Bach Flower Advice

7 tips to truly have a happy 'new' year

7 tips to truly have a happy new year

Many of us greet the turning of the year with a little trepidation.
The year we are leaving behind may not have been the happiest year of our lives, and we sometimes worry what the future holds.

It’s easy to say nothing is worth worrying about in advance, but just what can you do to ensure you go into the new year with a positive frame of mind?

Here are our tips to truly have a happy new year.

Take stock of the year you have had

This may be difficult, but try not to dwell on anything that was overly negative in the past twelve months. Instead focus on your accomplishments. Ask yourself:

  • What went well?
  • What new skills did you learn?
  • Who were the new people who came into your life?
  • What did you get rid of that really made a difference to your life?
  • What music, books, films, art did you experience?
  • What do you wish was on this list?

Once you have all of these answers, you’re in a great place to think about goals you would like to set for next year.

Set some realistic goals for next year

Often we make resolutions at the start of the year that we’ve given up on by the second week of January. It is far better to think of milestones you would like to meet, and set yourself some realistic targets.

Imagine something that you want to achieve – and then break that down into realistic and achievable targets. If you would like to run a half marathon for example, picture yourself doing that. What does it look like? What do you need in order to be able to achieve that? Start gently. Depending on your level of fitness you may need to start very small. Try the running machine at a gym for 5 minutes, or running a mile. Where do you want to be by the end of January? So what do you need to do this week? What do you need to achieve today? Create a plan and try and stick to it. Breaking a goal down in this way makes your target more achievable and much less scary. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Don’t just dream it!

You can apply number two to anything in your life. If you have a dream, how can you take steps to achieve it? You may need a two-year, a five-year or a ten-year plan. Regardless of whether you want to work from home, climb a mountain, sail around the world, or publish a novel – you can do it, but you need a plan and you need to make inroads.

What do you need to change about your life? What are the steps that need to be taken to do that? How much money do you need to save? How can you earn more money? Problem solve and create solutions and see where your passion gets you!

Look after number one

You will never be able to love anyone else unless you love yourself, and that means giving yourself priority as often as you can. Your goals and dreams and ambitions are important. So too, is self-care. Pay attention to your diet and exercise, but make sure you do it long-term. Fad diets never work; you need to make changes to your diet that become habitual. Besides, if you wouldn’t want to eat that way all the time, it is never going to work for you.

The same applies to exercise. Don’t join a gym if you hate it. Instead choose exercise that you love. This might be swimming, walking, horse-riding, climbing, tennis, yoga or dancing. Try a few classes out and see what works for you. Try and exercise a little every day – 10 minutes is a lot better than 0 minutes!

Practise sleep hygiene

One of the best things you can do to make yourself feel great is to improve your sleep. Hopefully over the holidays you have had some rest, but once you get back into the everyday mundanity of working life, you can soon feel stressed and tired again. One way to improve things is to practise good sleep hygiene. You should ensure your bedroom is a shrine to sleep. It should be clean and tidy with fresh bedding.

Get rid of electronics as far as possible. Never take your mobile or laptop to bed and don’t watch TV in bed. Keep a window open while you sleep, and simply have a blanket or throw on hand in case you are too cool. Keep regular hours and you’ll soon notice you feel less tired, which helps to ease stress and worries away.

Resolve to be a kinder person

Sometimes happiness comes to us when we are more thoughtful of others. One thing you can try in the new year is to resolve to be kinder, compassionate and more giving. Turn your back on negative energy – especially that which stems from gossip, or belittling or humiliating people. Invest your energy in more positive pursuits such as mentoring others, or offering your time to people in your community who need help.

Become a student again!

Remember when life was filled with infinite possibilities and you felt you could take on anything? Life still is that place. What’s changed is you. You’re older, more tired, and you have more responsibilities. Try and adopt a frame of mind that is inquisitive and enquiring. Become a student once more. Set out to learn new things – new skills, new knowledge. Read books, look at art, listen to new music. Try new foods. Talk to new people. Ask people questions. Find out the answers to things you don’t know. Go to quiz nights. Watch on-line videos.

Finally, remember that new year only comes once a year. You can start afresh any day you choose; it doesn’t have to be January 1st! Take the time to breathe and think of good things. Salutations!

Created by Tom Vermeersch ()

Tom Vermeersch

Tom Vermeersch is a certified Psychologist and Bach flower expert with more than 30 years of experience.

Other articles

Do you 'Musturbate' too much?

