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When you’re overwhelmed and pressed for time, you have little room to fit in changes that can positively impact your overall health and happiness. Incorporating these three strategies can help you create more time in the new year for what brings you joy.

Tackle email overload.

The average person spends 28 percent of his or her workday answering email, according to a report by McKinsey. Reduce inflow by unsubscribing to e-newsletters and turning off social media notifications. Reply to emails as they come in, deleting all irrelevant emails on the spot. Move emails that require follow up to just one separate folder. Filing emails in multiple folders takes up 10% of time spent on emails. Instead, the time management firm recommends using the search function to locate old emails.

Step back from screens and social media. 

A study by MediaKix found that the average social media user spends almost two hours per day on various apps and platforms. This time has health consequences, too. A survey of young adults published in Depression & Anxiety found social media use was associated with increased depression. The National Sleep Foundation cautions that electronic devices can disrupt your circadian rhythm, making it harder for you to fall asleep. To cut back, download social media-limiting apps to lock you out after a set time. Newer smartphone models also allow you to set screen time limits.

Stop multitasking.

You might think multitasking makes you more efficient. The exact opposite is true, especially where at least one complex task is involved. Multitasking hurts your productivity because it contributes to mental overload. Switching between tasks can cost as much as 40 percent of your productive time and can also contribute to serious mistakes, according to the American Psychological Association. To limit distractions, turn off your phone and your email notifications while you work. Instead, set regular intervals (like the top of every hour) where you check emails and voicemails.

You show up for your baby’s two-month well-child visit, knowing that some vaccinations will occur during this appointment. But when you learn that your tiny infant is scheduled to be vaccinated against six diseases at once, you may wonder why they need so many in a single go.

But there’s good reason for it. Your pediatrician is following the comprehensive immunization schedule, developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Because babies have immature immune systems, they are more at risk of serious complications, or even death, from certain diseases. By immunizing them according to the CDC vaccination schedule, you are giving your baby the best protection possible against these diseases.

What is the vaccination schedule?

The CDC vaccination schedule is a standardized plan of vaccines, including dates and doses, to provide your child with the immunizations that will help build up his or her immune system — and help your baby build immunity to certain diseases as soon as possible. Doctors all over the country rely on this schedule to determine when children should receive vaccines for diseases ranging from polio to diphtheria.

Early Childhood Vaccine Schedule, Per the CDC:

Age	Recommended Vaccinations
Birth	Hepatitis B (1st dose)
2 Months	Hepatitis B (2nd dose); rotavirus (1st dose); diphtheria, tetanus, & acellular pertussis, also known as DTP (1st dose); haemophilus influenzae type b (1st dose); pneumococcal conjugate (1st dose); inactivated poliovirus (1st dose)
4 Months	Rotavirus (2nd dose); DTP (2nd dose); haemophilus influenzae type b (2nd dose)
6 Months	Hepatitis (3rd dose); DTP (3rd dose); pneumococcal conjugate (3rd dose); inactivated poliovirus (3rd dose)
12 Months	Haemophilus influenzae type b (3rd dose); pneumococcal conjugate (4th dose); measles, mumps, and rubella (1st dose); varicella (1st dose); hepatitis a (1st dose)
15 Months	DTP (4th dose)
18 Months	Hepatitis B (3rd dose); DTP (4th dose); inactivated poliovirus (3rd dose); hepatitis A (2nd dose)
4-6 Years	DTP (5th dose); inactivated poliovirus (4th dose); MMR (2nd dose); varicella (2nd dose)

In addition to the vaccines that babies receive at their well-child visits, the CDC recommends that children six months and older should receive annual flu vaccines.

Why does the CDC recommend that babies and kids get so many vaccinations at once?

To trigger your child’s immune system to build up an appropriate antibody defense to the diseases they’re being vaccinated against, most of the recommended immunizations need to be administered several times.

Is it safe for my baby to get so many vaccines at once?

Yes. The CDC has done meticulous research to determine the best way to safely, effectively administer these immunizations and help your child stay healthy. The result is the current schedule.

Why can’t I delay some of these immunizations by spreading them out over a longer period of time?

Because of their immature immune systems, babies have the highest risk of serious complications with many of these diseases. Any delay leaves your baby more vulnerable than need be to the diseases they are being vaccinated against, which increases the risk of serious health issues. This is why public health agencies throughout the country, including the New York State Department of Health, warn against delaying vaccination.

How does vaccinating my child help protect other people? Aren’t they protected by their own vaccines?

