How to Make New Year Resolutions You’ll Stick to!
January is a time for clean slates, making new starts and getting rid of old habits that don’t serve us.
Or at least, that’s the plan. We go into the new year full of chocolate, roast dinners, Baileys, indigestion and the will to get healthier.
But come the third week of January, when the weather is dire, the Christmas selection boxes are still there to be picked at, the fairy lights have come down and no one has the will anymore, our best laid plans seem like a distant memory. A promise to ourselves, made on a champagne-fuelled whim, that leaves us feeling nothing but guilty.
So, how do we make new year resolutions that we’ll actually stick to? Here’s our top tips for a healthy January and beyond
Be Realistic
Nothing is more certain to lead us to failure than setting an unachievable target. Telling ourselves we want to feel fitter by the Spring is far more realistic than aiming for a six-pack by Valentine’s Day. Having an unrealistic aim means that when we lift our jumper after a week and see no sign of a six-pack, we’re more likely to give up.
Instead, start gradually but with intention. Whatever your plan, be that joining a gym, using a couch to 5km running app or working out at home, practice little and often. Not so much that you strain yourself and pull a muscle, but enough that you ache. The ache is good! It’s a sign that you’ve started and that you’re on your way. Celebrate each ache!
Find Accountability
Tell everyone your intention. Shout it from the rooftops, or at least your Instagram stories. This way, you’ll have accountability as a driving force. Because who wants to go quiet when someone asks how it’s going, or have to admit that you didn’t carry on, because, well, you just didn’t?
Don’t Do it Alone
Ask a friend/partner/family member/colleague along for the ride. You’ll have more than just yourself to answer to if you don’t turn up.
Use a Mood Board
Not just for bathroom renovations and dream wedding venues, a Pinterest board or a physical mood board in the kitchen can do wonders for motivation.
Pin aspirational pictures to use as a goal. We’re not talking six-packs and unrealistic waist-to-hip ratios. We’re talking real-life goals. Follow positive social media accounts that celebrate health and wellness, rather than uber-strict weight loss “shreds” and starvation diets.
Adopt Healthy Wins
Sticking to a diet or exercise routine is hard, and can feel like there’s nothing but temptation in the way. But if we adopt other, seemingly small, healthy habits, then we’re more likely to choose healthy options in other, more significant areas:
Start the day with a large glass of room temperature water with a squeeze of lemon to kickstart a sluggish digestive system
· Add a plain green salad or vegetable to every meal to add an injection of vitamins and minerals
· Eat slowly, mindfully and without distraction from phones and TV screens to help avoid overeating
· Take the stairs, get off the tube, bus or train a stop earlier and walk around the office every hour to increase your step count with little effort
· Finish the day with intention by journaling, noting all your wins, however small, while enjoying a relaxing chamomile tea with a teaspoon of active, healing honey – when we sleep better, we’re less likely to crave sugary, carb-laden snacks the next day
You’ve got this!