Do you suffer from a disorder known as "musturbation"? This term was first coined in the 1950s by psychotherapist Albert Ellis and described the way a negative inner voice rules our minds and bludgeons us with words such as "must", "should", and "ought".

How to stay young

Want to know how to take better care of yourself now you’re more mature? Read our top ten tips on how to stay young and see if they’ll help!

I lost it all. What now?

Life gives but also takes away. And when what we've lost is a relationship or a loved one, we all know that the loss can lead to emotions such as anger and grief. But what if what you've lost is your health, your job, or a precious object?

I don't want to!

Motivation can be somewhat elusive - some days, you just can't seem to make yourself do the stuff you don't want to. But putting things off just leads to stress, frustration and a sense of guilt.

Even the brightest minds have setbacks!

We all want to be successful but many of us find the path to achieving our dreams is blocked by our fear of failure. Whether you’re trying to lose weight, go backpacking around the world or start up a new business, you need to accept that you might fail many times over before you achieve success.

Fact or fiction? Is it truly healthy?

There's so much contradictory health advice out there, it gets confusing. One year, butter is said to be bad for you, and margarine is better. The following year, it's the other way around. One article says running causes strain on your joints; another says it's good for you because it increases bone strength.

Banning negativity from your life: Start today

Is life getting you down? Negativity can ruin your outlook and stop your productivity. What about banning negativity from your life? Start today.

Being Happy by Yourself

Do you ever feel lonely? Do you think it’s possible to be happy by yourself? Being happy by yourself is perfectly feasible. We’ve come up with a list of helpful tips for you to consider that turns being alone into a positive state of affairs. Read our advice here.

Looking for happiness? Just stop!

Many people focus on finding happiness. But just as those who try too hard to be cool are never cool, if you're always striving to be happy, you will never achieve happiness. What's the problem? Perhaps you're just trying too hard!

Let's go! How to make resolutions work

It's the same every year. We start well by making some New Year's resolutions but end up ditching them before January ends. So you how do you choose resolutions you can stick to?

7 tips to truly have a happy 'new' year

7 tips to truly have a happy 'new' year
7 tips to truly have a happy new year

Many of us greet the turning of the year with a little trepidation.
The year we are leaving behind may not have been the happiest year of our lives, and we sometimes worry what the future holds.

It’s easy to say nothing is worth worrying about in advance, but just what can you do to ensure you go into the new year with a positive frame of mind?

Here are our tips to truly have a happy new year.

Take stock of the year you have had

This may be difficult, but try not to dwell on anything that was overly negative in the past twelve months. Instead focus on your accomplishments. Ask yourself:

  • What went well?
  • What new skills did you learn?
  • Who were the new people who came into your life?
  • What did you get rid of that really made a difference to your life?
  • What music, books, films, art did you experience?
  • What do you wish was on this list?

Once you have all of these answers, you’re in a great place to think about goals you would like to set for next year.

Set some realistic goals for next year

Often we make resolutions at the start of the year that we’ve given up on by the second week of January. It is far better to think of milestones you would like to meet, and set yourself some realistic targets.

Imagine something that you want to achieve – and then break that down into realistic and achievable targets. If you would like to run a half marathon for example, picture yourself doing that. What does it look like? What do you need in order to be able to achieve that? Start gently. Depending on your level of fitness you may need to start very small. Try the running machine at a gym for 5 minutes, or running a mile. Where do you want to be by the end of January? So what do you need to do this week? What do you need to achieve today? Create a plan and try and stick to it. Breaking a goal down in this way makes your target more achievable and much less scary. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Don’t just dream it!

You can apply number two to anything in your life. If you have a dream, how can you take steps to achieve it? You may need a two-year, a five-year or a ten-year plan. Regardless of whether you want to work from home, climb a mountain, sail around the world, or publish a novel – you can do it, but you need a plan and you need to make inroads.

What do you need to change about your life? What are the steps that need to be taken to do that? How much money do you need to save? How can you earn more money? Problem solve and create solutions and see where your passion gets you!

Look after number one

You will never be able to love anyone else unless you love yourself, and that means giving yourself priority as often as you can. Your goals and dreams and ambitions are important. So too, is self-care. Pay attention to your diet and exercise, but make sure you do it long-term. Fad diets never work; you need to make changes to your diet that become habitual. Besides, if you wouldn’t want to eat that way all the time, it is never going to work for you.

The same applies to exercise. Don’t join a gym if you hate it. Instead choose exercise that you love. This might be swimming, walking, horse-riding, climbing, tennis, yoga or dancing. Try a few classes out and see what works for you. Try and exercise a little every day – 10 minutes is a lot better than 0 minutes!

