ANA Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation® Blog: It’s Never Too Late: 5 Tips to Start Setting Wellness Goals
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Regardless of your age, stage, or schedule, you can start — or restart — your wellness journey.
“Caring for your body, mind, and spirit is your greatest and grandest responsibility. It’s about listening to the needs of your soul and then honoring them,” says life and business coach Kristi Ling.
Nurses often pour their energy into caring for others, sometimes neglecting themselves in the process. This can become a pattern that contributes to burnout and chronic stress, impacting your mental and physical health.
The good news is, no matter where you are in your life journey, it’s never too late to begin prioritizing your own well-being. A great first step is to join Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation® (HNHN), ANA’s free nurse wellness program.
If you have put your personal wellness on the back burner, you can take steps today toward a healthier future. With a few helpful tips, you can set goals to build resilience and restore balance. Most of these tips are paired with resources offered by HNHN. Caring for yourself will help you continue to give compassionate, sustainable care to others.
Tip 1: Do a Self-Assessment to Identify What Really Needs Attention
Just like the nursing process, your self-care process should start with an assessment. An easy way to do this is to take the HealthyNurse® Survey, part of HNHN. The survey can be found in the dark gray bar here. This can help you take stock of your current physical, mental, and social well-being. Grab your journal and note down what’s working — and what’s not — in these areas.
Once you’ve pinpointed aspects of your wellness that need improvement, you’ll need to identify the gaps in your self-care that contribute to these deficits. Consider your:
Once your assessment is complete, you can move on to create manageable goals that put you on the path to better health. If you have multiple areas of wellness you’d like to improve, work on one at a time. Prioritize them to prevent overwhelm. Once you’ve completed your first goal, then you can move on to the next.
Tip 2: Use the SMART Framework to Achieve Your Goals
One way to set an effective and achievable wellness goal is by using the SMART framework. SMART is an acronym that outlines clear steps to help you reach your goal:
Consider posting your goal on HNHN’s Commitment Wall!
Tip 3: Use Tools and Resources to Help You Succeed
Tools and resources give you the greatest chance of reaching your goals. Tech is your friend! Research shows that tracking devices and apps help you view your progress, adjust your actions, and maintain your motivation as you work toward a goal — ultimately leading to better outcomes.
While the best tool for the job may depend on your specific goal, some ideas include:
Tip 4: Friends, Family, and Coworkers Are Great Motivators
You don’t have to go it alone! Engage an accountability partner, someone with whom you share your wellness goals. Research shows that being accountable to another person helps you stay motivated. Having a wellness buddy with similar goals can also be a great resource for healthy recipes, exercise tips, and other insights.
Find a like-minded family member, friend, or team member to share in your journey, celebrate your successes, and weather the challenges with you.
Join other nurses in group wellness challenges like those found in HNHN. The friendly competition and actionable cues found in our monthly challenges can provide extra inspiration.
Tip 5: Celebrate the Wins — Big and Small
Each goal you achieve is really the culmination of many small wins along the way. It’s important to acknowledge the steps you took as well as the destination. Walking an extra flight of stairs, choosing a healthy snack, or going to bed earlier all move you closer to your long-term goal.
Celebrating your wins helps boost your mood, confidence, and motivation, keeping you on track. Some fun and healthy self-care celebrations include:
Focus on Progress, Not Perfection
Wellness is a journey. There may be twists and turns along the way. But with the right intention and tools, you can steer yourself in a healthier direction. Focus on progress over perfection and consider each day as a fresh opportunity to care for yourself.
How do you utilize HNHN to achieve your wellness goals? Share your tips with us in the comments.
Not a member of Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation (HNHN) yet? Join today!
Join our monthly challenges at hnhn.org/challenges!
Nurses often pour their energy into caring for others, sometimes neglecting themselves in the process. This can become a pattern that contributes to burnout and chronic stress, impacting your mental and physical health.
The good news is, no matter where you are in your life journey, it’s never too late to begin prioritizing your own well-being. A great first step is to join Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation® (HNHN), ANA’s free nurse wellness program.
If you have put your personal wellness on the back burner, you can take steps today toward a healthier future. With a few helpful tips, you can set goals to build resilience and restore balance. Most of these tips are paired with resources offered by HNHN. Caring for yourself will help you continue to give compassionate, sustainable care to others.
