New year, no pressure: 7 resolutions you’ll actually want to keep

It’s a new year and we’ve all mentally drafted a list of resolutions that will turn us into better versions of ourselves overnight. You know, the one you’re banking on to release the yogically zen, chia-seed sprinkling, cook-from-scratch, lunch-break-spin-class life boss inside. Excuse us, but we think that’s bull and, more to the point, we think you’re doing pretty bloody great already. So…what if you didn’t make a list? What if you just exercise when you have time? Eat as healthily as your busy job allows. Hell, even snack on some pumpkin seeds now and again. And instead, focus your attention on small, achievable resolutions that will make you feel good about yourself; you’ll start the year positive AF and without added pressure, you might just have your best year yet. Suggestions incoming…

• 1 Make a gratitude list

  January 1st – great night, stonking headache. You’ll be tempted to hate on your life, berate the person who invented tequila and vouch never to drink again. Since the rest of the world is wallowing, you will too. Thing is, a positive outlook can improve your health (and if your health ever needed improving, it would be on Jan 1st). A gratitude list can help with positivity, even if your head’s pounding like a jackhammer. It’s simple, list out as many things as possible that you’re grateful for. We’ll start you off – January 1st was a Monday and you were be in bed with Netflix or cradling a Bloody Mary at the pub. Desk? What desk?
• 2 Reclaim Sunday afternoons

  At 4pm on Sunday, you wave goodbye to your weekend as Sunday night fear creeps in. You remember the things you cheerfully left for Monday last Friday and are tempted to open your email to get a headstart. Stop right there! Your weekend is yours and it’s not over until your alarm sounds Monday morning, so try to maximise it. Book a Sunday night massage, do a #Sundayfacial or have a bath. The more zen you stay on Sunday – with the help of a little self-care – the better Monday will be.
• 3 Experience a grown up first

  Just before Christmas, we got chatting to a pretty cool woman in our office. On holiday with her husband in Wales, it snowed. A lot. Said woman made her very first snowman and, at 33, absolutely loved it. Hearing about it, we remembered how kickass snow days are when you’re a kid. There’s a lot of fun to be found in doing something for the first time as a grown up. It doesn’t have to be big, but you do have to celebrate doing it. By reflecting on all the things you haven’t yet done, you’ll rediscover life’s possibilities.
• 4 Find new ways to deal

  There are always going to be things in your life that bug you, but finding new ways to deal with them is a real life hack. Yes, the Central Line is an unbearable furness full of fellow grumps, but following a mindfulness app could help you peace out to it. It’s hard going back to the office after a week off, so chat to your boss about hot desking to mix things up a bit. Honestly, these little things could change everything.
• 5 Detox from social media

  You reach for your phone first thing in the morning and are on it last thing at night. Aren’t we all?! While it can be a source of inspiration (most saved to our ‘inspiration collection’ at the moment – @the.pinklemonade), it can also be a source of anxiety. Constantly comparing yourself to others will make you feel inadequate when you’re really something quite special. Try banning your phone from the bedroom or having a couple of phone-free hours a day. It might sound like insanity – how will people contact you?! – but we tried it and were surprised by the effects.
• 6 Allow yourself downtime

  Sometimes we feel that there’s no gain without pain. Untrue. Treating your body as a temple can mean sweating it out at the gym; hitting up HIT etc., but it doesn’t have to. You should stay healthy by exercising, sure, but allow yourself down time. Don’t give yourself grief for taking a break or needing to be alone. Instead of overcommitting on your weekends, why not book in a body scrub or a spa day, choose a good book and chill hard.
• 7 Start small – try a new colour

  To us, one of the worst things about resolutions is that they’re often so hard to achieve, they’re easy to break. The good thing about them? If you don’t break them, you feel a real sense of achievement. So…why not make resolutions that are easier to stick to? Try a new nail shade and really flaunt it; cut a couple extra inches off your hair (it grows back); or experiment with makeup. They may seem small (because they are) but these little rut-breaking actions can make you feel in control and help you make bigger decisions.