We’ve all been there. The new year begins and you start with the best intentions, whether it’s wanting to home-cook more of your meals or starting Couch to 5K. But, before you know it, the end of the month has arrived and you’re on the sofa ordering Deliveroo with no plans to head out for that run any time soon.

Of course, there are days when you want to treat yourself or just can’t be bothered to exercise – and that’s totally fine. But, if you’re trying to stick to a new routine, it can be hard to stay motivated. In fact, new research by HelloFresh has found that almost six in 10 of us struggle to get back into a routine post-Christmas, while 90% of us want to do more cooking at home, and one in five wish to create a fitness regime for 2025.

Want to create a better routine for the new year but think you’ll struggle to stick to it? Clinical psychologist Dr Martha Deiros Collado shares the following three tips to help you do so…

It may sound simple, but using a calendar to plan your week is a great way to stay organised. “Invest in a weekly calendar that looks good, either on the back of your front door or in the corridor,” suggests Dr Deiros Collado. “This will help the whole family know what happens when.”

You can even plan regular mealtimes onto this calendar, to help you plan and stick to your home-cooking routine. “Aim to make dinner the heart of your day with a home-cooked meal at roughly the same time each evening,” Dr Deiros Collado says. “A little consistency can help everyone feel more grounded, especially after the holiday buzz.”

We all know the negative effects that dark mornings and evenings can have on our mental health, with an estimated 2 million people in the UK experiencing seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

So, to stick to a routine, it’s important that your environment is set up to allow you to do this. You may want to invest in a SAD lamp. Alternatively, identify the spaces in your home that you spend the most time in and make sure you have enough light in them. “January mornings are dark and can feel like a struggle,” explains Dr Deiros Collado. “Reduce some of this by keeping fairy lights up to brighten up your kitchen or entrance, or light some candles at breakfast and imbue your mornings with a different atmosphere.”

Perhaps most important of all, make sure you give yourself time to relax as part of your routine. “January can feel like ‘all systems go’ but our brains and bodies are still wintering, so if you want to have energy make sure you also protect time to rest and restore alone,” recommends Dr Deiros Collado. “This might look like a walk in nature, watching a film or planning an hour of ‘quiet time’”.

Images: Getty