New Year’s resolutions. Diet. Exercise. Quit smoking. Eat right. As EHS professionals, health and safety go hand-in-hand.
There are a mass of articles right now touting how 2017 finally will be your year to get fit or be healthy. They’re published to get you excited and make you sign the dotted line for that year-long gym membership.
Before you do, make a list of goals to determine if this is the right avenue before you spend hundreds of dollars. I’m not saying they’re a waste, but think about your options and determine the long-term goal you want to achieve. It’s easy to get trapped in the hype. So, it’s important to find something you enjoy to keep you on track.
Just like a safety plan, 2017 should be the year we identify the root cause(s) of why we feel the need to make a change and how we are going to follow through. How to get there is in the strategy.
For me, the group mentality has been the biggest motivator. I discovered my local running club in 2014, and since then, I run with a group at least three times a week. This is the single greatest factor that has helped me improve.
So, I wanted to start EHS Today’s EHSFIT movement with the hopes that discussing our goals, health strategies and sharing our successes will motivate us to improve and reach personal milestones at home and in the workplace.
I have numerous goals for the next year. Each week, I will use post on our website and use social media to update the EHS Today community and where I stand. I will encourage our readers who choose to participate to get involved and use the hashtag #EHSFIT to share their progress.
So, to end this week’s post, I will leave you with my personal wellness goals for 2017:
- Go as many days as possible without eating candy or French fries.
- Practice meal planning and pack my lunch as often as possible.
- Run 1,000 miles by year end.
- Achieve a time of 1:45 for a half marathon.
What are your goals? Whether they are safety or health related, we are in this together. Post here or get involved using the instructions below. I look forward to seeing your success in the next year. Good luck!
Getting Involved
1. Participate on Social Media
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/EHSToday
TWITTER: @EHSToday
#EHSFIT
Using a Hashtag
Hashtags turn topics and phrases into clickable links in your posts on your personal timeline or page, according to Facebook. This will help other EHS Today readers find you.
To make a hashtag, write # (the number sign) along with EHSFIT and add it to your post. For example: Today is a great day to be #EHSFIT!
2. Submit a Blog Post for EHS Today
Do you have a story you would like to share, but it's too long for a social media post? Submit a blog post to [email protected]. All blog posts are subject to reviews and revisions.