Having your child vaccinated on the recommended schedule helps to promote what experts call “herd immunity.” When you and your family are immunized against vaccine-preventable diseases, you are far less likely to contract those diseases, and therefore far less likely to spread them to the people around you. This helps protects your entire community, or “herd.”

This herd immunity is especially important for protecting babies who are too young to be fully vaccinated and individuals who’ve been advised by their doctor to delay or avoid certain vaccinations due to serious medical conditions (such as severe allergies or Guillain-Barré Syndrome). Herd immunity is also critical for protecting anyone (regardless of age or vaccination status) who has a compromised immune system — including patients living with cancer or HIV/AIDS.

If you have any concerns regarding the vaccine schedule, talk to your local Good Neighbor Pharmacy pharmacist or pediatrician.

The views and opinions expressed above are those of the author and do not necessarily represent that of AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation. The content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, prescribe or treat any health condition and should not be used as a substitute for consulting with your health professional.

Multivitamins can’t take the place of eating a variety of healthy foods. Foods provide fiber and other important ingredients for good health. But people who don’t get enough vitamins and minerals from food alone, who are on low-calorie diets or who avoid certain foods (such as strict vegetarians/vegans) might consider taking a multivitamin. Healthcare providers might also recommend multivitamins to patients with certain medical conditions.

Some people might benefit from taking certain nutrients found in multivitamins. For example:

• Women who might become pregnant should get 400 mcg/day of folic acid from fortified foods and/or dietary supplements to reduce the risk of birth defects of the brain and spine in their newborn babies.
• Pregnant women should take an iron supplement as recommended by their healthcare provider. A prenatal multivitamin is likely to provide iron.
• In postmenopausal women, calcium and vitamin D supplements may increase bone strength and reduce the risk of fractures.
• People over age 50 should get recommended amounts of vitamin B12 from fortified foods and/or dietary supplements because they might not absorb enough of the B12 that is naturally found in food.

Talk with your healthcare provider about whether a multivitamin is right for you.

Source: National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements

 

Lose weight? Check. Start exercising? Check. Stop smoking? Check.

It can be daunting when your list of New Year’s Resolutions is as long as your holiday shopping list. In addition to the post-holiday slump, not being able to keep your resolutions by February, March or even late January may increase your anxiety. When your holiday decorations are packed up and stored away, the frustration of an unused gym membership or other reminders of failed resolutions can make the later winter months feel hopeless.

However, it is important to remember that the New Year isn’t meant to serve as a catalyst for sweeping character changes. It is a time for people to reflect on their past year’s behavior and promise to make positive lifestyle changes. “Setting small, attainable goals throughout the year, instead of a singular, overwhelming goal on January 1 can help you reach whatever it is you strive for,” says psychologist Lynn Bufka, PhD. “Remember, it is not the extent of the change that matters, but rather the act of recognizing that lifestyle change is important and working toward it, one step at a time.”

By making your resolutions realistic, there is a greater chance that you will keep them throughout the year, incorporating healthy behavior into your everyday life. APA offers these tips when thinking about a News Year’s resolution:

Start small 

Make resolutions that you think you can keep. If, for example, your aim is to exercise more frequently, schedule three or four days a week at the gym instead of seven. If you would like to eat healthier, try replacing dessert with something else you enjoy, like fruit or yogurt, instead of seeing your diet as a form of punishment.

Change one behavior at a time

Unhealthy behaviors develop over the course of time. Thus, replacing unhealthy behaviors with healthy ones requires time. Don’t get overwhelmed and think that you have to reassess everything in your life. Instead, work toward changing one thing at a time.

Talk about it

Share your experiences with family and friends. Consider joining a support group to reach your goals, such as a workout class at your gym or a group of coworkers quitting smoking. Having someone to share your struggles and successes with makes your journey to a healthier lifestyle that much easier and less intimidating.

Don’t beat yourself up

Perfection is unattainable. Remember that minor missteps when reaching your goals are completely normal and OK. Don’t give up completely because you ate a brownie and broke your diet, or skipped the gym for a week because you were busy. Everyone has ups and downs; resolve to recover from your mistakes and get back on track.

Ask for support

Accepting help from those who care about you and will listen strengthens your resilience and ability to manage stress caused by your resolution. If you feel overwhelmed or unable to meet your goals on your own, consider seeking professional help. Psychologists are uniquely trained to understand the connection between the mind and body. They can offer strategies as to how to adjust your goals so that they are attainable, as well as help you change unhealthy behaviors and address emotional issues