Our guide to lasting New Year`s resolutions

Fridges bulge with leftovers. Recycling bins overflow with bottles and cans. Bathroom scales creek under the extra “holiday weight”. The cries of “This year it’s going to be different” echo round houses all over the country.

Yes, it’s that time again. Time for New Year resolutions.

Wild claims about how you’re going to become the picture of health are easy to make in early January. Many of us will have recently eaten our body weight in chocolate, drunk far more than we intended to, and limited our exercise to a reluctant walk across the room to pick up the remote control. Of course, we’re going to take control in January…

Yet resolutions made in the midst of excess are likely to be as robust as a cheap Christmas cracker.

Here are some tips on how to make resolutions that last beyond the first fortnight of 2012.

Getting off to a great start

Start early – don’t wait until New Year to make your resolutions.

“Don’t expect to do everything on 1st January and for life to suddenly be different,” says chartered clinical psychologist Dr Abigael San. “Picking a specific date to make radical changes puts a lot of pressure on you. It sets you up to fail.”

You’ll have a better chance of success if you change your habits and behaviours gradually. Dr San suggests making short-, medium- and long-term goals. Start with something you can do immediately that will contribute to the big change you want to make.

For example, if you’re keen to cut down on your drinking, you might decide to replace any drinking you normally do later in the evening with a hot milky drink. It’s a simple change but you’re likely to start seeing results straight away – for one thing, it’ll help you doze off and the absence of alcohol will improve the quality of your sleep .

Concentrate on what you can have, rather that what you’re giving up. Don’t vow to abstain from all sweet or fatty foods, but try to have your five fruit and veg every day. If you enjoy a glass of wine, don’t deprive yourself altogether, but focus on drinking within the government's daily unit guidelines, which advise that men should not regularly drink more than 3-4 alcohol units a day (equivalent to a pint and a half of 4% beer) and that women should not regularly exceed 2-3 units a day (equivalent to a 175ml glass of 13% wine) - and having some alcohol-free days every week.

Mid-January motivators

The good intentions might be fading - it all seemed so easy when you were still bloated from your Christmas indulgence. Healthy eating and drinking felt great; the gym was a novelty. Now your appetite has returned, that bottle of wine in the fridge is making your mouth water, and the gym seems as appealing as a plate of cold Brussels sprouts.

 “Our unhealthy habits are deeply ingrained,” says coach and therapist Fiona Robyn. “As well as the immediate benefits they give – such as the enjoyment we get from the taste of chocolate – we also use our habits to perk ourselves up or to avoid difficult tasks or feelings. We might, for example, have a couple of glasses of wine in the evenings so we don’t have to face a problem in our relationship.”

Look out for “triggers” for the habits you’re looking to change. For example, does a bad day at work always make your reach for a large glass of wine or three when you get home? If you want to change your habit, you need to recognise the trigger. If you’ve had a stressful day, try going for a long walk, call a friend to talk it through or a treat yourself to a nice meal out.

Robyn suggests rewarding yourself for keeping up new habits. If you’ve taken up a new sport, treat yourself to some fancy new equipment. Or treat yourself to that film, show or exhibition you’ve been wanting to see so it really feels like you’ve reached a milestone in your quest to eat and drink more healthily.

How to keep it going

Remember to look out for signs of the progress you’ve made – even if it’s a tiny difference, it will help keep you motivated.

“Take pictures of yourself in December,” suggests Dr San. “For example, photograph a part of your body you want to tone up, or your skin if it’s affected by unhealthy eating and drinking. Take more pictures during the year and see the changes you’ve made.”

Talk about it. Keep people posted about how you’re doing. Remind them what you’re trying to achieve so they can encourage you to keep going.

“It’s really helpful to get the support of others,” says Robyn. “It’s easier to motivate yourself to go to the gym when you’ve already arranged to meet your friend there.”

Finally, be patient – the results won’t be immediate. And don’t worry about a lapse. If you’ve built up your resolution slowly, it’ll be easy to pick it back up again.

Page last updated by

Kate Prior, 20 Jan 2012.

Page checked on

22 Dec 2010