A happy, healthy New Year from all of us at the Reporter

Readers, be of good cheer!

The New Year is here — and the wise men and women whose counsel graces our pages through the four seasons have words to help you start your journey into 2025 feeling good and doing well by yourself.

If you’re that rare individual who can make New Year’s resolutions and stick to them, more power to you. But we’re here with some gentle guidance to remind you to treat yourself well.

You, the people close to you, and your Island surroundings can be healthier and happier starting now.

Trent Firestine, personal trainer:

Start the New Year with positive aspirations. You can start our year off simply by setting a practical intention by shifting your focus to how we want to feel.

Instead of saying I’m going to lose 20 pounds or cutting out all sugar, try something like: I’ll nourish my body with foods and movements that make me feel strong and energized. You can begin with small, manageable actions, like preparing one healthy meal at home each day or taking a short walk to clear your mind.

Pair these with a daily moment of mindfulness, whether it’s stretching, deep breathing or journaling. This will help you keep your intention grounded. Remember, lasting change comes from small, consistent steps.

Note: Good news — Trent’s Q&A column returns for 2025.

Tim Purtell, Chair of the Town Green Options Advisory Committee:

Here’s a fun resolution that doesn’t require power hikes or giving up a favorite dessert. Just meander around your yard and commit to creating a small native garden or meadow in an underused area of lawn.

While lawns provide visual and recreational open space, they offer little ecological value. Adding a section of native plants supplies habitat for threatened bees and butterflies and lessens the need for water and fertilizers.

Start by carving out a rectangle or shape of a manageable size. Smother the grass with sheets of cardboard covered with a layer of topsoil. The grass dies and you just have to dig holes in the soft cardboard. Then plant a selection of flowering perennials that bloom from spring to fall.

For inspiration, check out Uli Lorimer’s “The Northeast Native Plant Primer: 235 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden,” and let your imagination go wild.

Suzette Smith, owner of Shelter Island Pilates and Barre:

As I look ahead to the New Year, rather than make resolutions, I’ve decided to focus on personal growth in all areas of my life.

My main goal is to find and sustain inner peace. Instead of just thinking about what I want to achieve, I’m now considering who I want to become. It’s a shift from doing to being. I’m now more focused on how I want to feel, rather than just the actions I want to take. This applies to both my work and my relationships. I want to prioritize my feelings and then act accordingly.

When you aim to prioritize inner peace, gratitude, and joy above everything else, you can look forward to appreciating the simple things in life, one day at a time. I’m striving to embody grace, knowing that life is happening for me, not to me.

This shift in perspective is inspiring me to navigate through life with more ease, joy, and appreciation for all that I have, cultivating a deep sense of peace and gratitude. Wishing you all a very happy and healthy 2025, filled with peace, love, and joy!

Terry Lucas, Director of the Shelter Island Public Library:

In January I often make a resolution to read a certain number of books during the year. This year, I have decided to do things a little differently. Instead of checking my “book count,” I’ve decided to branch out and explore some different genres of books.

Why not join me this year in finding something new in the world of books? Many adults dismiss graphic novels as nothing more than comic books. But a good graphic novel uses both words and images to tell the story. (Try Roz Chast’s “Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?”)

If you prefer a more traditional format and love fiction, why not do some armchair traveling by reading a book that takes place in another country? This last year I have traveled to India, Russia, Australia, Ireland and France through the pages of a book.

Finally, young adult books can be enjoyed by all ages. You can enter into a world of fantasy or see life through the eyes of a young person. Don’t forget all of the amazing nonfiction books — history, science, true crime, and so many more are there to educate and entertain. So forget about the numbers and venture into uncharted literary worlds in 2025!

Nancy Green has a few suggestions from the Town Health and Wellness Committee:

1. Walk, walk, and walk some more. Don’t be deterred by cold weather. Bundle up and walk. This can be your time to have some solitude, time to be creative, or time to connect with friends. And don’t be bound by any particular step number.

Just choose a destination and walk there. Then come inside for a nice cup of tea or hot chocolate.

2. Be kind to yourself. Don’t beat yourself up for things you’ve said or did that you feel bad about. Probably no one noticed except you. And if they did, you can apologize. In the same way, don’t feel bad about those things you didn’t say or do.  There’s always another opportunity.

3. Remember to tell the people in your life how much you care for them. In our busy days we often forget to do this. If your parents are still alive, give them a call.  There may be people around you who are difficult to love. Show them kindness anyway.

4. Turn down the volume of politics and focus on how you can be helpful to yourself, your community, and perhaps those who are needy in the world.

5. For many people this is a difficult time. The holidays can be especially hard, particularly if you have experienced a loss. Sometimes you cannot talk to the people in your life. If you’re feeling anxious or depressed, consider talking to a professional. The Shelter Island Town social worker can be reached at 631-749-8807. You should never suffer alone.

6. We gather wisdom all the time through age and experience. Bring what you learned in 2024 into the new year. The past is past. The future is ahead of us.