12 Examples of SMART Goals for Health and Wellness

As the old saying goes, “Health is wealth.” Taking care of your health—physically, mentally, and socially—will set the stage for an enjoyable life. You’ll likely have a positive outlook and feel fantastic about yourself.

Naturally, supporting your health and wellness can be tricky in this day and age. There seem to be piles of responsibilities that steal away your attention.

That is why SMART goals are essential to leading a healthy lifestyle. They are your best bet for creating a solid game plan for meeting your desired results.

Not everyone has a clear understanding of SMART goals. Today in this article, we will discuss what SMART goals are and then list several examples of SMART goals for your health and wellness.

What is a SMART Goal?

SMART is a practical goal-setting framework utilized to assist people in creating specific and achievable goals.

In order to increase your likelihood of success, SMART goals are your best friend. For those unfamiliar, SMART is an acronym that stands for:

Specific

It is crucial to make your goals as specific as possible. Otherwise, you risk losing any chances of goal attainment. This is where the 5 W’s come in handy: who, what, when, where, why.

Answering each question will help you develop specific goals that inspire you to change for good. You’ll be on the right path to greatness.

Measurable

Having smaller milestones to track progress is instrumental in reaching your desired results. Why? Because setting metrics along the way will ensure you hammer away at your lifelong aspirations. You’ll actually be motivated to push on instead of losing fuel amid the journey.

Attainable

Let’s face it: Setting unrealistic goals is a disaster in the making. You’ll be highly unlikely to accomplish success in life. A better approach is to create achievable goals for yourself.

But this doesn’t mean your goals should be easy—find the right balance in terms of difficulty. Doing so will ensure your goals and objectives aren’t far-fetched.

Relevant

You should make sure your goals are related to your long-term aspirations. That means asking yourself, “What are my personal values and interests?” Once you’ve figured out the answer, develop goals that fully support your core values.

Time-Based

Each one of your goals must have a timeline to keep you accountable. Without the time-bound aspect of SMART, there would be close to zero sense of urgency. As time goes on, you might even forget your goal altogether.

12 SMART Goals for Health and Wellness

Below you will find several examples of SMART goals for better health and wellness:

1. Make Time for Self-Care

SMART Goal: I will schedule 30 minutes every day for a self-care activity. This can be anything from reading, taking a bath, or going for a walk.

Specific: The individual plans to set aside time daily for self-care.
Measurable: 30 minutes every day is a specific amount of time that can be easily measured.
Attainable: This goal is achievable and only requires a small time commitment.
Relevant: Self-care is essential for managing stress and maintaining emotional well-being.
Time-based: The goal is ongoing. It will be pursued for an indefinite period of time.

2. Get Regular Exercise

SMART Goal: Over the next 5 months, I will go to the gym four times per week and do 30 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of strength training.

Specific: This statement is specific regarding what you need to do (exercise four times per week) and how long you need to do it (30 minutes for each type of exercise).
Measurable: Track the number of times you go to the gym and the amount of time you spend doing each type of exercise.
Attainable: Going to the gym and doing cardio and strength training is a reasonable goal.
Relevant: Regular exercise has numerous benefits for physical and mental health.
Time-based: The goal is to exercise four times per week for 5 months.

3. Eat More Nutritious Foods

SMART Goal: I want to improve my eating habits. I will pack a lunch with healthy foods for three months instead of buying fast food.

Specific: You want to improve your eating habits by packing a lunch with healthy foods.
Measurable: You could measure what the person packs for lunch each day.
Attainable: This is achievable because it only requires the person to be more mindful of their food choices.
Relevant: Eating more nutritious foods is essential for overall health and wellness.
Time-based: The person wants to reach this goal by the end of three months.

4. Sleep Well

SMART Goal: Within two months, I will go to bed at 10 PM every night and wake up at 6 AM every morning to get 8 hours of sleep.

Specific: This goal is evident in that it states exactly what the person plans on doing—going to bed at 10 PM and waking up at 6 AM.
Measurable: The person will make sure they get at least 8 hours of sleep each night.
Attainable: It is definitely possible to go to bed and wake up at these times.
Relevant: The statement is appropriate because getting enough sleep is vital for health and wellness.
Time-based: The goal should be completed within two months.

5. Set Boundaries With People

SMART Goal: I want to say “no” to requests that fall outside my usual work scope for the next three weeks.

