January is often a time where we set new goals and start new healthy habits, but for some it can be a difficult month to get motivated.

That's why we asked Leeds Rhinos Foundation's Health Improvement Officer, Amy Livingstone, for some tips for looking after the mental and physical health of staff. Amy works with the charity Rugby League Cares who helps all Super League clubs with mental health provision for staff and beneficiaries.

Leeds Rhinos Foundation have just joined the Levelling the Playing Field network after launching a sport and education project inside HMP YOI Wetherby in West Yorkshire. 

Here are Amy's tips for frontline staff working in the sport and criminal justice sphere - which are equally applicable to participants.

1. 1% changes add up. Don’t feel like you have to make big goals for the year. Pick one small achievable change you can make in January.

e.g. If you switch caramel syrup in your daily coffee to be sugar free you would be saving 54 grams of sugar every month - equivalent to 13 and a half teaspoons of sugar. Across the year this would add up to 648 grams of sugar or 162 teaspoons.

2. Getting active doesn’t have to mean going to the gym. Breaking up our sitting time with small bouts of activity is just as effective. Set yourself a challenge to write down a list of exercises you can do (e.g., star jumps), set a timer on your phone for every half an hour and complete one of the exercises from your list.

3. Do you struggle to decide what to eat and end up going for something that is quick, convenient and potentially not the healthiest choice? Have a go at creating a meal plan, this way you will find it easier to stick to a budget when you shop and make more consistent healthier choices. You are less likely to lose motivation with your meal choices.

4. If you have something on your mind that you might be overthinking, or it is starting to become a worry, then write it down on a piece of paper. Rather than looking at this negatively, turn these into positive items for a to-do list the following day.

5. In a similar way to your goals these tasks can be broken down into smaller more manageable steps. Draw yourself a ladder on a piece of paper, put the task that you would like complete at the top and then break it down into achievable steps to write onto your ladder. Tick each one off and you will have completed your full task.