So, it’s that time of year again. You’re thinking about taking down the Christmas tree, there’s no turkey left, you’ve gotten through the tin of Roses and the recycling bin is full to overflowing. You’re probably thinking it’s time to get some resolutions going to lose weight / give up smoking / stop eating chocolate / stop drinking alcohol / detox etc.

Well, consider how many times you have decided on some New Year’s resolutions and how many time they have worked for you. Only 8% of people manage to keep them going after 6 weeks, so if you didn’t keep them up, you’re not on your own!

Don’t get me wrong – if you’re motivated to start looking after yourself a bit more, that’s fantastic. But the approach many of us take of just cutting things out is never going to work – you’re going to feel deprived, and will go straight back to the way you were doing things when your “resolution” fizzles out. So why not look at it in a more positive light? Adding more healthy things into your life is a great way to do this – you could add a walk at lunchtime, add some extra veggies to your dinner plate, add some Pilates to your day – whatever you want. Once you start feeling a bit healthier and a bit more motivated, you’re more likely to stick to these new healthy habits. And seeing as it only takes 30 days to Form a Habit* – what’s stopping you?

So stop “giving up”, and think of adding something instead.

*that’s the topic of our next blog post!