THE RESOLUTIONS YOU NEED TO KEEP IN 2021
While it’s admirable to promise to lose weight or cut out booze, there are more worthwhile commitments to make in the coming year. MICHELE O’CONNOR asks the experts
IT’S been a year like no other. But that doesn’t necessarily mean New Year resolutions should go out of the window. The last 12 months have taught us life can change in a moment, so try the following suggestions to make a real difference in 2021.
BE GRATEFUL EVERY DAY
“EVERY night since lockdown, my sons have gone to bed telling each other three good things from their day,” says Natalie Trice, public relations coach and university lecturer (natalietrice.co.uk).
“It’s now become a habit and has made us more appreciative as we go about our daily activities, whether it’s a dog walk, a trip to the beach, seeing a rainbow or reading a magazine.”
LEARN TO DELAY
HOW many times do you end up doing something you don’t want to do because your default mode is to say yes, asks wellbeing coach Melanie Flower (melanieflower. com)?
“Having a delaying strategy is a far better tactic than just trying to say no, which can be harder than you think,” says Melanie.
“Instead ask, ‘when en do you need to know? I’ll have a think and let t you know tomorrow’, or ‘what does it involve exactly?’
“Then you get a chance to really decide if you want to agree to it or not.”
FIX THAT NIGGLE
THIS is the thing that at preys on your mind when you wake in the night but you dither and delay about sorting it out. It could be anything from a health concern or the chaos of your work space.
Simply sorting it will not only take a weight off but will provide great satisfaction. On the flip side, if you’re stressing about something ask yourself, can I change it? “We often get worked up about things we can do nothing about – like being stuck in traffic,” says psychotherapist Uxshely Chotai at Th The Food Therapy Clinic (thefoodtherapyclinic. ( co.uk co.uk). “If you can’t ch change the thing that’s c causing the stress, t there’s no point in allowing yourself to worry about it. Focus on something else instead.”
GIVE G 10 MINUTES
DATE DA nights are all well and good, but just finding 10 minutes min a day to talk to your partner uninterrupted is more important and manageable. That means no phones, TV, kids or distractions. And let the small things go, says psychologist Lucy Beresford (lucyberesford.co.uk).
It’s easy to get into the habit of moaning about socks on the floor and dirty mugs on the bedside table. “Ask yourself if it’s really worth bringing up,” says Lucy. “It takes a lot of positives to counteract the negativity of one criticism,” she explains.
“Keep things in perspective by remembering all the sweet, thoughtful things your partner does for you.”
SAVE A PENNY
START by saving a single penny on January 1 and then put away two pence on January 2, adding a penny a day as you go. By December 31 you’ll only need to save £3.65 but you’ll have a total of £667.95 in your pot.
Try an automatic savings app such as Chip or Plum, or look at your bank account to work out how much you can set aside and then transfer small amounts to a savings account every few days. Never buy online without checking cashback sites, such as Topcashback and Quidco, while phone apps such as Shopmium or Checkoutsmart offer cashback on your in-store purchases.
SEND A CARD
STUDIES show people who are kind to others are more resilient to stress and have a more re positive outlook on life.
“Make time for a five-minute act of kindness,” says Dr Rangan Chatterjee, author of Feel Better in Five (Penguin Life, £16.99). “See it as something extra – a conscious effort to go o above and beyond what you might normally do for others.”
“You could pop by to say hello to an elderly neighbour on your way home. Or if you spot a greetings card someone you know would like, buy it and pop it in the post to them.”
HIDE YOUR BOOZE
BEING surrounded by alcohol triggers the thought processes that lead to habitual drinking.
Don’t keep white wine and beer chilling in the fridge, and stash red wine and spirits in an upstairs cupboard instead of in the kitchen.
This way it requires forethought and effort to drink rather than automatically pouring a glass.
Focus on the benefits of drinking less, such as extra money, better sleep and losing a few pounds, rather than feeling deprived.
MAKE A MICRO-ACTION
“IF something takes two minutes or less to complete, do it right away,” says wellness expert Aleksi Hoffman, author of The Book of You (Penguin, £8.99). Micro-actions are small, actionable and easy. Don’t write it down or add it to a to-do list, just do it. “It’s surprising how many simple things we put off when we could get them done really quickly,” says Aleksi. “Completing a micro-action may seem insignificant at first, but the power of accumulating small positive actions over time is remarkable.”
CUT CLUTTER
CLUTTER causes people to feel oppressed, stressed and depressed, explains Dr Trisha Macnair, author of The Long Life Equation. Every time you buy something new or bring something into your home, make sure you let something similar go.
So if you buy a new pair of shoes, then one old pair goes to charity, to recycling or to sell. This rids your home of clutter and makes you pause before spending money.
GIVE YOUR PHONE A CURFEW
AIMLESSLY looking at your phone in bed is a big culprit for sleep disruption, says sleep expert Dr Nerina Ramlakhan (silentnight.co. uk), who re recommends a curfew for ph phone use. “When we get an alert, a our brain re responds. So even if the m message is not significant, we still end up continuing to look at our phones, mindlessly following links and waking our b brain up. This is a simple str strategy for cutting your tech time and improving your sle sleep.”
If you can’t change what’s causing the stress, focus on something else instead