Nurture your mind for a happier 2025

Tasking ourselves with new year’s resolutions can feel like a hard no. The wellbeing benefits of a health reset, however? That we could use.

How about taking a softly-softly approach to achieving greater happiness in 2025? Consider daily easy tweaks that will promote better mood, boost your strength, support your skin and improve your diet.

If, like us, you’re looking to make this the year that you actually de-stress, why not adopt a handful of ‘happy’ habits too – all designed to help you feel more rested, organised, taken care of, stronger and (hopefully) more like you. Starting with:

Whether you’re into smoked, sushi or just steamed with a side of veg, there are so many reasons to add salmon to your diet. This particular fish is packed with omega-3 fatty acids, which are said to support healthy brain function (and, bonus, they’re also good for your heart as well as your energy levels). Our bodies can’t make omega-3 fats on their own so it’s a good idea to up our oily fish consumption to make sure we have enough.

Try roasting salmon fillets in a foil parcel with soy sauce, sesame oil, freshly grated root ginger and shredded veg (we like peppers and spring onions). While that’s cooking in the oven, boil some rice and you’ve got yourself a delicious weeknight meal. If that's not the one for you, find more salmon recipes here.

The benefits of putting on some banging music for exercise or a kitchen disco on a Friday night (it's not just us still doing that, right?) are obvious. But did you know that listening to sad songs can also make you feel better?

In a scientific study, participants were asked to select emotions from a list of feelings while listening to sad music. ‘Nostalgia’ came out as the most popular, with ‘peacefulness’ in second place – who doesn’t crave that after the Christmas-new year marathon? – followed by 'tenderness'. So whack on some Robyn/ Adele/ Bon Iver (delete as appropriate) and embrace the feels because: science.

For tips and inspiration on living well, doing winter well, heck, just doing everything well, we turn to Scandinavia. Specifically, in this instance, Norway, where a study of 50,000 people showed that engaging in cultural activities made them feel less anxious and just happier overall.

Of course, heading to a theatre, museum or the cinema also means you are away from your desk (win), not bathing in the blue light of your phone screen for a while (win) and you’re out of the house (WIN). Greater life satisfaction just from hitting a gallery for a couple of hours? We’re in.

If you struggle to mentally log off from work once the week is over, take some solace in the fact that you’re not alone. A recent survey found that 3.5 million UK workers felt pressured to check their work emails outside their contracted hours – a pretty shocking number that probably explains why (among other factors), we struggle to properly relax come the weekend. It's time to take control. Putting on an out-of-office notification each Friday at 5pm will act as a clear virtual barrier, AKA let whoever is emailing know that – contrary to popular belief – you do in fact have a life and will not be replying until you’re back in the office on Monday morning. You can even go one step further and delete your email app from your phone. Out of sight, out of mind…

Science says that a daily dose of fresh air outdoors can improve our self-esteem, our mood and help to reduce anxiety and depression (Department of Health, 2009a, 2011; Reed et al., 2013). It works wonders for our physical health too. Great news if you walk the dog each day, but venturing outside in sub-zero temperatures does require a certain amount of willpower.

The answer? Volunteering! The Wildlife Trust is on a mission to make socialising and exercising in natural places central to our daily lives, from bird feeding to litter picking or Wild Work Days, there’s a community to tempt all types and temperaments – ideal if you’re looking to be more connected to your local community, too.

Prefer some peace and quiet? Forest bathing – aka shinrin yoku – is the ancient Japanese process of relaxation. All you need do is stand calmly among the trees, bathing in the forest atmosphere (no trunks required). And if you’re time-poor? Try a 20-minute stroll. The more daylight exposure you get, the better you’ll sleep (shout out to all that melatonin) – and when it comes to quality of sleep, every little helps. Speaking of…

Can’t switch off? Highly strung? Feel tired 100 per cent of the time? Getting an early night is the quick-fix healthy habit hack for very busy people. A good night's sleep is proven to help lift our moods, ward off bugs, improve relationships and boost our productivity, plus it should help us to look and feel less tired too.

Enjoy your Zzzs with a side of science? Try these to enjoy better, more restful sleep:

1. Keep cool – the optimum room temperature is 20C (68-70F).

2. Switch off technology before bedtime – blue light blocks melatonin, the hormone that makes you sleepy.

3. Listen to calming music – classical is proven to help us sleep better.

4. Invest in separate duvets for you and your OH – it’s the Scandi way to slumber right and, mark our words, it will change your life.

5. If you can, be consistent with your sleep routine for a better start to every day.