New Year's Resolutions?
Every year, millions of us set out with the best intentions: this will be the year we finally lose weight, we will definitely go to the gym more often, and we will eat better than ever before. These are familiar refrains at the start of January — and familiar disappointments by mid-month.
The hard truth about traditional resolutions
Research across multiple studies highlights how rarely these lofty intentions turn into lasting change. Around 45 per cent of adults make New Year’s resolutions, but only about 8–9 per cent actually achieve them over the course of the year. Most people stop actively pursuing their goals long before then, with many abandoning resolutions within weeks of setting them. By the end of January or early February, a sizeable majority have already stepped back from those gym visits, strict diets or other ambitious changes they pledged to make.
Why this pattern repeats
There are clear psychological and behavioural reasons behind this. Goals framed around distant results — “I’ll lose X kilograms” or “I’ll train every day” — are often too broad or overly demanding. Motivation can be high on 1 January, but without a specific plan or gradual habit formation, resolve quickly wanes.
A different approach: prioritise your mental wellbeing
Rather than chasing traditional resolutions that tend to collapse under pressure, consider choosing a more foundational focus this year: your mental wellbeing. This isn’t a lesser goal. It’s the platform from which all other meaningful change becomes far more achievable. Start by prioritising three key areas.
1. Prioritise sleep
Sleep is fundamental to mental wellbeing because it allows the brain and nervous system to reset, regulate emotions and manage stress effectively. When you sleep well, emotional experiences are processed rather than left unresolved, reducing reactivity, anxiety and low mood. Adequate sleep lowers stress hormones, supports clearer thinking and improves focus and decision-making, making everyday challenges feel more manageable. It also softens negative self-talk and increases emotional resilience, helping you respond with greater calm and self-compassion. Prioritising sleep isn’t a luxury; it’s a vital foundation for a balanced, resilient mind.
2. Get outside in nature
Time in natural environments has measurable benefits for mental health. Regular exposure to green space reduces stress hormones, lowers anxiety and increases feelings of calm and clarity. Getting outside isn’t about jogging seven days a week! Being outdoors can heighten motivation and improve mood, making healthy choices feel less like chores and more like life-enhancing habits.
3. Do more of what brings you joy
This might sound simpler than a list of traditional resolutions, but joy is not trivial. Activities that light you up — creative pursuits, social connection, hobbies you’ve neglected — feed your emotional wellbeing. Sustained joy fosters resilience. Who wouldn’t want to feel energised and engaged with life?
These three pillars of mental wellbeing are not just feel-good add-ons. They are processes that support physical health, reinforce habits and strengthen self-efficacy. Prioritising them gives you the psychological foundation to make enduring changes, even in areas that have disappointed you in the past.
A powerful first step
If you want to make this year different, invest in something that will nourish your wellbeing and expand your support network: book a ticket to Woman Up on Saturday 31 January. This event is more than a date in the calendar — it’s an opportunity to step into a space in the company of like-minded women, with experiences and practices that help you feel fantastic. Walking into the year with purpose and community can make all the difference, and for many people it becomes the catalyst that turns intention into action.
By shifting the focus from strict performance goals to mental wellbeing first, you give yourself the best chance of lasting change. Sleep better. Spend time outside. Do more of what brings you joy. Everything else becomes easier from there.
