Make 2025 a year of resolutions that stick!

Welcome to 2025! If you’ve made New Year’s resolutions, we’re here to help you make them as successful as possible.

More than 50% of New Year’s resolutions for 2025 are health and wellbeing-related (December 2024 YouGov poll)! These include improving mental health, exercising more, eating more healthily, reducing alcohol intake and stopping smoking.

So with such important goals in the mix, we know you want to succeed! The good news is you can make massive progress with the right goals, support and by creating sustainable habits.

Shaking off the post-festive slump

Feeling a slump after the festive period? Routine kicks back in. There are no parties to look forward to. Daylight hours are still limited. And money feels tight. This is a challenging time for your emotional health and wellbeing!

Use your New Year’s resolutions as a positive focus. Especially if they encourage you to prioritise self-care and boost your wellbeing. Mood-boosting activities like journaling, meditation and exercise will help you shake off the slump. And they’ll also help make your resolutions more successful! Take a walk or a run through some of Essex’s parks, coastline or natural spaces. Or use mindfulness tools to get clear on your goals, feel inspired and stay focused on the benefits.

How to make your resolution stick: use lots of different tools to support your goals, rather than relying on just one. Include mindset-shifting activities like journaling and meditation, body-boosting movement, inspiring yourself with content you find meaningful, logging your progress and surrounding yourself with a supportive community. 

Dry January

Dry January often feels like a fresh start after the excesses of the festive season. This month-long break from alcohol gives you a positive focus, helping to combat the post-festive season blues. Taking a break from alcohol is known to:

• Make your liver healthier
• Help you lose weight
• Boost your quality of sleep
• Improve your energy levels
• Make your mind clearer
• Support your mental wellbeing
• Improve your long-term health

How to make your resolution stick: you don’t have to do Dry January alone. Our services connect you with other Essex residents with similar goals. Check out our alcohol reduction service and fill out our quiz to see how we can help you. You can also log your alcohol-free streak for free in

Smoking: a life-changing resolution

January is an excellent time to book a health check (especially if you’ve been avoiding one!). So make booking a health check one of your New Year’s resolutions. Health checks look at blood pressure, cholesterol, and weight. And they identify potential issues early, so we can provide tailored advice to help. It’s particularly important if you’ve recently stopped smoking or reduced alcohol intake, giving you a clear picture of how your body is responding to these positive changes.

How to make your resolution stick: getting a health check helps you see the progress you’re making on your resolutions. It gives you positive reinforcement and helps motivate you to keep going, even when things are hard. Book yours today. 

Celebrate the Festival of Sleep on 3rd January

Sleep is a cornerstone of good health, but it’s often overlooked in New Year’s resolutions. Poor sleep contributes to weight gain, weakened immunity, and increased stress levels. Take the opportunity to reassess your sleep habits, including:

• Limiting screen time before bed
• Creating a calming bedtime routine
• Aiming for 7-9 hours of quality sleep 
• Setting up your sleep environment for success

How to make your resolution stick: log your progress so you can see how tiny changes stack up over time! Use our free partner app, AmaraHealth. You can track mood and sleep in the app – as well as weight, alcohol intake, smoking and more. Seeing the benefits helps you stay motivated to keep going! 

Building sustainable habits

The key to translating your New Year’s resolutions into lasting change is making them realistic and sustainable. Rather than overhauling your lifestyle overnight, focus on small, manageable changes. If you’re participating in Dry January, use that as a springboard to reduce alcohol consumption across the rest of the year. If you’re quitting or reducing smoking, use our ongoing support to prevent relapse. And if you’re setting fitness goals, prioritise activities you genuinely enjoy to keep yourself interested and motivated. And above all, surround yourself with social support!

As an Essex resident, you’ll be supported every step of the way: reach out to us today and see how you can make your resolutions stick with Essex Wellbeing Services. With support from local services and committing to small, consistent steps, you can make 2025 your healthiest and happiest year yet.

Happy New Year!