Awesome. You’re living in a well-run care center. There are plenty of sessions for your rehabilitation and health upkeep, as well as all kinds of engaging activities, from arts and crafts to movies to sing-alongs. (Not to mention hot, varied, tasty meals.) All in all, you’re taken care of.  And, more to the point, you don’t have to take care of anyone else!

So, as full as your schedule may be at Rockaway Care Center, we also want you to have your own time. Since it’s the New Year time period, we encourage all residents to make New Year’s resolutions.

Ask yourself this: What would I like to do in my spare time?

Here are some suggestions of past New Year’s resolutions from our very own Rockaway Care Center residents:

1. Write a letter to people I miss and/or haven’t spoken to in a while.
2. Write a letter to make amends to my friend/family member.
3. Do my exercises on my own, not just at my physical therapy sessions.
4. Call my grandchildren once/week.
5. Call my parents every few days.
6. Call my children every few days.
7. Make an art project to send to my grandchildren.
8. Write a thank you note to my nurse and/or doctor.
9. Compliment the kitchen cooks.
10. Do my hair nicely every day.
11. Make my bed every day.
12. Watch only 1-2 TV shows maximum per day.
13. Read a novel every week/month.
14. Learn 10 words in a foreign language.
15. Write a poem about someone I love, and mail it to him/her.
16. Organize a section of my room.
17. Arrange my photos so that some are posted on a board, and others are in albums.
18. Keep a journal – daily, or at least once/week.
19. Make a card for the receptionist telling her how helpful she is.
20. Every night before going to sleep, write down three things I’m thankful for.

Celebrating the New Year is a helpful forum for rekindling sparks within us, including connecting with others to reinvigorate our relationships.  Happy New Year to all Rockaway Care Center residents!