more books.” And the quirky website liveabout.com has a list of nebulous goals, such as get healthy, get happier and be a better person.
Those miss the mark.
“Any resolution stated vaguely is less effective,” said Martin Hagger, doctor of health psychology at University of California, Merced. His area of expertise is adolescent decision-making for health.
“Planning, being specific, social support and enjoyment are evidence-based factors of what someone can stick to,” Hagger said.
For example, instead of saying, “I want to be more active,” state specific goals, such as “I’m going swim 30 minutes every day.”
Child development experts state that making New Year’s resolutions can be empowering for adolescents, because they can learn how to set goals and steadily work toward them.
Teens can (and probably should) recruit their parents to help carry out resolutions, not just from logistics of driving them to an activity, but also as moral support.
However, kids should choose their own, as those imposed by others, including parents, are unlikely to be successful.
Hagger also said, “Make resolutions with friends.” A social component, such as having a companion, helps.
“Peers can make or break resolutions,” said Hagger, “If they criticize it, they may subvert it (the resolution), but they can also be a powerful positive influence.”
Suggested resolutions for teens for healthy living
“The obvious ideas (for resolutions) are the ones to help meet guidelines for physical and psychological health,” said Hagger.
This includes the general areas of physical activity, eating a balanced diet, avoiding substance abuse and judicious use of screen time.
The goals should start small and be measurable and realistic, which can help ensure success. Those little victories can help build the teen’s self confidence and set the foundation to take on bigger goals.
Following Hagger’s guidelines, here are a few examples to help craft healthier habits for 2020:
1. Increase physical activity
Obesity and being overweight is an epidemic for children and teens in the U.S., affecting about 1 in 5 children, ages 2 to 19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC.
But, not getting enough physical activity is a problem for teens of all shapes and sizes, as only 1 in 4 school-age kids get the recommended 60 minutes of daily vigorous physical activity.
Being a juvenile couch potato increases the risk of long-term health problems, such as diabetes and heart disease. Increasing activity can not only improve physical health, but also mental health well-being, according to Mayo Clinic researchers.
Example resolution: “I’ll ride my bike for 60 minutes every day after school.”
2. Eat a healthy diet
Adolescents are notorious lovers of junk food, which is often high in calories, salt and processed sugar with little or no nutritional value. Fewer than 1 in 10 teens eat enough fruits and veggies.
Example resolution: “I’ll eat 2 servings of fruits and 2 servings of vegetables every day.”
3. Avoid illicit substance use
By senior year in high school, more than three-fourths of teens have tried an illicit substance. Alcohol, marijuana and tobacco are the most common. Vaping and the use of e-cigarettes have increased to epidemic levels in the past few years. All of these substances have detrimental effects on the still-developing adolescent brain.
Peer pressure is a big contributor to adolescent substance use, so it’s a good idea for an adolescent to have a safety plan before being in a pressured situation, such as a party. The National Institute for Drug Abuse has a blog for teens with tactful tips to get out of a tough situations, such as the one in the example resolution.
Example resolution: “When I go to parties, I’ll carry a bottled drink, such as a soda, so others are less likely to pressure me to get an alcoholic drink.”
4. Prudent use of screen time
The average screen time for teens, not for school work, was almost 9 hours a day in a 2016 survey from Common Sense Media, a nonprofit that promotes safe media use for youth. About 95% of teens own or have access to a smartphone and 45% self-reported that they are on the Internet “nearly constantly,” including when they’re doing other activities.
Although there are positive aspects of electronic devices, research has shown that frequent use can have negative effects on health, including increased risk for depression, poor sleep and physical ailments.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than 2 hours of “recreational” screen time per day and that cell phones should not be in kids’ bedrooms during sleep.
Example resolution: “At bedtime, I’ll place my cell phone in the kitchen, and not sleep with it.”
The same principles can be applied to almost any topic for a New Year’s resolution.
Teens should tackle an area that they care about with an activity that sounds enjoyable, set clear goals, recruit support from parents and collaborate with a friend to jump start resolutions for 2020.
This story was produced with financial support from The Stanislaus County Office of Education and the Stanislaus Community Foundation, along with the GroundTruth Project’s Report for America initiative. The Modesto Bee maintains full editorial control of this work.
