Why we fail to keep our New Year resolutions - and what you can do about it
Have you ever wondered why New Year resolutions are so hard to keep?
Well, one brain scientist thinks the answer might be partly down to the time of year we make them.
Dr Camilla Nord, director of a mental health neurosciences lab at the University of Cambridge, said resolutions would be far easier to stick to if we made them in June.
She also offered her own tips for making sure your resolutions are realistic and achievable.
"In many ways, January is the hardest time for most people to set a resolution," she told ITV News Anglia.
"It is dark, it's cold - if you are in the Northern Hemisphere - so actually the very things that might help you to be motivated to do something a little bit different are gone.
"I would say, at least in the UK, it might be easier to set a New Year resolution in June rather than January."
Dr Nord said another big reason for failing to stick to your resolutions was making them too ambitious.
"People struggle so much with keeping their New Year resolutions and I think part of that comes from the fact people often pitch their resolution as being really dramatic; a big change from their normalcy.
"In our brain this is computed as an effort cost, something that is really uncomfortable and we don't want to do."
ITV News Anglia's Natalie Gray asked people on Norwich Market whether they had made New Year resolutions
Dr Nord said another reason for failing was that the future reward for changes in our lifestyle can seem too far away, meaning people give up more easily.
Dr Camilla Nord's top three tips for making your New Year resolutions achievable:
Make the effort smaller: Instead of an hour of exercise every day, give yourself a smaller target that is more manageable, like incorporating 10 minutes of exercise into each day;
Set yourself micro awards: Set yourself a goal you can meet every week or every fortnight and reward yourself for meeting those goals;
Know yourself: If you are a night owl, make sure you time your exercise for then, but if you are better in the morning make your big effort then. Working against your natural Circadian rhythm can make you less likely to succeed.
Dr Nord said despite our tendency to lapse, people still liked the thought of making changes in their lives.
"People really like setting resolutions and I think that's because we can often identify parts of our lives that we wish were a little bit better, or bits of ourselves we wish were a bit better."
But she warned that failing to achieve those goals can actually have a negative effect.
"I don't know if resolutions are that healthy for most people simply because the act of setting a goal which for many people is almost impossible to achieve is not very good for mental wellbeing."
On the streets of Norwich there was some sympathy for Dr Nord's point.
Dave Neech, from City Fish on the market, said he had not made a resolution, adding: "I'm perfect as I am, you can't improve on perfection."
Louise Davey said her aim was to cut out all bread, sugar and sweet things and so far she was still sticking to it.
Royce Sweetmorton said she wanted to learn to drive and get a car so she did not have to get the bus all the time.
Mike Read, from the Mike and Debs fruit and veg stall, said: "I was going to go on a diet, spend more time on holiday and not retire. I've broken them on the first day - how can you have New Year's Day with no drink and nothing to eat?"
Adrijana Tomas Goryn, women's health expert, said people were keen to make a positive change in their lives after Christmas.
"I think NY resolutions are a great way to get people to have an intention to do something about their health. When they have motivation they take action."
She said people needed to think hard about why they wanted to change, and that motivation could help them keep going.
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