The Wellness in Everyday Blog Ep.2

Choosing Health & Happiness (Not Resolutions)

This time last week, we were all excited about New Year’s Eve and the prospect of the year ahead. Now, just a week into January, we’re probably all feeling bombarded in our inboxes and across social media with adverts for “resets”, “new you” programmes, and a raft of TV shows telling us what we should eat, what we shouldn’t eat, and which protein influencer to listen to next.

It’s all very well, but it can also be incredibly confusing, especially when the advice is coming from celebrities whose qualifications, scientific background or educational knowledge we know nothing about.

I’ve always been more inclined towards traditional New Year’s resolutions. I used to write them in the front of my diary, sometimes achieving them and sometimes not. The most successful one was giving up smoking for five years but when I eventually stopped for good, it was actually in the middle of the year. That was almost 13 years ago now.

These days, I approach the New Year very differently. I don’t really do resolutions anymore. Instead, I reflect on the year that’s just passed and consciously remind myself of all the wonderful things I’ve done, rather than focusing on what went wrong.

Last year, for example, I travelled quite a lot - to Scandinavia and Austria - as well as enjoying some beach holidays here in the UK. I lost some weight, which I’m really happy about, because I feel better in my clothes and more confident about continuing that journey this year.

There were, of course, some very difficult moments too: injuries, the loss of my dog, and the devastating loss of my niece. Her death has changed the landscape of our family forever, and we honoured and celebrated her life loudly and fully on New Year’s Eve.

When it comes to making changes for the year ahead, based on those reflections, I don’t focus on what I need to do. Instead, I think about how I want to feel, and what outcomes I want, rather than the problems I’m trying to fix.

That’s what I would encourage others to do as well. The goal itself is probably the least important part. Another coach once told me that, and it really resonated but it’s only now, after such a strange year, that I truly understand how that works.

So what does that look like in practice?

My priorities are health and happiness.

I know what makes me happy: friends, family, good food, sunshine, nature, a calm environment, watching a great TV series or a good film, writing, reading, being by the seaside, playing games, and cuddling my dog.

I know that if I spend time doing those things, my health and happiness are automatically prioritised. I know that having a clean, decluttered home makes me feel calm and allows me to enjoy being in my space. I know that getting out into nature or going to the seaside helps me move my body while enjoying a beautiful environment and that makes me feel both happy and healthy.

Spending time with my dog means she gets to run around, and I get that wonderful sense of love and connection when she wants to curl up next to me on the bed for a cuddle. When I eat well and cook delicious food, my body genuinely appreciates it. That supports my health and my weight-loss journey, and I also know that the occasional cake or treat won’t undo any of the positive changes I want to make.

The focus, for me, isn’t on what I’m taking away or restricting, it’s on enhancing what’s already good.

One of the things I love doing is pottering around the house and doing bits of DIY or home tasks. I do this knowing that, long term, I need my body to function well in everyday life. I want to be able to manage stairs, push the lawnmower or the vacuum, open low drawers, reach high cupboards, and carry shopping in from the car.

All the movement and joyful activities I already do help me with the basics too running for the bus, getting in and out of an aeroplane seat, going for long walks with friends, sitting comfortably in a café, or travelling without worry.

Everyday things - spending time with friends and family, walking, being with my dog, eating well all enhance what I want from this year: to be healthy and happy. And they do that without restriction.

That’s not to say there’s no effort involved. Of course, we have to be mindful if we want things to change. If I don’t want to live in an untidy environment, I have to put the work in. If I want to lose more weight, I have to put the work in. But “putting the work in” doesn’t mean punishment it means doing more of the things I love and letting them work for me, rather than against me.

That’s how I’m choosing to live this year.

As I write this blog, I’m sitting on the bed with my dog, her head resting on my leg. I’m looking out across the field behind my house, and I feel incredibly grateful.

Gratitude is another key focus for me this year appreciating what I already have: my friends, my dog, my family.

Today, I’m going out for a meal with a group of friends I meet about once a month. I’ve no idea what I’m going to eat, but I do know that I’m going to enjoy the moment and that matters far more.

So here’s to 2026. I hope it will be a year full of health, happiness, all the things I’ve talked about here, more travel, and at the end of it a wonderful reflection on everything I’ve achieved.

Happy New Year to everyone reading this blog.