By Zee Krstic and Kate Rockwood via Good Housekeeping
There are fitness goals on this list, but the best resolutions may focus on your mental health and happiness.
For the first time in a while, New Year's Eve may feel more like a glimmer of a regular celebration — and a powerful wave of hope for the future is sure to be present at any New Year's celebration this year. Your annual resolutions may feel different than before, and it's important to take stock of what's important in your life long before the (party!) clock strikes midnight on December 31. If there's anything that we've learned in 2021, it's not to take our health for granted; in 2022, a renewed focus on your own lifestyle and priorities may be top of mind.
And we're not just talking about a new diet or fitness routine — set your sights on revolutionizing your mental health, troubleshooting your sleep routine or transforming your living spaces (goodbye, messy closet!).
Create a list of New Year's resolutions that are easy, attainable and can help you make better-for-you lifestyle tweaks each and every day. You'll start 2022 with a healthier body and a richer mind following the master collection of tips we're sharing here. These resolutions help to calm you down and ease stress, help your skin truly shine and organize all the crazy in your life. Find ways to stay on track with resolutions using a planner to help you, and checking off daily fitness goals and frequent decluttering tasks feels that much more achievable.This year, it's time to put you first. For even more "new year, new you" inspiration, don't miss these inspirational New Year's quotes.
1 of 60
Build a better budget.
If there's one New Year's resolution that will help you the most in the long run, it's making a vow to save more money.
Before you head back to the office, outline a budget that works for you — and make a plan for how you'll stick to it. Apps like Mint and You Need a Budget (YNAB) can help you do this as painlessly as possible.
2 of 60
Cook Something new each week.
Everyone wants to eat healthier in the new year, but you should also try to eat more diverse foods. After all, variety is the spice of life. This year, choose an easy dinner recipe you've never tried before at least once a week. Pick up a copy of our Easy 30-Minute Dinners cookbook for 85 new ideas that you can try every week this year.
Read more books.January is the perfect time of year to snuggle up with a new book. To keep yourself accountable all year long, why not link up with friends and peers to connect over the best pages you've read? Our Good Housekeeping Book Club can help you get started on this and, together, you'll have a clear snapshot of how many books you'll end up finishing before the year's out.
RELATED: 40 Life-Changing Books You Should Read at Least Once
Create a cleaning schedule you'll stick to.
Keeping your home tidy without doing what feels like a deep clean every week can feel like a big ask. It's true that you may be under cleaning some tricky spots, but it's also true that you may be overdoing it elsewhere.
Carolyn Forté, the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Home Appliances & Cleaning Products Lab, created a printable checklist to make sure keeping the house neat doesn't suck up endless hours of time on weekends anymore.
RELATED: The Ultimate Cleaning Schedule for Your Day, Week, Month, and Year
Drink less alcohol.
You already know you don't need to drink to have fun — and so why not make this year the one you cut back and join the sober curious movement? Doing so could improve your mood, sleep, skin and immune system. Plus, it'll also help you save money.
RELATED: 7 Major Dry January Benefits, According to Experts
Make healthier lunches.
CHECK PRICE
Who has time to eat healthy!? You do, thanks to the power of your handy Instant Pot — and our recipes, of course! With ideas from Good Housekeeping's Test Kitchen, the cookbook makes it simple to use your Instant Pot to make nutritious, yummy meals.
Weekly Meal Prep Planner With Grocery Lists
CHECK PRICE
Spending more time in the kitchen isn't always easy, but meal prepping can save you time and money during the week. Revolutionize your meal prep sessions on Sunday with this Good Housekeeping guide that helps you save time and prevent food waste, also impacting your wallet. Our planning methods simplify cooking and work to organize your sessions around your schedule.
RELATED: A Beginner's Guide on How to Meal Prep Like a Pro
Quit smoking.Cigarettes are extremely harmful for your health, particularly your lungs — but tobacco products in general (including vapes!) pose a serious threat. There are so many resources to help you get a jumpstart on ditching tobacco: Many are outlined by officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you've tried before but need a bit more help, experts at the American Cancer Society outline a few tools that you can turn to this year.
Join a club.
Starting a new hobby is one thing, but joining a club will help you meet new people in the process. Sites like Meetup can help you find a group of people with similar interests, and you can work on creating digital meetups with new friends in the process.
