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STAY STRONG

From ditching booze to exercising, expert tips to help you stick to your New Year’s resolutions

ARE you dying for a pint, a smoke or some chocolate?

Today is the day when most of us ditch our well-intended New Year’s resolutions.

Stick to your New Year's resolutions with our expert's advice
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Stick to your New Year's resolutions with our expert's adviceCredit: Getty - Contributor

But stay strong. Here, Richard Asheton brings you expert tips to help you stick to your mission . . .

I want to exercise more: Pour yourself a coffee. It may seem bonkers but researchers at the University of Kent have found the energy we get from caffeine can counteract our in-built human laziness.

Leave trainers by the front door.

Visual cues can jog our minds about our best ambitions and make us more likely to keep working towards them.

If you want to exercise more, drink a coffee and put your trainers by your front door
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If you want to exercise more, drink a coffee and put your trainers by your front doorCredit: Alamy

I want to lose weight: Put the footie on.  You can burn up to 740 calories during a 90-minute stomach churner, according to a study by LiveIt Health.

Just make sure you skip the half-time pizza.

Try a drinking competition – with water.

A study by one US university found that subjects who drank half a litre of water before each meal lost about 4½lb more over three months than those who did not.

You can lose weight start by drinking a lot of water
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You can lose weight start by drinking a lot of waterCredit: Getty - Contributor

I want to drink less: Is a stressful job jeopardising your Dry January pledge?

Let it all out with a good old cry. Crying helps drain cortisol, the stress hormone. So you won’t have to reach for a glass.

If you do have a drink, use a straight-sided glass.

Research has shown that our eyes play tricks on us, with curved glasses making us think they hold less.

If you are finding dry January too difficult, try crying - it will drain cortisol which is the stress hormone
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If you are finding dry January too difficult, try crying - it will drain cortisol which is the stress hormoneCredit: Getty Images - Getty

I want to cut down on sugar and fat: Cancel Netflix. Reducing binge watching can have dramatic health effects, according to a study by Brigham Young University in the US.

Scientists found that millennials who watched several episodes in a row were more likely to be bad eaters, as well as overweight or obese.

Or how about sprinkling chocolate flakes on your breakfast?

Starting the day with sugars may sound strange but the journal Eating Behaviors has found that a small amount of sugar can reduce your craving for it later on.

If you want to cut down on fats and sugar, stop binge-watching as it affects your eating habits
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If you want to cut down on fats and sugar, stop binge-watching as it affects your eating habitsCredit: Getty - Contributor

I want to save more money: How about literally freezing your credit card? Mutaz Qubbaj, chief executive of budgeting app Squirrel, suggests putting your cards in a bowl of water and putting them in the freezer.

Then, if you want to use them you’ll have to wait for the ice to thaw.

A popular idea is the 1p challenge. You start by saving 1p a day, then 2p, then 3p.

With 2020 being a leap year, that means that on December 31 you will put away the final saving of £3.66, and have a total of £671.61.

A good way to save hundreds of pounds is by freezing your credit card and saving 1p a day
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A good way to save hundreds of pounds is by freezing your credit card and saving 1p a dayCredit: Getty Images - Getty

I want to take up a new hobby: Many of us who try a new interest give up after a while.

You will have a much better chance if you do it with a mate, Leeds University researchers have found.

It will help too if you put your plans on Facebook. In a similar way, those of us who tell our friends what we are up to are more likely not to give up.

Use that online peer pressure for good.

Finding a new hobby will be easier if you get into it with one of your friends, and use online peer pressure in a positive way by posting it on Facebook
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Finding a new hobby will be easier if you get into it with one of your friends, and use online peer pressure in a positive way by posting it on FacebookCredit: Getty - Contributor

I want to give up smoking: If you are desperate, you could move house.

Bas Verplanken, a professor in social psychology at the University of Bath, says it is much easier to kick a habit in a new environment.

Or every time you reach for a cigarette, stop yourself and dance like no one is watching.

The NHS says even five minutes of exercise can cut cravings.

Strop smoking by exercising more, it will cut your cravings and every time you find yourself reaching for a cigarette, shake up a dance move instead
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Strop smoking by exercising more, it will cut your cravings and every time you find yourself reaching for a cigarette, shake up a dance move insteadCredit: Getty - Contributor

I want to spend more time with my family: Think about starting a regular arts and crafts day.

The charity Action For Children says painting together, writing short stories or taking photographs of each other can be a fun way to grow closer.

Create a “buffer” between work and home and you will be more present with the family.

Work-life balance guru Kris McPeak recommends listening to podcasts or audiobooks on your commute home, even if you drive.

Spending more time with your family is important, put in place regular activities and separate work life from home
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Spending more time with your family is important, put in place regular activities and separate work life from homeCredit: Getty - Contributor

I want to pursue a career ambition: Write it down on paper.

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One study at  California’s Dominican University found that people are 43 per cent more likely to achieve a goal using this tip.

And don’t work so hard.

Plenty of research shows our productivity drops if we are always on call, according to the jobs website reed.co.uk.

So if you want to get ahead, turn those emails off.

If you want to pursue your dream job, start by writing it down on a paper and don't overdo it
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If you want to pursue your dream job, start by writing it down on a paper and don't overdo itCredit: Getty - Contributor

I want to renovate my home: Start thinking about throwing a party in the property you dream of.

According to psychologist Dr Jonathan Pointer: “Imagination always trumps willpower.” Visualising the end result can help you get your act in gear. You could also bribe yourself.

Apps such as StickK let you sign a “commitment contract” with yourself and put real money on the line, possibly going to charity.

You could include in your budget the money for that celebration party.

Martin Lewis explains his New Year money-saving resolutions to help you save THOUSANDS of pounds

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