Five Simple Tips to Thrive in January

1. Take the Pressure Off

You’ll see lots of social media posts and hear lots of people talking about setting goals for what you want to achieve in 2025 or committing to New Year resolutions. My personal opinion is that although the ticking over of the clock to a brand-new year can feel like a fresh start, January is not necessarily the best time for many of us to commit to new habits.

Its cold, dark, and there’s the inevitable post-Christmas hangover, which makes staying motivated so much harder. Also, unless you are really clear on what goals you want to set, and crucially why, and have a really clear action plan in place of how you are going to get there, the chances are very high that you will run out of steam by mid-February and then feel like a failure. This then leads to a vicious circle of trying to push through based on willpower alone and then feeling bad because it doesn’t work out as you’d hoped. 

Instead, I recommend spending the next few weeks working out what you really want from this year and then researching what you need to do to get you there and where you can get support to help you get there. Then, when the better weather comes and you naturally have more energy and motivation, you’ll be ready to hit the ground running and smash your goals. 

2. Start Simple

If you are truly committed to prioritising your own wellbeing in 2025 then start simple and then build from there. Starting the day off in a positive way can have a positive ripple effect on how the rest of your day goes.

Make the very first thing you do when you wake up be about doing something nice just for you. This could be taking 10 seconds to take three deep breaths, thinking of one thing that you are grateful for before getting out of bed or being kind to your body by doing a few simple stretches before getting up. It’s about setting and re-setting that intention every single day to be kind to your mind and body and then building from there. 

3. Sort Out Your Sleep

The biggest thing you can do to improve your physical and mental wellbeing this year is to get help to sort out your sleep. Poor sleep has such a wide-ranging and detrimental effect on every process in the brain and body that nothing else you want to change can happen without getting better sleep first.

So, if you are planning to lose weight, better manage your anxiety, do more exercise or make any other positive change for your wellbeing, you need to sort out poor sleep first, or it will never happen. 

Book a free Personal Wellbeing Review with me and I’ll share with you the three best things you can do to get better sleep in 2025, and you’ll get free access to my Wellbeing Club for the month of January too.

4. Do More of What Makes You Feel Good

Take five minutes to sit and write a list of what makes you smile, laugh or give you that warm, fuzzy feeling inside. Now think about how you can do more of these things throughout your January days and beyond.

These activities help the brain to release the ‘feel good’ hormones such as dopamine, which help boost our mood, especially important during these bleaker months. It could be watching a comedy show, spending time with people who make you laugh or the smile you get on your face when you smell your favourite perfume – every dopamine hit counts, improves mood and counteracts stress. 

5. Surround Yourself with Citrus

Our sense of smell is really important when it comes to boosting our mood, our energy and our motivation. Citrus scents are particularly good for uplifting the spirits. Use essential oils or products containing orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit or even spearmint and incorporate these foods into your diet too, to help banish the winter blues.  

I’ll be sharing even more tips like these in my  Wellbeing Club. All this month, as well as advice on how to finally find time to put your own needs first without the guilt, and even if you have lots of other people to care for and huge pressures on your schedule. 

Whatever you want to achieve in 2025 it is possible with the right support. Book a free Personal Wellbeing Review and I’ll share three things you can do straight away to get you started on the road to success. For anyone who books a free review in January, I am also offering you free access to my Wellbeing Club for the month of January.* 

*Ts & Cs apply