Being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis or MS is not that different from being diagnosed with diabetes or any other disease. There are certain things that must be done every day in order to maintain your health, and sometimes those get pushed aside. The New Year is a wonderful time to get back on track with positive New Year’s resolutions.

There are many ways in which you can make changes in your life, but when you stick with the changes made, the end result will usually benefit you. Listed below are fifteen New Year’s resolutions that will help those with MS have a new start in 2013.

1. Drink eight 8 oz. glasses of water daily to flush toxins out of the body.
2. Go through your medicine cabinet to check the expiration dates on all medications. Toss out all expired meds.
3. Make a list of everywhere there you may be experiencing pain. Then make an appointment with the doctor to review all areas of pain and your present medications.
4. Find something to smile about every day!
5. Start a gratitude list and a journal if you feel courageous.
6. Find a good book every month to stretch your horizons.
7. Take a Yoga class and see if it eliminates some pain.
8. Practice meditation by staying quiet for 10 minutes a day. Increase your designated time slowly.
9. Pick up a new hobby! Learn to play an instrument, painting or photography.
10. Mentor a younger person; help them with homework.
11. Try new colors in your clothing. It’s easy to get stuck in a certain style and color.
12. Clean out closets and donate to a church or thrift store.
13. Get at least 15 minutes of exercise every day. Exercise keeps the heart in shape and eliminates toxins and fats that have been stored up over extended periods of time.
14. Do more random acts of kindness.
15. Make smarter food choices by not eating foods with sugar, preservatives and steroids. Buy organic or local whenever possible.

By creating a list of New Year’s resolutions, you can begin making positive changes for the year. No giant leaps, but by taking one step at a time. Even if you don’t finish, you can take satisfaction in getting motivated to improve your entire year. What is important is breaking old habits and completing tasks that have been put off in the past. The idea of making New Year’s resolutions is not to make a list of impossible things that will never get done, but to accomplish some new tasks and expand your lifestyle.

Select one, two or three positive resolutions, and make your list. You don’t have to tackle them in the first week, but put the list on your fridge and start slowly. Don’t worry if you miss a day; just jump back in again. Nobody wants their life to get boring, and by making a commitment to change in 2013 you will prevent that.

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