2018 has well and truly begun — so what’s the latest with your New Year’s resolution? If you’re anything like the 80% surveyed by Business Insider UK, chances are that you’ll be done with your ‘new year, new me’ regime by February.

So, the question is: how do we begin a resolution to improve our lives and stick to it throughout the year? Answer: you need to put a fun and interesting spin on the worn-out resolutions. Check out these New Year’s resolutions for boosting mind, mood and body that don’t only revolve around sensible eating and joining a gym.

Try a new taste from around the world

Make your diet more fun and health-conscious at the same time by introducing fresh tastes from around the world! There are plenty of healthy ingredients out there that you’ve possibly never heard of, so why not promise yourself to use at least three from across the world every week as part of your new healthy-eating plan? Here are some good ones to start you off:

Harissa: a chili paste from northern Africa that is believed to have cancer-protective qualities and tastes great in soups.
Lucuma: from Peru, this makes a perfect snack and contains carotene that can reportedly reduce the effects of ageing.
Chia seeds: an export of Mexico, put these in your porridge for a healthy dose of omega-3 fatty acids.

Failing to consume nutritious foods puts us at risk of obesity, along with a range of medical issues — but we all know how hard it is to swap bad treats for good foods.

Step back and look at your job role

We spend a lot of time at work, so a key part of making this a happy and successful year will be to ensure your job is fulfilling. Here are some ways you can improve your career and workplace:

Start a blog: this is a great creative outlet for your ideas that aren’t getting heard at work. Use Wordpress and read a few how-to guides and SEO-related articles to help you get seen online.
Search for relevant courses: ask for external training from your HR department to boost your chances of promotion.
Corporate days out: these are growing massively in popularity, so suggest a team-building trip somewhere to lift everyone’s spirits.
Re-decorate your office or desk, arrange a night out with your team or organise a Friday afternoon quiz to lift the atmosphere in the office.

Happiness with our jobs is crucial to our overall wellbeing. The Health and Safety Executive states that more than half a million workers suffered from anxiety or depression during 2016/17, which can lead to further health problems if left untreated.

How much time are you spending with family?

Think back to 2017: how much time did you spend with your family? If the answer is ‘not enough’, then do something about it in 2018 and create a year of unforgettable moments! Climb Ben Nevis, go whale-watching, hike through a national park, kayak down your nearest river, or do a sponsored abseil. Big events give your family a collective goal to achieve, which means you get to train and prepare together, as well as make a long-lasting memory at the end.

Studies show that maintaining a good family life can fend off medical problems. According to the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, single people have a higher risk of developing dementia, while New York University found that married people suffer less from cardiovascular disease than singletons. As if you needed an excuse to go on holiday, research from the Journals of Vacation Marketing also found that people waiting to go on holiday felt happier with their lives and experienced less negative emotions.

Make sure you pack in plenty of trips away this year, too!

Forget the gym — try a new, exciting sport

New Year’s resolutions almost always have exercise attached to them somehow. After winter eating, we’re all desperate to lose weight and get fit — but with the treadmill and the weight machine not offering much in the way of excitement, many of us fail to make the most of our gym memberships.

That’s why you need to enroll in something fun and challenging! Snow sports are fast, fun and intense — perfect for grabbing and holding onto your attention. Search online for your nearest indoor slope and get yourself enrolled in snowboarding or skiing lessons.

Unconvinced that this will be an effective weight loss strategy? An average adult can burn between 250 and 630 calories every hour while skiing or snowboarding, and the exercise tests your balance and works all your major muscle groups to help you tone up quickly. Adrenaline-pumping sports like this one also encourages your body to release endorphins — which are neurochemicals that create a feeling of happiness and lower stress — while a study, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, showed that regular exercise reduced the chances of developing depression.

Many places will also usually provide all the kit, so you just have to take your pluck and energy!

Choose one, two, three, or all of these New Year’s resolutions to make 2018 a year to remember.