You want to start the year off fresh, and that’s great. There’s a hopeful energy surrounding the New Year that makes it the perfect starting point for improvement and renewal. Just like any goals, resolutions made as the ball drops work better when you have a map to follow. Knowing how to create a wellness plan helps set you up for success throughout the year to come.
The indulgence of the holidays is behind you, and warmer weather is on the horizon (maybe the far horizon), so it’s a good time to refocus on wellness. If you want to create a diet and exercise plan for the new year, we’re here to help. Remember, the earlier you start planning, the better prepared you’ll be to achieve your goals for 2026.
How to Create a Wellness Plan for 2026
Here’s a quick outline to help you create a comprehensive wellness plan for the new year. Remember, while exercise and diet are important components for any new year wellness plan, they’re only part of the roadmap to success. Comprehensive approaches to health need to include your body, spirit and mind, so your wellness plan should reflect these as well.
Here are five critical components every wellness plan should include.
1. Set an Exercise Routine and Goal
A healthy new you means embracing a regular exercise routine. Many people around the world are falling short in this area, so all of us have room for improvement. A 2023 study by the National Institutes of Health found 30% of the global adult population isn’t meeting exercise standards as defined by the World Health Organization.
Many people embrace exercise as part of their new year wellness program and quickly lose interest, as mandated exercise can feel like an unpleasant chore. In other words, if you hate going to the gym, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to convince yourself to go there several times a week.
With that in mind, the key to getting regular exercise is to find a form of movement you enjoy. This could be going for long walks around the neighborhood, taking up a new sport like skating, rock climbing or tennis or joining a community sports team. There are even self-paced online marathons that sync smartwatch or pedometer data and mail you a medal once you meet a goal. In short, when you make exercise fun, it’ll become something you look forward to.
2. Embrace Healthy Eating
Let’s face it — almost everyone could stand to improve their diet a bit. If you’re embracing a health and wellness plan in the new year, you’re likely also looking to make some changes to your diet. It’s one of the best ways to avoid becoming part of a troubling statistic. A 2024 study cited by the American Heart Association projects more than 60% of the U.S. adult population will have some kind of cardiovascular disease by 2050.
That said, eating salad 365 days a year isn’t for everyone: A varied diet you enjoy (much like your choices in exercise) is crucial for success. Rather than a rigid approach of taking things out of your diet, consider what you can add to make it healthier. Try cooking your favorite go-to dishes with a few healthy swaps like these:
- Consider substituting low-fat milk for your coffee creamer, Greek yogurt for sour cream and olive oil for butter.
- Try Meatless Mondays to reduce your red meat intake.
- Sneak in extra vegetables whenever you can — add them to your pasta dishes, casseroles and even desserts like zucchini bread.
- Add extra protein in fun, creative ways like black bean brownies and cottage cheese lasagna.
Adjusting your mindset to adding in healthy choices rather than taking away less-healthy ones ensures your diet doesn’t feel like a punishment. This way, you can make healthier food choices while still feeling satiated. Over time, these swaps will feel so natural that you’ll likely forget you’re eating a healthier version of your favorite dish.
3. Don’t Forget to De-Stress
According to a 2024 study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 1 in 5 U.S. adults experiences mental illness each year. Those numbers indicate a need for everyone, regardless of age, to treat mental health as a nonnegotiable medical concern.
A wellness plan is about more than just what you eat and how you move; it’s also about how you feel. The more stressed you are, the more likely you’ll deprioritize your health and diet.
So in this new year, focus on reducing your stress levels. Some tools to achieve this include:
- Practicing yoga or meditation
- Journaling
- Booking massages
- Spending time with loved ones
- Minimizing screen time, including social media
4. Make Sleep a Priority
Sleep is another area you may not necessarily think of when you think of wellness, but it’s just as important as diet and exercise. To ensure you have the energy to get through your day and hit your goals, your body and mind need the opportunity to recharge.
The Centers for Disease Control recommends adults get at least 7 hours of quality sleep every night for optimal health. If you’re not currently hitting this target, try these tips for improving your sleep:
- Install blackout curtains in your bedroom.
- Stop using all screens, including phones and television, at least 1 hour before bed.
- Have a regular bedtime and wake-up time every day, including weekends, to get your body on an internal clock.
- Consider using a white noise machine.
- Invest in comfortable pillows, sheets and blankets for your bed.
5. Care for Your Mental Health
Lastly, you can’t have a wellness plan without considering your mental health. It’s just as important as your physical health, and both are closely intertwined. One can’t succeed without the other.
You can prioritize your mental health by:
- Speaking to a counselor or therapist
- Writing daily in a journal or gratitude notebook
- Limiting drugs and alcohol
- Reaching out for support when you need it
- Setting boundaries at work and in your personal life so you’re not overburdened
Don’t Forget About Goal Setting
One final tip is to set goals for each component of your wellness plan. Goals enable you to track your progress and keep you focused and motivated on the best version of yourself. A great way to do this is to follow the SMART acronym guideline for making goals. Each one should be:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Time-bound
So rather than setting a broad goal of “going for more walks in 2026,” try phrasing it closer to “I’ll go for a 20-minute walk around the block every Monday.” And don’t overcommit out of the gate; be sure to set realistic goals for your new year wellness plan. Some examples of goals like these could be:
- Exercise. Move your body for 30 minutes daily three times a week.
- Diet. Schedule Meatless Mondays all year long.
- De-stress. Spend at least 10 minutes of quality time with a family member or friend daily, whether in person or over the phone.
- Sleep. Keep a consistent 11 p.m. bedtime every evening.
- Mental health. Start writing at least half a page in your journal every day.
Ask for Help When You Need It
Now that you have your new year health tips, it’s time for reflection. Part of any wellness journey should be understanding that everyone needs help of some variety as they grow and evolve and learning the best ways to ask for it.
FHE Health is here to help you make 2026 the year you prioritize yourself and live your best life. Don’t let another year go by without getting the support and guidance you deserve. Contact FHE Health today to ask our experienced, friendly staff how to create a wellness plan that works for you.
