Health in the New Year

Happy family having roast chicken dinner at table

New Year’s Eve

Drink safely on New Year’s Eve

New Year’s Eve is a night when a lot of people attend social gatherings, often large public events. People typically drink alcohol at New Year’s Eve gatherings, and while many people drink responsibly, drinking until drunk or intoxicated is also common amongst people of all ages.

For more information, see Healthy Alcohol Consumption on New Year’s Eve.

Practise safe sex on New Year’s Eve

For many people, New Year’s Eve parties may involve a midnight kiss and subsequent sexual activity, which may occur when the partners are intoxicated. The risk of STI and pregnancy is increased, because intoxication reduces inhibitions and makes individuals less likely to protect themselves during sex.

For more information, see Healthy and Safe Sex on New Year’s Eve.

New Year’s Health Resolutions

Increase your physical activity

A regular exercise regime is essential for a healthy and happy lifestyle. So as we approach a brand new year, why not make your resolution this year to start an exercise regime or to enhance the regime you already maintain?

For more information, see More Exercise: Your New Year’s Resolution.

Improve your diet

The beginning of the New Year is a time when many people resolve to improve aspects of their health and lifestyle. Many will resolve to improve their diet, either because they want to reduce their weight, or because they want to improve their nutritional health.

For more information, see Improving Your Diet.

New Year’s Resolution: Quit smoking

Even though smoking carries serious health risks, a significant proportion of the Australian population continues to smoke. Many smokers attempt to quit at some stage, and each year many individuals choose quitting smoking as one of their New Year’s Resolutions.

For more information, see New Year’s Resolution: Quit Smoking.

Improve mental health

Mental health refers not only to the absence of mental illness, but also to an our ability to function in an emotionally and intellectually positive and productive manner. It includes using and developing mental skills, having a feeling of wellbeing, and being able to achieve our goals.

For more information, see Improving Mental Health.

Reduce stress

Stress is a common condition that can have serious adverse effects on an individual’s quality of life and health. It occurs when an individual feels too much pressure. Reducing stress involves both recognising the signs of stress and developing strategies to cope with it.

For more information, see Reducing Stress.

Get enough sleep

Many people underestimate the importance of achieving enough rest and sleep. Sleep restores our daytime functioning, consolidates our memories from the day and saves the body’s energy. Many different people are at risk of poor sleep and its negative effects.

For more information, see New Year’s Resolution: Getting Enough Sleep.

Spend more time with family

Spending time with the family doing enjoyable things together contributes to emotional health and wellbeing, but the past several decades have seen considerable changes in the ways and amount of time Australian families spend together.

For more information, see Spending More Time with Family.

See your doctor

Long summer holidays are an ideal time to visit your doctor. If you’ve been neglecting your health check-ups, make a New Year’s Resolution to see your doctor and get the Pap smear, blood pressure test or PSA test you keep putting off.
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For more information, see New Year’s Resolution: Go for a Check-Up With Your Doctor.

Don’t forget your regular dental check-ups

Even though many of us might think that our teeth are in good shape, regular visits to the family dentist are very important. Tackling problems early on will save a lot of bother in the long run. Visit your dentist at least once, but ideally twice, a year to get your teeth checked and cleaned.

For more information, see Importance of Regular Dental Check-Ups.

Look after your skin

Exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun is a large risk factor for skin cancer. Coming into the summer months, it is a good idea to have your skin checked for any suspicious lesions that may lead to skin cancer. Ideally you should have any new lumps or spots looked at as soon as they appear.

For more information, see Get Your Skin Checked.

Get your eyes checked

Having the eyes examined regularly is the best way to detect vision changes and ensure that the conditions underlying changes in vision are diagnosed early. Everybody should have their eyes comprehensively examined periodically by an ophthalmologist. Children should be examined more frequently than adults while their eyes are still growing.

For more information, see Eye Examinations.