The best New Year’s resolution you can make could be as simple as “just do nothing”, author, podcaster and self-help expert Caroline Foran has said. 

For many people, each New Year brings a tidal wave of expectation and hope that they can change their lives; many resolve to go to the gym more, learn a new skill or give up a bad habit. 

But Ms Foran strongly believes that the New Year is not the best time to be setting yourself strict new goals. 

“My friends in my WhatsApp groups are having a panic about getting organised and improving and doing all these things,” she told Newstalk. 

“I’m like, ‘Guys, just take a break and ease into it.’ 

“Of all the months of the year to put pressure on yourself, January is not the time. 

“I do think we’ve got into this mindset of everything having to be related to progress and even when it comes to rest, our down time, we’re doing that in the service of some future productivity like, ‘Take a break so that you can work better’ or ‘Be a better parent.’ 

“We can never do anything just for the enjoyment of it anymore…. and I’m guilty of it myself. 

“All the books I read on my Kindle, they’re always about bettering myself and sometimes the best thing you can do is to just do nothing. 

“It’s exhausting being in this Herculean effort everyday to improve yourself and actually it can become more of a stressor than productive in itself.” 

FFMF54 Happy woman drinking tea in cafe

The one thing she does recommend is using the changing of the year to reflect on the state of your life in a way that is productive rather than punishing. 

“Take stock and think about the things that are serving you well and are they actually serving you well? What are you giving most of your time to? 

“And really just being compassionate; if you were to have one New Year’s resolution that would actually be helpful and useful it would be to be compassionate with yourself.”

Main image: A woman on a sofa. Picture by: Alamy.com