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Now we are in the third week of January, over a quarter of our New Year’s resolutions will have been abandoned, according to research by financial website Forbes Advisor. Meanwhile, those yet to set any good intentions may assume they’ve missed the boat. But it’s not too late to kick start 2024, no matter how inauspicious its beginning. These simple tips will make you feel better, fast.
1. Cycle to work
Got a bike and a job? A study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology this week found commuters who cycle to work are 15 per cent less likely to be prescribed anti-depressants over a five-year period than those who didn’t. Research from the University of Glasgow found cycle commuters have a 45 per cent lower risk of developing cancer and 46 per cent lower risk of heart disease, a half-hour bike journey burns up to 300 calories and as a low-impact exercise it’s less likely to cause an injury than running. Plus, the time you didn’t spend scrolling on the train or bus counts as a digital detox.
2. Read for six minutes a day
Swapping Netflix for a book can have myriad benefits on your mental health – especially if it’s a novel. Research from the University of Sussex found reading to be more effective at reducing stress than walking or listening to music, lowering the heart rate and reducing muscle tension by up to 68 per cent in just six minutes. Studies using MRI scans show reading improves connectivity in the brain.
Fiction, in particular, is good for us, with “narrative absorption” – becoming immersed in a story – found to increase our sense of wellbeing and empathy. Try and read a printed book, rather than a kindle, before bed – the blue kindle light has been found to hamper sleep. Set small goals – 10 minutes or a chapter a day, for example – to help the habit stick, and carry a book wherever you go, so you reach for it instead of your phone.
3. Stand on one leg while you put on your shoes
Try the #oldmanchallenge doing the rounds on social media, described by top fitness coach Chris Hinshaw as “the decider of whether or not you’re still in the game.”
Start standing, barefoot, and, standing on one foot, try put your sock and shoe back onto your raised foot, without bringing it down until your shoelaces are tied. You can do this every morning to put your shoes on. Dr Michael Mosley, scientist and presenter of Radio 4’s Just One Thing also recommends standing on one leg while brushing teeth for two minutes to improve balance: “Falls, it turns out, are the second-commonest cause of accidental deaths, worldwide, after traffic accidents,” he says. “And having a good sense of balance is critical to reducing the risk of a fall.”
4. Spring clean your phone
A recent YouGov survey found one in four people suffer “app fog” caused by flitting between messaging platforms, reporting side effects such as losing touch with loved ones or missing important nights out as a result. Delete apps you don’t use and unsubscribe from endless emails from shops, travel agents, your fitness tracker, etc, which can also ease anxiety – studies have linked increased email use to higher stress levels. “Digital clutter is a weight on our minds,” says chartered psychologist Catherine Hallissey, who adds that willpower is “finite” and “the most effective way to stop wasting time online is environment design. Even moving an app off your home screen so you have to swipe it multiple times introduces friction that makes access less likely. Or try deleting social media apps on a Sunday night and downloading them on Friday.”
5. Do this 30-second trick to drink less
Too often Dry January fails because we approach it as something “to be endured, not enjoyed,” says Kate Bee, founder of The Sober School, an online course to help women stop drinking. To focus on the positives, she suggests people record a video message, reminding themselves why they don’t want to drink. “Why does it matter that they reach their goal? How is their life going to get easier? Sometimes the most powerful person you can hear from is yourself!” She also suggests finishing the sentence, “Because I was sober today…” with something you’ve achieved: “It can be tiny – you woke without a headache, you slept for seven hours. If you want to feel better about being sober, you need to start having better thoughts about it, and that begins with paying close attention to the benefits.”
6. Only eat sitting down
Ditch the deprivation and allow yourself to eat whatever you want – provided you’re sitting down, says nutritionist Laura Southern at London Food Therapy. “Ensure all your food is put on a plate. It sounds simple, but you instantly stop that mindless grazing where you’re standing in front of the fridge or cupboard, or shovelling biscuits or crisps into your mouth whilst scrolling on your phone.” Studies show mindful eaters have a lower Body Mass Index (BMI) while research published in the Journal of Health Psychology found women trying to lose weight were more likely to snack after eating a granola bar walking around, as opposed to sitting down. Lead author, psychology professor Jane Ogden suggested this could be because “walking is a powerful form of distraction which disrupts our ability to process the impact eating has on our hunger.”
7. Leave your phone downstairs at night
If you don’t trust yourself to stop scrolling after you’ve gone to bed, avoid temptation by leaving your phone downstairs, like personal trainer Joe Wicks. He has bought a Lumie alarm clock (£42.49, Boots) which lights gently, mimicking the rising sun. “And so I wake up from that, as opposed to my phone where I pick up and I’m straight on Instagram,” said Wicks. “It has changed my life. It’s helped me sleep, and I’m not so anxious to wake up straight away.”
