1. Buy yourself some nice loungewear – it doesn’t have to be expensive, but wearing something comfortable and nice for weekends and staying at home can make a nice change from the same old pyjamas or T-shirt.
2. Swap “I’m cutting out” when it comes to food, and replace it with “I’m adding more fruits and vegetables.”
3. If you eat meat, learn how to make some tasty vegetarian meals.
4. Let people take more pictures of you and take more pictures of yourself, even if you don’t like them in the moment you’ll probably think they’re fine looking back at them.
5. Write in stuff for you on your “to-do” list, from “watch an episode of The Office” to “have a bubble bath” so that your list isn’t entirely stuff you don’t really want to do. And finding time for nice things is just as important as taking the bins out.
6. Download some audiobooks (or carry a book) for when you’re on public transport.
7. Do a something in the evening that helps “future you” – wash the cup and plate you’re going to use for breakfast, or pack your bag the night before so you’re not stressed in the morning.
8. Spend a day rearranging your room if you’re feeling stuck in a rut.
9. With the exception of “occasion” clothes, if you haven’t worn something in the last year or so, you probably aren’t going to and can donate it.
10. Do a mass clear-out on your social media of people you don’t like, people make you feel like crap, or people you just don’t have any interest in.
11. If there’s something you want to do, like watch a movie in the cinema or a visit new restaurant try doing it alone if you’re putting off because you can’t find someone to go with.
12. Learn to make a dinner that you can always pull out when people come over.
13. And to bake something that you can bring to when you go to other people’s houses.
14. Find a way to carve out a little undisturbed time for yourself at least once a week– it could be having a bath, going to a class, or setting out time where you make a cup of coffee and do a crossword.
15. Use an app to check how much you use your phone, so at the least you’re aware of how much you’re closing and re-opening Instagram.
16. Make a list of things you can do in your dead time rather than aimlessly scrolling – finish that crochet you’re doing, listen to a podcast etc.
17. Find a nighttime routine that makes you feel as relaxed as possible before bed, maybe writing in a journal or doing some elaborate skincare.
18. At least a couple of times a week, try to make yourself a breakfast that’s actually delicious. It can be as elaborate or as simple as you like, but you know that if you get yourself out of bed and stop hitting snooze you get to enjoy it.
19. Find a non-stressful TV show that you don’t need to watch chronologically to enjoy – like Brooklyn 99 or New Girl.
20. If you don’t plan on going to something, just be honest with the person. You’ll feel less guilty for cancelling last minute and the other person will probably appreciate it.
21. Get a big refillable bottle, put loads of water in it, and aim to finish it by the end of the day. If you get a thermos you can also use this instead of plastic cups at many coffee shops!
22. If you like something someone has done, whether it’s the way a friend has styled an outfit, or a book you read that cheered you up, get in touch with the person and let them know!
23. Find a form of exercise you enjoy, and remember that if it doesn’t happen at a gym, it doesn’t mean it’s not ~real~ exercise!
24. Plan a nice thing for yourself on a weekday that isn’t Friday, so you’re not starting Monday by already looking towards the weekend. It could be dinner with a friend, or a movie you’re going to watch.
25. Have a look at your direct debits and unsubscribe from things that you’re paying for but don’t really use.
26. Get in touch with someone you’ve not spoken to for a while and go to coffee with them.
27. Get a cheap disposable camera and use it when you go on trips – you’ll be more sparing with what you photograph when you know that there’s a finite amount of film, and it means you’ll not get stuck in having 80 identical photos in your camera roll from when you tried to get it just right.
28. If you don’t already, fill your social media accounts with things that bring you joy – whether that involves corgis or cats or just nice looking food. You’re not obliged to follow random celebrities if you don’t actually care about the stuff they’re filling your timeline with.
29. When you upload something online, make yourself have an hour of breathing space from it. Frantically refreshing the notifications to see if people interact with it is exhausting.
30. Start wearing an SPF.
31. Have a “get it out of the way” time for the boring stuff you don’t really want to do so you can enjoy your spare time. Maybe clean the house when you get in from work on Friday so you can spend the rest of the weekend relaxing, or get up on Saturday morning to do your laundry and shred those old papers so that is isn’t hanging over you.
32. Find a way to incorporate giving back into your life. If you feel like finding time to volunteer is hard, you can still set up a direct debit for a charity, or donate to food banks.
33. If you’re reading a book and it’s awful don’t force yourself to finish it.
34. Think of a room / cupboard / drawer that’s a total mess and that you want to tackle, and dedicate a day to sorting it out.
35. If you take the same route to work every day and there are alternative ones, try something different! Sometimes we end up on autopilot after doing the same journey every single day.
36. Similarly, if you gravitate towards the same coffee shop or same lunchtime walk every day, go somewhere else.
37. Make a list of the things that make you feel good and find a way to incorporate more of them into your life.
38. When an inconvenience happens and you feel yourself getting upset, have a big dramatic cry and get it out of your system so it’s not still lingering in your mind the next day.
39. Re-watch or re-read something from your childhood that made you happy.
40. When buying any clothes on sale, follow the rule of “would I want this if I was paying full price for it?”
41. Jot down those things you’ve been meaning to watch, read, or listen to and commit to doing it. Maybe you’ve never seen the original Star Wars films, or have kept meaning to read The Handmaid’s Tale but still haven’t.
42. When a show you’ve been waiting ages for comes out, dole the show out to yourself a few episodes at a time as you would have before streaming was a thing. Obviously sometimes you’ll end up binge-watching, but it can be nice to have an episode to look forward to after work, and means you delay the super-long wait for the next season by a bit.
43. Get a few board games for when friends come over and you’re spending ages working out what movie to watch next.
44. Work out when you’re most energised and whenever possible, tailor the harder things for around then. If you’re not a morning person, there’s no point you making yourself suffer by doing a 7am run when you’d be better suited to 7pm.
45. If your weeknight dinners are becoming same-y get a new cookbook (it could be a cheap one from a secondhand shop) and commit to making one thing from it a week. If it tastes awful you can always get a takeaway.
46. If you’re having a do-nothing weekend, try to give it a bit of structure. Maybe plan to have a bath after lunch, or invite a friend around to watch some TV with you during dinner, or set aside a specific time to finish the book you’re reading.
47. Remember that as the New Year rolls in and lots of people are making resolutions, that everyone is different you don’t have to do the same ones as other people are doing! If everyone’s talking about how they want to lose weight/travel more/learn seven new languages but it isn’t on your priority list, you’re not obliged to do them.