Take charge of your health for a brighter and better 2026

The New Year is a time of fresh starts and new beginnings. This is why we often make a list of resolutions — goals we hope to achieve in the coming year. Often, they have to do with becoming a better person, whether that means working harder, spending more quality time with family, or vowing to volunteer some free time to a nonprofit organization.

Almost all of us include a health-related resolution or two, since there’s usually room for improvement when it comes to preventive self-care. Often, it has to do with improving our diet, exercising more, or working in strategies to balance our work and personal life better.

I too, have taking good care of my health on my mind for 2026, but what does this mean? Really, it involves being proactive about our health and making good on our commitments to ourselves.

Two of the most important pillars of health are diet and exercise — and both are surrounded by ever-changing recommendations and dubious advice. What’s the bottom line? In terms of eating, we should simply aim for eating as many whole, unprocessed foods as possible. You’re more likely to succeed at this if you cook from scratch most nights, but you don’t have to sacrifice taste or spend time that you don’t have in the kitchen ensuring you’re getting all the necessary nutrients from what you eat.

There are entire websites dedicated to cooking recipes that feature fruits and vegetables, legumes like peas and beans, whole grains, and good-for-you proteins like fish and eggs, that can all be ready to eat within 30 minutes.

Likewise, you don’t have to spend hours a day engaging in physical activity, either. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you should be getting a minimum of 150 minutes of activity per week, which works out to 30 minutes a day for five days per week. This is doable, and even enjoyable if you choose activities you enjoy, like biking, hiking, walking, swimming, or playing pickleball.

Next, getting enough rest is critical. To ensure you get a good night’s sleep, develop a good nighttime routine by relaxing with a book when getting ready for bed, enjoying a cup of tea, and say “no” to tech use in the final hours before bed.

All of these good health habits go a long way toward taming a challenge we all deal with: stress. Work worries, family responsibilities, financial concerns, and many other complexities conspire to get us off kilter, but eating well, moving every day, getting good rest, and going outside are all potent stress busters. I also place a strong spiritual relationship with God among my top priorities. It’s also important not to succumb to unhealthy habits that people often turn to deal with stress, including overeating, drinking too much alcohol, and smoking.

The other pact I am asking you to make with yourself this year is to be responsible about scheduling your annual wellness exam and any health screenings you need, depending on your gender, age, and personal health history. Developing a good relationship with your primary care provider is essential, as they can observe what, if anything, changes over time with your health, treat chronic conditions, and refer you to a specialist if needed.

Don’t delay if you should be putting your mammogram, colonoscopy, prostate cancer screening, or bone density screening on the calendar. These preventive tests are important, and those that screen for cancer are critical because the earlier cancer is found, the sooner a person can get treated. This makes for better outcomes.

Finally, for a healthier 2026, make sure you schedule all the vaccinations you or your children should be up to date on. Unfortunately, we are seeing an uptick in disease outbreaks that were previously eradicated because people aren’t vaccinating their children. These include measles and chickenpox. Adults, depending on their age should be getting their pneumonia, RSV, and shingles vaccines. Babies six months of age and older, children, and adults should also all be receiving annual flu and COVID-19 immunizations. Despite recent controversy, the science behind vaccines remains solid and they have been proven safe and effective in protecting us from disease. In the US, we have been using vaccines since the Revolutionary War and being vaccinated was once considered a patriotic duty. In fact, I was recently viewing photos from my basic training in the US Army. I saw photos of the inductees getting a series of vaccines to protect not just us, but our unit.

Taking care of yourself and your family is the best investment you can make for your health in 2026. I and the entire staff at Highlands-Cashiers Hospital and Eckerd Living Center are dedicated to partnering with you for better health this year — and every year.

Tom Neal, RN, MBA, MHA, is the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) of Highlands-Cashiers Hospital. Neal is a proven leader with more than 30 years of progressive healthcare experience. Prior to his role at Highlands-Cashiers Hospital, he served as Chief Executive Officer of both Berwick Hospital Center in Berwick, Pennsylvania, and Greenbriar Valley Medical Center, Ronceverte, West Virginia, which are each part of Community Health Systems (CHS). Tom has an MBA from the University of Louisville, MHA from the California College of Health Sciences, BSN from Regents College of New York and an ADN from Jefferson Community College.