In 2021, 23 million Brits resolved to make it a healthier and happier year for themselves, and guiding this self-development was their New Year's Resolution's.

 Despite these great intentions and the fact that New Year's Resolutions are a huge part of our culture, we're notoriously bad at sticking with them. Just look to the 'Ditch Your Resolution Day' on January 17th for proof... if you can last that long.

However, I'll stand by the fact that personal growth is important. And there's no better excuse to use than your New Year's Resolutions to jump these thoughts into action. However the one piece of sage advice I’d give when choosing your resolution—or resolution’s—is to make sure they’re manageable and meaningful to you, otherwise they're going to be ticking time bombs (spoken from experience). 

Alas, I've rounded up some of the most popular resolutions for 2022 and how best you can meet your goals in the New Year! 

 January is the perfect time to start a routine of keeping fit and staying after the over-indulgence of Christmas... who else also had mince pies for breakfast, lunch and dinner this year? 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️ I can't be the only one when I say that this can leave you feeling rather sluggish and those feelings of Christmas greed guilt can trickle in which may lower your mood... but not for long! 

We all know that exervcise releases endorphins a.k.a happy hormones, this can help tackle any winter blues you may be facing. Now no one (especially not me) is expecting you to be running a marathon, but you can start with a brisk walk up and down your street if you don't feel up to much, and I promise you'll feel all the better for it! If you're feeling more intrepid, you can join a gym or even start weight training with dumbells or other gym kit - you don't even have to leave the house!

It has to be said, as in my head it goes hand in hand: to make your resolution something you’ll stick to rather than a passing phase, you should make it measurable. And when exercise is in question, the best way to meausre is with a fitness tracker. This way you’ll be able to record your run, your steps or your laps round the pool on the go. One of these will make it super easy to stay on top of your fitness goals. Shop our fitness trackers here.

I feel like we can all agree that looking after our diet naturally follows staying fit and healthy, as what you put in your body will determine how you feel a lot of the time. As the old saying goes 'Food is Fuel', so whether you've never cooked a meal in your life, or you think of yourself as a bit of a pro, there's no better time than now to brush up on your cooking skills! Bonus points for those who enjoy the process so acts as a kind of meditation when they're cooking up a storm.

Now I am no dietician and everyone has their preferences on foods so I won't dwell on specific meals, but as long as you're getting a diet full of vitamins, minerals from fruits & veggies, as well as plenty of fibre, protein and carbohydrates you can't go wrong! 

The whole process can be made enjoyable (and therefore more likely for you to stick at it) with the right appliances; for example raw fruit and veg have a shed load of fibre and vitamins so using a blender to make smoothies at home is a great way to cram in your greens with minimum effort. 

I'd also suggest you invest in a nice hot grill or pan so that you can fill them with loads of tasty meals like stir-fry's or pasta and not have to replace them quickly (that goes out especially those just starting out with cooking). 

Lastly and very importantly, I can't express how important it is to keep yourself hydrated! It not only aids your digestive system but also helps your skin (your largest organ!) and general wellbeing. There are loads of re-usable waterbottles about, so grab one of these to make sure you've got access to H20 at all times! 

If you need some more inspiration for getting fit, check out our previous post here for our top tips!

Has Christmas ravaged your bank account? Or you just looking to save for the New Year and whatever it holds *cough* holiday please *cough*, or perhaps you want a bit of coin left over for a rainy day. Either way January marks a New Year, and a perfect time to replenish your bank balance. Anyway you in 2021 is sooo last year right?

 Budgeting is probably the most effective way of saving some of your pennies and there are several ways you can do this. For instance, you can meal prep (rather than buying lunch out every day, you can do it I swear!), you can begin using an app-based bank like 'Starling' or 'Monzo' which have budgeting tools within them to stop you spending over budget. 

I can't complete without mentioning that you should also think carefully about WHERE YOU SHOP! When I browse online these days, daylight robbery seems to be rife. So make sure you shop around so you know you are getting the most bang for your buck. This is why I love Bargainfox so much, I know I'm getting the best deal around everytime (sometimes up to 80%) so I never feel as guilty with my purchase. And if you sign up today, you'll always be the first to know about our promotions, latest deals and new arrivals!

If you're a student looking to fill your piggy-bank up, we have some great cheap essentials for students in our post here.

The New Year is a natural beginning, therefore always a great time to get yourself stuck into a new hobby. A friend may have mentioned painting or knitting to you, or maybe you've seen an advertisement for salsa classes; anyway that you can develop a skill is a great way to improve your overall wellbeing and motivation for the New Year! So make sure it's something you feel comfortable and enjoy doing so that you stick to it. You never know, you may be the next Claude Monet and impress even yourself!

Last but not least, one of the resolution's that appeared to be most popular, was decorating or renovation part of your home. We all know that our surroundings can affect our mental state massively, so it comes as no surprise that this was high on the list! Luckily for you, it's pretty easy to get your house in order and once you start it can be hard to stop...

Who needs to wait till Spring to have a huge cleanout? Not you or I that's for sure. So now that the glitter has settled from Christmas, it's time to wipe the cobwebs off your duster and have a deep clean. Once this (arguably hardest) step is out of the way, you'll be on the road to the house of your dreams and have space to think in! 

A great way to start would be investing in some clever, attractive and homely storage solutions for all the areas of the home. This way you don't have to give away all of your trinkets and special things you've collected over the years.

If that's a bit too ambitious and you fear you'll still be nursing your New Year's Eve hangover, you can always inject some new life into your home by changing up a few home accessories here and there like your mirror or storage baskets in your living or bedroom areas. 

If you're struggling creatively a super place to go for inspo is Pinterest - it's free and filled to the rafters of #homedeco and drool-worthy photos and ideas for every room imaginable. Who knows, by Christmas 2022 you could have an unrecognisable house!



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