Practise sleep hygiene

One of the best things you can do to make yourself feel great is to improve your sleep. Hopefully over the holidays you have had some rest, but once you get back into the everyday mundanity of working life, you can soon feel stressed and tired again. One way to improve things is to practise good sleep hygiene. You should ensure your bedroom is a shrine to sleep. It should be clean and tidy with fresh bedding.

Get rid of electronics as far as possible. Never take your mobile or laptop to bed and don’t watch TV in bed. Keep a window open while you sleep, and simply have a blanket or throw on hand in case you are too cool. Keep regular hours and you’ll soon notice you feel less tired, which helps to ease stress and worries away.

Resolve to be a kinder person

Sometimes happiness comes to us when we are more thoughtful of others. One thing you can try in the new year is to resolve to be kinder, compassionate and more giving. Turn your back on negative energy – especially that which stems from gossip, or belittling or humiliating people. Invest your energy in more positive pursuits such as mentoring others, or offering your time to people in your community who need help.

Become a student again!

Remember when life was filled with infinite possibilities and you felt you could take on anything? Life still is that place. What’s changed is you. You’re older, more tired, and you have more responsibilities. Try and adopt a frame of mind that is inquisitive and enquiring. Become a student once more. Set out to learn new things – new skills, new knowledge. Read books, look at art, listen to new music. Try new foods. Talk to new people. Ask people questions. Find out the answers to things you don’t know. Go to quiz nights. Watch on-line videos.

Finally, remember that new year only comes once a year. You can start afresh any day you choose; it doesn’t have to be January 1st! Take the time to breathe and think of good things. Salutations!


Marie Pure

Other articles


Do you 'Musturbate' too much

Do you 'Musturbate' too much?

Do you suffer from a disorder known as "musturbation"? This term was first coined in the 1950s by psychotherapist Albert Ellis and described the way a negative inner voice rules our minds and bludgeons us with words such as "must", "should", and "ought".

Read the complete article

How to stay young

How to stay young

Want to know how to take better care of yourself now you’re more mature? Read our top ten tips on how to stay young and see if they’ll help!

Read the complete article

I lost it all. What now

I lost it all. What now?

Life gives but also takes away. And when what we've lost is a relationship or a loved one, we all know that the loss can lead to emotions such as anger and grief. But what if what you've lost is your health, your job, or a precious object?

Read the complete article

I don't want to!

I don't want to!

Motivation can be somewhat elusive - some days, you just can't seem to make yourself do the stuff you don't want to. But putting things off just leads to stress, frustration and a sense of guilt.

Read the complete article

Even the brightest minds have setbacks!

Even the brightest minds have setbacks!

We all want to be successful but many of us find the path to achieving our dreams is blocked by our fear of failure. Whether you’re trying to lose weight, go backpacking around the world or start up a new business, you need to accept that you might fail many times over before you achieve success.

Read the complete article

Fact or fiction Is it truly healthy

Fact or fiction? Is it truly healthy?

There's so much contradictory health advice out there, it gets confusing. One year, butter is said to be bad for you, and margarine is better. The following year, it's the other way around. One article says running causes strain on your joints; another says it's good for you because it increases bone strength.

Read the complete article

Banning negativity from your life Start today

Banning negativity from your life: Start today

Is life getting you down? Negativity can ruin your outlook and stop your productivity. What about banning negativity from your life? Start today.

Read the complete article

Being Happy by Yourself

Being Happy by Yourself

Do you ever feel lonely? Do you think it’s possible to be happy by yourself? Being happy by yourself is perfectly feasible. We’ve come up with a list of helpful tips for you to consider that turns being alone into a positive state of affairs. Read our advice here.

Read the complete article

Looking for happiness Just stop!

Looking for happiness? Just stop!

Many people focus on finding happiness. But just as those who try too hard to be cool are never cool, if you're always striving to be happy, you will never achieve happiness. What's the problem? Perhaps you're just trying too hard!

Read the complete article

Let's go! How to make resolutions work

Let's go! How to make resolutions work

It's the same every year. We start well by making some New Year's resolutions but end up ditching them before January ends. So you how do you choose resolutions you can stick to?

Read the complete article

Bach Flowers are not medicinal but harmless plant extracts which are used to support health.

© 2025 Mariepure - Webdesign Publi4u

Free personal advice for your problem?

Are you unsure which Bach flowers can help you? Contact Tom for free advice.

tom vermeersch
Tom Vermeersch

Yes, I want free advice

No thanks, I will do my own research