Specific: The goal-setter has a particular plan to establish boundaries with people.
Measurable: We will know this goal is on track when the goal-setter starts saying “no” to requests outside their usual work scope.
Attainable: This statement is definitely realistic and achievable.
Relevant: Setting boundaries with people will support a socially healthy lifestyle.
Time-based: The goal will ideally be accomplished in three weeks.

6. Be Forgiving to Yourself

SMART Goal: I will not punish myself for falling off the wagon. I am only human, and I may make mistakes. When I mess up, I’ll forgive myself and start again.

Specific: The person has specific actions available—not punishing themselves, being forgiving, and starting again.
Measurable: This is more of an internal measurement. You’ll know you’ve achieved this goal when you find yourself more forgiving.
Attainable: The goal is doable if you’re willing to put in the effort.
Relevant: This relates to health and wellness because it helps to reduce stress.
Time-based: This is an ongoing goal until you feel more forgiving toward yourself.

7. Do More Stretches

SMART Goal: For 6 months, I want to do more stretches every day to improve my flexibility. I’ll set a goal of stretching for at least 10 minutes every day.

Specific: This SMART statement is clear and easy to understand.
Measurable: You will know you’ve achieved this goal when you stretch for 10 minutes daily.
Attainable: You can easily meet this goal by setting aside 10 minutes each day to do stretches.
Relevant: Stretching every day will help improve your flexibility.
Time-based: Daily stretching should be done for 10 minutes until 6 months later.

8. Avoid Junk Food and Soda

SMART Goal: I want to avoid unhealthy eating habits. I will not eat any junk food or drink soda for the next three months.

Specific: There are actionable steps to avoid unhealthy eating habits, such as not eating junk food and drinking soda.
Measurable: Check to make sure you do not eat junk food or drink soda.
Attainable: This goal is realistic and achievable with some effort.
Relevant: Striving to improve your diet will help your physical health.
Time-based: You should complete this goal in the next three months.

9. Practice Meditation

SMART Goal: During the next month ahead, I’ll give myself 15 minutes each day to sit silently and center my attention on my breath. If outside noises or errant thoughts try to intrude, I’ll refocus and start again from the beginning.

Specific: You will be required to sit for 15 minutes, focusing on your breath.
Measurable: The goal could be measured by the number of days you cultivate meditation.
Attainable: Mindfulness meditation is a skill that anyone can learn.
Relevant: Meditation has been shown to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.
Time-based: You will strive to practice mindfulness every day for the next month.

10. Face Your Emotions

SMART Goal: I hope to allow myself to experience all of my positive and negative emotions for two weeks. I’ll do this by journaling for 5 minutes each day about how I’m feeling.

Specific: You will write in a journal for 5 minutes every day.
Measurable: Track your journal entries to see if you’re writing daily.
Attainable: 5 minutes is a short amount of time you can easily find in your day.
Relevant: This is relevant to health and wellness because it allows you to process your emotions healthily.
Time-based: You should do this every day for two whole weeks.

11. Take a Vacation Off Work

SMART Goal: I’ll take a vacation from work for two weeks in May. I’ll use my vacation days and will not work while on vacation.

Specific: You know precisely when and how long you want to vacation.
Measurable: Ensure you have taken at least two weeks off for vacation.
Attainable: This is feasible because you could use your PTO (paid time off) to relax.
Relevant: Your personal well-being is crucial, so this is a reasonable goal.
Time-based: Goal achievement is expected after your two-week break in May.

12. Quit Smoking Cigarettes

SMART Goal: I aim to quit smoking cigarettes by the end of this year. I’ll do this by attending a smoking cessation class and using nicotine replacement therapy.

Specific: This SMART goal explains how the individual plans to quit smoking cigarettes.
Measurable: Progress is tracked by the number of cigarettes smoked per day.
Attainable: Quitting smoking is achievable for many people willing to put in the effort.
Relevant: This is pertinent to the individual’s health and well-being.
Time-based: There is a one-year timeline for meeting your goal.

Final Thoughts

You should never disregard your wellness and health. If you often encounter difficulties pursuing your goals, then it’s essential to follow the SMART technique for a higher chance of success.

The SMART goals examples above will push you to support a healthy and positive lifestyle in all areas. You’ll soon feel an indescribable sense of joy and happiness.

As always, don’t be in a rush. Accomplishing your goals won’t be a piece of cake. Unless it’s short-term, most health and wellness goals could take years to achieve.

Be patient and stay the course. With time and dedication, your overall well-being will see a vast improvement.