10 Low-Key And Lazy Resolutions That Will Completely Change Your Life
We’re very tired. And yet, we got this.
by The Candidly Team
We don’t love writing about resolutions. Not because we don’t believe in goals. Or self-discipline. But because too many of us have been semi-trained to ground our resolutions in self-loathing.
It’s often “ugh, I’m so disgusting. I need to get in shape.” And almost never, “wow, how amazing would it feel to make time for myself to work out.” We’re just very programmed to be mean and punishing toward ourselves, and our NY resolutions tend to fit right into that mold.
Not to mention, most of us are at our brink in terms of workload, and the notion that we’re falling short also just doesn’t sit entirely well with us.
All of that said, we really do want to share in good health. In success. In finding honest, doable, digestible ways to live stronger, better lives.
And so, we came up with 10 smaller things that are actually quite enormous in terms of their impact. None of them feel like punishment. All of them feel relatively easy(ish). And we just plain like them.
We know we call them lazy in the title but we also know each of you is anything but. Nevertheless, in celebration of a very candid 2025, here are 10 no-bullshit resolutions we’d love nothing more than to share with all our fellow busy, tired, making-it-work readers.
We are so grateful we get to share this next year with all of you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. And look, just by saying that we can check off number 5 on this list.
1. Drink two glasses of water first thing in the morning.
Drinking water is one of those low effort things most of us continually neglect to do enough of. Yet on some level, perhaps even because it sounds so low effort, many of us don’t fully realize exactly how critical it is to our longterm health. We recently did a deep dive into why proper hydration could lower our biological age along with our chances of early death and disease. So to get us on the road to around 8 glasses a day, start the morning with 2 cups. Quick, quick. Before you even have time think about it.
2. Treat walking like the life-extending, fat burning tool it is.
Former CDC director Dr. Thomas Frieden once described walking as "the closest thing we have to a wonder drug.” We have written more articles than you probably care to read on why exactly this is, but a few highlights include it reduces risk of early death, boosts heart and brain health, can lower blood sugar and curb sugar cravings. And this is just a teeny tiny sampling of its magic. On a daily basis, there are 4 incredible ways it can improve our quality of life which we wrote about HERE. And our very own Editor-in-Chief wrote all about the role it played in her own 40-pound weight loss story (which was really a story about health and a personal one at that). But walking is universally one of the easiest, most accessible ways to start moving - no equipment, memberships, or TikTok-driven fads. Just one foot in front of the other. Which we all know is how change actually happens.
3. Eat more, not less, of this one thing.
Yes, yes, New Year’s resolutions are chock full of foods we vow to limit and restrict. It’s been estimated that around 80% or more of people don’t stick to their dietary goals, often giving up before February. Honestly, we feel sweaty and stressed and pressured just thinking about it, which is one reason why we like to focus on what we should be eating more of. And the answer for many of us is going to be fiber.
A high fiber diet has been “associated with a reduced risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and all cancers.” Fiber is present in many fruits, veggies, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. And filling your diet with more of these satiating foods incidentally leaves less room for more salty, sugary, processed things that can contribute to health issues and weight gain.
Up until age 50 women should try to get about 25 grams of fiber a day, and after 50, they should aim for 21 grams. If you want a long list of foods that can help you meet this goal, go HERE.
4. Do this 6 second activity every single day to improve your relationship.
Ok, here’s a fun one for those of you in a relationship (and hoping to keep it that way). Kiss your partner every day for 6 seconds. The length of the kiss matters as it’s been shown by relationship research organization The Gottman Institute to strengthen the connection between partners in a powerful, palpable way. And tensions tend to melt the more we’re willing to melt for each other.
5. Say 3 extras thank yous a day.
Just saying to have more gratitude feels like this big, abstract thing. So we like to break it down into a teeny, tiny, tangible action for ourselves by saying three conscious thank yous a day. Connecting to a feeling of appreciation can have massive (not to mention, selfish) benefits which include, relief from stress and anxiety, lower depression levels, improved sleep, enhanced heart health, and ahem, better sex. Wild, no?
6. Try this 5-minute thing to keep your stress in check.
We recently wrote about this curious activity that can apparently improve your mood more than meditation. It’s an extremely simple breathing exercise you literally do for 5 minutes, and it’s supposed to melt away anxiety and bring down our respiratory rate. Ready to see what it looks like. Here’s a visual.
Not too crazy, right? You can hear about it in more detail HERE, but it really is that easy. So much so that we’re doing it once a day to see just how tranquil we can become in 2025.
7. Add this key anti-aging ingredient to your skincare routine.
Did you know there are really only 3 ingredients proven to be anti-aging. One is SPF, duh. One is retinoid, which can be a little intimidating. But the third is vitamin C. We started using THIS one vit C serum and the difference it has made to our skin has been truly enormous. The glow. The smoothness. There are many out there to try at many prices. But this one is our personal holy grail.
8. Plop an air-purifying plant into any room you spend a lot of time in.
Plants can apparently improve our mood, self-esteem, and concentration. But we’re in it for the cleaner air. And setting one in our living room just feels so much more doable than say, Marie Kondoing our entire household.
Here is a fun little guide from NASA of all places on which work best for air purification. Just be sure to also check which are safe for kids and pets if you have either around.
Image from Instagram/ @urvann.india
9. Lift heavy things.
Strength training is HUGE for women. HUGE for all aspects of our health, and this is even more true in mid-life. It keeps up metabolism and helps release a literal depression-fighting hormone. To make it almost unavoidable, we keep THESE out in the open at home and aim to fit in quick little routines like THIS while watching TV. It’s crazy how quickly it becomes just another thing we do, while doing other things.
10. Finally, finally buy that one pair of really incredible jeans.
We realize this sounds superficial, especially when set against all the life-lengthening suggestions above, but jeans are the thing most of us wear more than anything else, and having the dream pair that makes us feel confident is absolutely mood-changing and, in a less small way than you think, life changing. Just think how much better we feel when we start our day in something that fits us well. THESE are our absolute favorite, most flattering jeans at low, medium, and high prices (because we know you also have your own financial goals for the new year to think about.)
And even though it’s the only thing on this list that involves spending anything, we believe it’s well worth it. In fact, we’ve started our own year with it, and we have no regrets. None.
This article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be used in place of professional advice, medical treatment, or professional care in any way. This article is not intended to be and should not be a substitute for professional care, advice or treatment. Please consult with your physician or healthcare provider before changing any health regimen. This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent disease of any kind. Read our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