Creative clubs can also be a boon in helping you stick to mastering a new craft. A great example? Good Housekeeping's Stitch Club, which connects avid crafters and DIY newcomers together in a community to inspire.
Prioritize age-appropriate screenings with your doctors.
Open your calendar app (or planner!) and make your appointments for the year in one sitting — not only will you get the anxiety-inducing nuisance over with, but exams will be less likely to get squeezed out as life gets bonkers. Start with your primary care provider, and ask which screenings (e.g., mammogram, colonoscopy) you're due for. Slot those in, then move on to the dentist's office, etc.
RELATED: 25 Types of Doctors and What They Do for Patients' Health
Become a plant owner.Swing by the garden center after brunch this weekend. Just the presence of indoor plants can lower human stress levels, research shows, and one study found that actively caring for plants calmed the autonomic nervous system and lowered blood pressure. And when people work near plants, they report greater concentration, satisfaction, and perceived air quality.
RELATED: 30 Gorgeous Indoor Plants That Are Almost Impossible to Kill
Take the stairs.Take 10 minutes to run up the stairs in your office or home. A published study in the journal Physiology & Behavior found that tired women who climbed stairs for 10 minutes got a bigger energy boost than those who had the caffeine equivalent of a can of soda or half a cup of coffee (and burned calories too!).
Plan a vacation ...
... when it feels safe to do so. Women who vacation at least twice a year have a lower heart attack risk than those do so rarely. And researchers have found that even thinking about an upcoming trip can boost happiness for weeks.
RELATED: 13 Best Wellness Hotels That Make It Easy to Feel Like Your Best Self
Start doing yoga with your partner.
A Sunday morning couples' class could make Sunday afternoon much more fun. Experts at Loyola's Sexual Wellness Clinic believe partner yoga helps couples get more comfortable with each other's bodies, a boon for better sex. Solo yoga can increase enjoyment as well, affecting arousal, desire, and satisfaction — the practice helps relax your mind and strengthen pelvic muscles.
RELATED: 7 Best Yoga Apps You Can Use Anytime and Anywhere
Exercisers who saved an audiobook for the gym worked out 51% more often than those who didn't, per a study in Management Science. Sweat while listening to an intense thriller, and the treadmill time will fly by.
RELATED: The 30 Best Audiobooks to Listen to During Your Next Workout
Decorate with family history.
In happy and long-lived cultures, people often display items from their families' pasts, says The Blue Zones of Happiness author Dan Buettner. "They remember and honor where they come from," he says. "We find that in happier cultures around the world, folks feel like part of a continuum." So hang your grandparents' wedding portrait, or put meaningful memorabilia on shelves.
In happy and long-lived cultures, people often display items from their families' pasts, says The Blue Zones of Happiness author Dan Buettner. "They remember and honor where they come from," he says. "We find that in happier cultures around the world, folks feel like part of a continuum." So hang your grandparents' wedding portrait, or put meaningful memorabilia on shelves.
Try hydrotherapy.
Feeling sore? Clients at The Spa at Rancho Valencia in Rancho Santa Fe, California, switch between 10 minutes in a hot sauna and 30 seconds in a 60°F bath, a treatment known as hydrotherapy.
"The drastic temperature change increases blood flow and flushes out lactic acid," says spa director Kristi Dickinson, making them feel energized. Research suggests that hydrotherapy may aid in muscle recovery more than a day of rest. For at-home treatment, end a hot shower with a burst of ice-cold water.
Delegate more chores.
A large study found that people who spent money on time-saving services, such as using Good Housekeeping Institute Lab-tested TaskRabbit to get someone to clean out the garage, obtained greater life satisfaction and happiness than those who shelled out for material goods. If money is tight, take on the least favorite chore of a friend and have her do the same for you.
Keep clutter out of the kitchen.
If you can hardly see your counters through all the papers, Post-its, and not-yet-put-away groceries, you may pay for that chaos on the scale. Take 20 minutes to whisk it all where it belongs, and it can help you eat more mindfully in days to come.
RELATED: 22 Smart Ideas for Kitchen Organization
Wear workout gear that makes you feel good.Spend the afternoon shopping for workout clothes that flatter your body: Studies show that what we wear affects the way we feel, which impacts our ability to get stuff done, says Hajo Adam, Ph.D., a professor at Rice University. It's a phenomenon known as "enclothed cognition," and it's as true in Zumba as at work. Experts in the Good Housekeeping Textiles Lab are fans of the Lululemon Align Pant II, which are lightweight with a high rise fit.
