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Midway through January is typically the time our New Year’s resolutions begin to falter and get sloppy. The promises we made to ourselves slip and fade from memory. Our resolve begins to weaken and guilt creeps in.

Do we always have to set the bar so high?

This year, when setting goals to take control of your allergy and asthma issues, aim to address the basic cause and effects of your allergy and asthma needs. Look at simple ways to take control of your allergy health and tackle the challenges in small bites. Consider the changes you should make in your health and personal well-being as adjustments to your present habits. Many people find this attitude manageable and it’s a great start for improving your health routine.

Here are a few habits to consider:

Stop Smoking

Easy to say, not so easy to do for most. Talk to your doctor or allergist for the best approach. There are many smoking cessation programs and therapies available to help you kick the habit. A quick internet search will yield many suggestions. If you or your kids suffer from asthma, you need to keep the cigarette smoke out of the house and car. This one change will have a dramatic effect on your entire health outcome, not just your allergies or asthma. Secondhand smoke is particularly harmful to kids’ lungs. Children with asthma who are exposed to secondhand smoke at home have nearly double the risk of being hospitalized than children with asthma who aren’t exposed. Do yourself and your family a favor, stop smoking.

Give Your Mental Health a Make-Over

If your emotional health is strengthened your body will feel stronger, too. This helps you to be more efficient at staying healthy. Stress has a negative impact on the body, giving way to more symptoms for allergy and asthma sufferers. Make yourself a priority when beginning new habits. It is the new habits that replace the old ones. Something as simple as getting more sleep at night can make a tremendous difference in your mental outlook. Change your evening routine to accommodate your sleep needs. Make the task realistic by instituting small changes at first, such as serving the evening meal earlier or turning off electronics at a certain time in the evening. Enlist the help of your family and let them know you can care for them better if you are well rested. You can’t pour from an empty cup.

Become More Vigilant When Eating

If you have food allergies you already read labels and watch what you eat. Take your precautions one step further and choose the most healthful variety of safe-for-allergy foods. For instance, fresh veggies over canned or home-cooked overtake-out. Also, some fats, oils, and sugars are safe to eat, but use moderation for these. Over time, these small adjustments may add up to pounds lost and a healthier digestive system. These are small steps the whole family will benefit from.

Make an Appointment with a Board-Certified Allergist

This may sound obvious, but many people think their asthma and/or allergies are under control when really, they are not.

You may also not know that allergists are trained to diagnose and treat asthma symptoms. An allergist can develop a plan tailored to your allergies and asthma to help you lead the life you want. The new year is the perfect time to set up an appointment with an allergist in your area or to check in with your allergist if you haven’t seen them recently.

Aim High and Work to Get There

Your goal of better health for better allergy control is not out of reach. Your resolve to conquer old habits may weaken or waver, but that one cheat day or a few covert puffs of a cigarette doesn’t have to wreck your entire vision of better health and fewer allergy and asthma attacks. Get back up and brush yourself off. Don’t dwell on those few setback days. Stay onward and upward to grab the prize of a new and improved “YOU.”