Realistic Resolutions For 2022…January is traditionally the time to make personal resolutions to encourage us to live better in the year to come. But with continued uncertainty it can be difficult to focus.

Yet despite the uncertainty, there are still positive steps we can make to enable us to live our lives more fully and to take better care of the people and environment around us. Here are our top easy and realistic resolutions to make 2022 a better year for everyone!

BE KIND

As 2022 kicks off, you can be pretty sure that most of the people you meet will be continuing to suffer from increased levels of anxiety and stress. But a few friendly words, a kind gesture or an act of generosity can alleviate others’ symptoms and brighten their winter days. You can send absent friends cards or gifts (browse our gift collection here!), but it’s also important simply to acknowledge those around you, offering them your time, listening when required, suspending judgment and harsh words, and making sure to say thank you. Research has shown that kindness is contagious, with each kind act inspiring others – so why not try to include one conscious act of kindness within each day? You will probably find that in helping someone else, a kind act will reward you too, bringing an increased sense of pleasure, strength and self-worth.

SMILE ON

Even if you don’t feel like it, making a conscious effort to smile can boost your own mood as well as the mood of those around you. Research has indicated that the act of smiling releases ‘happy hormones’ such as dopamine and serotonin, tricking our brains into believing we are happy – with the result that actual feelings of wellbeing follow. Like kindness, a smile is often infectious, making those around us feel lighter and brighter too. So why not resolve to make an effort to smile consciously ten times a day – whether at your nearest and dearest or at strangers you encounter when out for exercise?

EAT SEASONALLY

Most of us are spending more time cooking and so are more in control of what we eat. So why not make 2022 the year you embrace seasonal eating and buy more locally produced food? Food grown or made nearby usually tastes better because it’s fresher, as well as cutting down on the harmful carbon emissions involved in transport and giving you a healthier range of vitamins and minerals as you change your diet through the year. Why not start by resolving to order an organic veg box, or deciding to shop at your local farm shop or greengrocers? Or if a supermarket shop is your best option, check the provenance of the fruit and vegetables you buy and decide to limit your shop to two or fewer items flown in from another continent.

CUT DOWN ON MEAT

Surveys show that more than half a million people intend to eat vegan this January. But even if you don’t want to go the whole way, reducing your meat intake is probably the single most effective thing you can do to help the environment. According to the UN Panel on Climate Change, the livestock sector – raising cows, pigs and chickens – generates more greenhouse gas emissions than all road, rail and air traffic combined. Easy resolutions to start reducing your intake include making one meal a day vegan, eating vegan or vegetarian one day a week, using meat substitutes in some of your favourite recipes, or even a ‘vegan before 6pm’ regime. Give it a go – a diet low in animal fat is also healthier, reducing the risk of heart disease and cancer.

SHOP SUSTAINABLY

Buying brands that place ethical, social and environmental concerns at the heart of what they do is a brilliant way of making a commitment to protecting the planet and its workers. So with local non-essential shops closed, why not resolve to look for a green and ethical alternative for your online purchases? If it sounds daunting, start with a single category, for instance clothing or toiletries. You can be guaranteed that all our products at Noble Isle are vegan-friendly and cruelty-free, using ingredients we have sourced from carefully selected producers within the British Isles. There are many other companies working in different areas that also have a mission to create a greener environment, so why choose one of them to make purchases that work for everyone?

REPURPOSE AND MEND

There’s a lot of talk of reducing food waste, and many of us are taking steps to cut down on wastage by drawing up menus before we shop, reducing portion sizes to what we know we can realistically eat, and getting creative with leftovers. But you can be equally creative with other objects by considering ways of repurposing or upcycling them rather than throwing them away. Can an item of clothing be given new life by changing the hemline, cutting off or adding sleeves, or embellishing it with decorations? Can you repaint or clean furniture? Can you darn a jumper or find someone to mend an electrical item? Your resolution could be at least to think about how you might reuse or mend something before you consign it to the rubbish dump. Or to try to find a new owner who will treasure something you no longer need.