Tip 1: Do a Self-Assessment to Identify What Really Needs Attention
Just like the nursing process, your self-care process should start with an assessment. An easy way to do this is to take the HealthyNurse® Survey, part of HNHN. The survey can be found in the dark gray bar here. This can help you take stock of your current physical, mental, and social well-being. Grab your journal and note down what’s working — and what’s not — in these areas.
Once you’ve pinpointed aspects of your wellness that need improvement, you’ll need to identify the gaps in your self-care that contribute to these deficits. Consider your:
- Exercise habits
- Hobbies and personal interests
- Nutrition
- Quality of sleep
- Social life and relationships
- Stress levels
Once your assessment is complete, you can move on to create manageable goals that put you on the path to better health. If you have multiple areas of wellness you’d like to improve, work on one at a time. Prioritize them to prevent overwhelm. Once you’ve completed your first goal, then you can move on to the next.
Tip 2: Use the SMART Framework to Achieve Your Goals
One way to set an effective and achievable wellness goal is by using the SMART framework. SMART is an acronym that outlines clear steps to help you reach your goal:
- Specific: Make your goal as specific as possible. For instance, to improve your physical health, you may set a goal to walk every day or lift weights twice a week.
- Measurable: Your goal should be measurable and trackable. For example, you might set a goal to eat 40 grams of protein or 3 cups of vegetables each day.
- Attainable: Give yourself a little bit of grace with your goals! Set a goal that is achievable within your current work or life situation. For example, if you struggle to find an extra hour in the day to hit the gym, try quick exercises you can do in a few minutes at work or on the go.
- Realistic: Make sure you’re setting a goal that you want to and can accomplish. You don’t need to train for a marathon if you don’t enjoy running or you don’t have the time or energy. The process of achieving your goal should make you feel happy. This is about self-love, not sacrifice!
- Time-bound: Set a timeframe to complete your goal. This gives it a sense of urgency. For instance, decide you will schedule a night out with friends within a week, or sign up for a new class that starts within the month.
Consider posting your goal on HNHN’s Commitment Wall!
Tip 3: Use Tools and Resources to Help You Succeed
Tools and resources give you the greatest chance of reaching your goals. Tech is your friend! Research shows that tracking devices and apps help you view your progress, adjust your actions, and maintain your motivation as you work toward a goal — ultimately leading to better outcomes.
While the best tool for the job may depend on your specific goal, some ideas include:
- Holistic wellness apps to track goals related to sleep, exercise, and nutrition
- Mindfulness and mental health platforms to reduce stress and anxiety or improve focus
- Online wellness programs or communities, like HNHN, that offer tips and support to help you stay motivated
- Wearable tech like fitness trackers and smart watches that track activity and health stats in real time
Tip 4: Friends, Family, and Coworkers Are Great Motivators
You don’t have to go it alone! Engage an accountability partner, someone with whom you share your wellness goals. Research shows that being accountable to another person helps you stay motivated. Having a wellness buddy with similar goals can also be a great resource for healthy recipes, exercise tips, and other insights.
Find a like-minded family member, friend, or team member to share in your journey, celebrate your successes, and weather the challenges with you.
Join other nurses in group wellness challenges like those found in HNHN. The friendly competition and actionable cues found in our monthly challenges can provide extra inspiration.
Tip 5: Celebrate the Wins — Big and Small
Each goal you achieve is really the culmination of many small wins along the way. It’s important to acknowledge the steps you took as well as the destination. Walking an extra flight of stairs, choosing a healthy snack, or going to bed earlier all move you closer to your long-term goal.
Celebrating your wins helps boost your mood, confidence, and motivation, keeping you on track. Some fun and healthy self-care celebrations include:
- Booking a spa day
- Cooking a celebratory meal
- Creating a milestone jar to collect small pieces of paper detailing each “micro win” along the way to your goal
- Posting a selfie on HNHN’s private Facebook group of your accomplishment
- Treating yourself to a smoothie
- Upgrading your workout gear
Focus on Progress, Not Perfection
Wellness is a journey. There may be twists and turns along the way. But with the right intention and tools, you can steer yourself in a healthier direction. Focus on progress over perfection and consider each day as a fresh opportunity to care for yourself.
How do you utilize HNHN to achieve your wellness goals? Share your tips with us in the comments.
Not a member of Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation (HNHN) yet? Join today!
Join our monthly challenges at hnhn.org/challenges!
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10/30/2025 1:38pm CDT
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