Upcycle your wardrobe for good.
Bye-bye, too-tight jeans. "Keeping smaller clothes as motivation to slim down is baloney," says Kit Yarrow, Ph.D., a psychologist at Golden Gate University, "and it tends to backfire." Studies show that muffin-top shaming doesn't help, but focusing on being healthy does. After doing your Goodwill drop-off, take a lighter-cooking class or meet a pal for a hike.
Explore new hobbies.
Another sleepy Sunday? Today's the day you try Ethiopian food, attend a ballet, or take a painting class — whatever feels fun. When researchers followed 7,500 people for 25 years, they found that those who complained of major boredom were roughly twice as likely to die from heart disease.
Give yourself a new look.
Working on your look is just as refreshing as turning over a new leaf internally. Taking off a few inches can make you feel (literally and figuratively) so much lighter in the new year. Even a simple new style or hair color could brighten your days and put pep back into your step in 2022.
Invest in your skincare routine.
And no, we don't mean load up on foundation. Streamline your daily routine to allow yourself some time to incorporate products that really replenish your skin, not weigh it down. Rather than focusing on covering up, these kinds of tips and tricks can help you bare all — and feel really good about it.
Play upbeat music.
Blasting any happy-making tune can work multiple mind-body wonders including reducing pain during exercise, elevating mood, and lowering stress, research shows. So make a playlist — any songs that oat your spirit will do the job.
Write to yourself.
When your inner critic picks up her bullhorn, jot down the kind words you'd say to a friend in the same situation. "We have such a hard time channeling compassion for ourselves," says Emma Seppala, Ph.D., of Stanford's Center for Compassion and Altruism Research. "Writing it down makes it easier to shift perspective."
RELATED: 19 Cool Bullet Journal Ideas to Keep You Writing
Do one thing at a time.
Multitasking doesn't make you more efficient, but it does stress you out, says mindfulness expert Pedram Shojai, author of Focus: Bringing Time, Energy, and Money Into Flow. "If your focus is fragmented, you'll likely find yourself getting anxious as new items come up when old ones are still incomplete," he says.
Instead, he suggests, organize your activities into chunks of time, such as kid time and cooking time, and then "commit to being focused in those allotted minutes and see what happens." It'll help stop you from overthinking everything.
Start walking more.
Even if you can't keep track of a new fitness routine, keeping yourself moving on a simple walk around the neighborhood is a must. The US Department of Health and Human Services maintains that adults should spend as much time moving each day as possible — and some physical activity (even just walking!) is better than none.
RELATED: How Walking Benefits Your Health, According to Doctors
Make chaotic zones (like the entryway) calm.
Make the chaotic zone by the door a calm, happy space, advises Carly Moeller, founder of interior design firm Unpatterned. Set up simple systems (a mail basket, a shoe bench, hooks) for tidying. Then move art or flowers from the living room and invest in a mirror or a colorful rug. "You can be a little cheeky because it's a small area," she says.
Make your bed every morning.
Yes, it's time to grow past the messy bed look! Mastering the art of making your bed will simply transform your space, but also kickstart a productive morning routine. Taking care of your pillows, sheets, and comforter is easy when you have an expert to show you how.
Go to bed on time, with your partner.
Getting sufficient zzz's can make you feel ready for action. A study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found that women who got more sleep had more desire the next day and an overall easier time becoming aroused. Every additional hour they slept increased their likelihood of having sex by 14%. So skip late-night web searches and hit the hay.
RELATED: How to Go to Sleep Fast, According to Sleep Specialists
Stay glued to the windows.
Spending as much time outside as possible is a great thing for your health — but even when the weather becomes frigid, sunlight is crucial to regulate your mood throughout the day. Sunlight can help regulate our circadian rhythms, which directly impacts how productive we are as well. If you can't find natural light in your home, try investing in a few supercharged lights for indoor living, and watch as your mood brightens over time.
Treat yourself to more facials.SHOP NOW
Give yourself a spa-level nutrient infusion without footing a massive bill. This luxe mask won the GH Beauty Lab's test for increasing skin moisture levels by nearly 50%.
Give yourself more compliments.
