58 achievable New Year's resolutions you'll actually keep

This may just be the easiest new year’s resolution, and also one of the ones that can really help you feel better. In fact, research has shown that recognizing the things in your life that you can be grateful for is good for your mental and physical wellness. "It literally breathes new life into us. It recharges, and it rejuvenates," Robert Emmons, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis and founder of a research lab that studies the effects of grateful living, told ABC News. The best part? It takes only a few minutes every day to write in a gratitude journal.

It sounds cheesy, but if you have healthy family relationships, do everything you can to maintain them. Family members can help you get through tough times and celebrate the great times. This year, try to carve out one-on-one time with loved ones (close friends can be family too!), whether it’s via monthly family dinners or weekly FaceTimes.

Budgeting doesn’t mean you can’t spend money. Budgeting is just the process of sitting down to think about what your priorities are — what you would like to spend money on and what you want to avoid spending money on — within your income limits. Like any new habit, it might be best to ease into new spending behaviours so you’re able to commit to long-term changes. Budgeting apps can help you do this as painlessly as possible. You can also get creative with cash-back programs to save money on purchases you’re already planning to make.

Contrary to popular belief, mindfulness doesn’t require hours of weekly meditation or any special training. In fact, practicing mindfulness is just doing everything you can to be grateful for what you have in the moment, where you are in life and who you are right now, says Sabrina Romanoff, Psy.D., a clinical psychologist in New York City and Yeshiva University professor. Romanoff and other mental health professionals say committing to mindfulness can help you become a better person in less than a year.

We all have our go-to meals, and they serve us well when we’re short on time or don’t have the energy to plan for something novel. But chances are you’re missing out on tons of foods that are both yummy and healthy. Set aside one meal every week (even lunch on a weekend!) to try cooking with a new ingredient or making a new-to-you dish. You might be pleasantly surprised to find another dinnertime staple for your household.

There’s nothing quite like getting cozy on the sofa with a new book when it’s cold outside. That makes right now the perfect time to set a reading goal for the year. Every month we suggest a feel-good page-turner. The best part of this book club? You don’t have to leave your house or make small talk over cookies when you get to the end.

Are you the type of person that puts off vacuuming until the pet hair is too obvious to ignore? Try scheduling cleaning time into your weekly calendar so that things never get so messy that it’s intimidating to start. Plus, crossing things off a to-do list always feels great.

There’s a reason dry January and sober October are popular today. Actually, there are many reasons! Not only is drinking alcohol associated with a wide range of health risks, it also costs a lot of money. This year, consider joining the sober curious movement by cutting back on how much you drink. In the process, you might improve your mood, sleep, skin as well as your immune system.

It’s time to stop shrugging off issues like insomnia and make a solid effort toward high-quality shuteye. A lack of sleep can lead to an array of problems, from memory problems to immune system challenges. Fortunately, there are many different ways to improve your sleep routine beyond going to bed earlier. A few ideas for better sleep: Tweak your bedtime routine, pay attention to your caffeine intake and exercise more.

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 meetups with new friends in the process. Creative clubs can also be a boon in helping you stick to mastering a new craft.

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 touted by officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you've tried before but need a bit more help, experts at the Cancer Society outline a few tools that you can turn to this year.

Whether you're working on weight management or towards a balanced diet, vegetables are your friends, says Stefani Sassos M.S.

Fiber-rich vegetables are especially crucial for healthy hearts and strong veins: "A heart-healthy diet emphasizes produce, balanced by fiber-rich whole grains, fish, nuts, legumes, and lean proteins," she says. The healthiest vegetables that you should try to eat daily often double down on gut-healthy fiber.

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 and head over to your ophthalmologist, too.

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.

Take 10 minutes to run up the stairs in your office, home or nearby park. 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!).

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, supporting richer intimacy. Solo yoga can increase enjoyment as well, affecting arousal, desire, and satisfaction — the practice helps relax your mind and strengthen pelvic muscles.

Women who vacation at least twice a year have a lower heart attack risk than those who do so rarely. And researchers have found that even thinking about an upcoming trip can boost happiness for weeks.

It's time to treat yourself — and for good reason. Research indicates that spa services, particularly intensive massages, are effective in managing stress-related cortisol levels while boosting your serotonin, empowering individuals to regulate feelings of anxiety or sadness. A spa service can fulfill the need for human contact, especially under the guise of a licensed, qualified spa technician or massage therapist.

A day at the spa doesn't require you to jet on an otherwise expensive vacation; in fact, there are numerous leading day spas likely awaiting you just a road trip away.

If you're reevaluating your intimacy, start by thinking about time spent simply in the arms of your loved one. Cuddling is often underestimated for its ability to bolster physical intimacy. But relationship experts say cuddling can help you feel more connected to your partner than ever. Cuddling just for fun can fight stress and improve both of your moods' by increasing oxytocin hormones, which research adds may also bolster blood pressure, too.

"When you're regularly physically affectionate with your partner, they're more likely to see you as trustworthy and likable," explains Jessica O'Reilly, Ph.D., sex and relationship expert. This kind of attraction doesn't always need to result in sex or erotic exchanges to impact your relationship positively, as well.

You know you need to hydrate — but it's especially important when you get only six hours of sleep (or less!). You’re more likely to be dehydrated the day after a disrupted night of sleep, because a hormone that regulates your body’s water conservation is released during later stages of sleep. So down some extra water on those days if you can — and remember that too much water can be tricky for your gut, too.