However, making and working toward goals is actually a healthy practice. Being resolute, or deciding firmly to do something, can add some brightness to our lives and to the lives of others. We don’t have to wait until New Year’s Day to do it. But because it’s almost here — why not? Here are a few ideas for resolutions that can help both ourselves and others.

Service

Tabitha’s Way Local Food Pantry locations in Pleasant Grove, Saratoga Springs and Spanish Fork provide food for hundreds of Utah County residents in need every month. One in eight people is at risk of missing a meal on any given day in this state. One in seven Utah children is unsure where they will get their next meal.

“Volunteers are the heart of our organization. Whether it’s one hour or five hours, it will make a difference in your life and those you are serving in the community,” it states on the pantry’s website. Volunteers are invited to serve as individuals, families and small groups. For more information, go to tabithasway.org.

As sexual assault services team members with The Refuge Utah, volunteers are on call at specified times to meet victims at the hospital after they are assaulted. The team members provide comfort and information to the rape victims.

Volunteers with the sexual assault services team also answer phone calls that come through the rape crisis hotline. They answer questions and offer support to victims who are calling. For more information about this rewarding and important opportunity, go to therefugeutah.org.

Provo’s Food & Care Coalition has a mission to alleviate hunger and diminish the plight of poverty for those who enter its doors. The coalition’s primary objectives are to find suitable housing, teach financial accountability, facilitate an elevation in personal morals and values, and help each patron achieve their full potential.

The county’s homeless, mentally ill, learning disabled and fixed-income residents and families affected by tragedies can obtain nutritious meals at the Food and Care Coalition seven days a week. In addition, the coalition provides showers, laundry, hygiene, counseling, housing and educational opportunities. A variety of volunteer opportunities are available. For more information, go to foodandcare.org.

Read a good book lately?

I see this on many people’s social media posts as part of their resolutions: read more books. I agree! It’s difficult to find time, but reading is not only pleasurable, it also has many health benefits.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Health, some of the benefits of reading include reducing stress, lowering heart rate, easing tension in muscles and providing people with a healthy escape from stresses in the world or in our own minds.

Reading has been shown to help people be more understanding about what others are thinking and feeling. It can give us an opportunity to identify with others in similar circumstances. It has even been shown to increase empathy, improve brain connectivity and improve our general mental health. Some studies suggest that reading regularly can prevent or delay dementia. With all of the local public libraries in Utah Valley, we have literally thousands of choices of books to read.

Improving our health with sunshine

There is always room for improvement, right? We can always get healthier in wise ways. One of the best ways is to get outside for our daily dose of sunshine and movement. Many of us love the Murdock Canal Trail, which meanders through much of Utah Valley. Often, no matter the temperature, there are walkers, runners and cyclists enjoying the trail. But it’s not the only location where we can enjoy being outdoors. Find the place that works for you, even if it’s walking around your own backyard.

Watch out for each other

“One life lost to suicide is one too many,” states a recent American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Utah social media post. We can all resolve to watch out for others just a little bit more. Ask how they are doing. Look for those who seem lonely or who are struggling. Learn warning signs. Say hello. Connect with mental health professionals. If we are the ones struggling, reach out for help and embrace hope. Help can be found 24 hours a day by calling or texting the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.