Repeat after us: "Today is my day. I'm thankful for me." Positive self-talk can help you focus on what's good in your life, says psychologist Joy Harden Bradford, Ph.D.
Research shows that a little vitamin G (for gratitude) can make you feel happier and more satisfied and even improve your sleep. "If you repeat an affirmation related to gratitude in the morning, you're likely to show and feel more of it throughout that day," Bradford says. You're so welcome!
RELATED: 10 Ways to Stop Negative Self-Talk About Your Body in Its Tracks
Head outside without your phone.
In a GH survey, 83% of people told us they lost track of how long they spent on their devices. But short of deleting all social apps, it can be hard to trade screen time for more productive pastimes like walking the dog and coffee with friends. Whether you’re Team iPhone or Team Android, download the latest software to access built-in tools that help you track your personal app usage.
RELATED: These 6 Apps Actually Get You to Unplug
Say goodbye to toxic friends.
It may feel impossible now, but there is a way to break up with a once friend turned frenemy without imploding your social life. Sometimes, ghosting is appropriate — but more often than not, approaching the situation with a structured conversation can help you get the closure you need to grow.
Be current about the news.
It can be hard to keep up with what’s going on in the world given the lightning-fast news cycles. But it’s more important than ever to stay informed. If you’re sick of sifting through clutter on Facebook or Twitter, join Flipboard. Think of it as your personal news hub.
Download the app, then list your interests, pick outlets to get updates from, follow your fave Twitter users and more. The app curates it all in one place with a smart, stunning design that makes scrolling easy.
Add more citrus to your grocery cart.When you see all those gorgeous in-season grapefruits, oranges, clementines, and pomelos in the produce aisle, grab an armful.
Winter citrus can help keep skin looking healthy thanks to vitamin C, which aids in collagen production. In fact, an American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study found that people who ate foods high in C had fewer wrinkles and less age-related dry skin than those who didn't. Try clementine sections sprinkled with pistachios or sweet grapefruit dipped in Greek yogurt for a snack.
Chow down on blueberries and walnuts.
Separately or together, these berries and nuts have health superpowers: Blueberries have been shown to help people with metabolic syndrome (a cluster of conditions such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and too much belly fat), and walnuts can help reduce LDL, the bad kind of cholesterol. Toss them on oatmeal or in a salad, and eat up for a healthier 2021!
Program yourself to destress.
SHOP NOW
The benefits are endless (think better sleep, less stress and more focus), but it can be hard to switch off your mind at first. Turn to devices and apps to get a jump-start. In Wellness Lab tests, consumers said Muse: The Brain Sensing Headband helped lower their stress levels. You wear the headband, and it guides you through sessions with instant feedback.
Bathe for a better sleep.Next time you have trouble nodding off, there’s a research-backed idea that could help: Take a hot bath! It helped people fall asleep about 10 minutes earlier and have a better quality snooze. The best time to do it? About an hour or two before bedtime, says most research.
Take more trips with no destination in mind.
This year is going to be all about the road trip — simply getting out into the world around you for quiet time alone in nature. Travel overseas might be off the itinerary for a while, but a solo trip in the car is a great way to get out for a change of pace. Hit the road and forget social media!
Ease stress with kindness
Kindness toward yourself, that is! Recent research shows that practicing self-compassion slowed people’s heart rate and sweating, two symptoms our bodies produce when under chronic stress. So take some time each day to focus on something you love about yourself.
Get artsy.To help ward off the blues, engage in a bit of culture — a trip to the museum, a night at the theater, or attending a concert. Research suggests that people who make regular trips to these types of attractions have a lower risk of developing depression than those who don’t.RELATED: A Massive List of Museums, Zoos, and Theme Parks Offering Virtual Tours
Make your home more fragrant.Because smell is associated with the parts of the brain that process emotion and store memories, certain aromas can affect mood, says olfactory expert Rachel Herz, Ph.D., author of The Scent of Desire. Research shows that vanilla makes people more relaxed and joyful (mmm, baking), while peppermint can boost energy and lavender can zap stress.
RELATED: The 20+ Absolute Best Scented Candles, According to Our Editors
Makeover your daily routine.
If you're still on the hunt for even more goals to help you change your life for the better, why not undertake a challenge that'll last a month? This guide of 28 mini daily goals can help you revolutionize your routine if you're unsure of where to start first. It's guaranteed to get you thinking more about the best resolutions to keep!
