An estimated 40% of Americans make New Year’s resolutions each year, according to a January 2026 report by Scientific American. However, research has shown that as many as 88% of those individuals give up on their resolutions within two weeks.
But don’t fear - there are ways to stick to your New Year’s resolutions this year so you can be a better you by the time next year rolls around. We talked to today’s leading experts and consulted the latest studies to determine how to keep your New Year’s resolutions so you can make these healthy habits stick.
This is how to get started.
Top 2026 Resolutions for Better Health
There are many ways to make New Year’s resolutions that will make you feel better and look better, all without spending a fortune. Check out these top 2026 New Year’s resolutions, complete with tips on how to make these healthy habits stick.
Cook More at Home
Why it matters: Studies have shown that cooking more meals at home can lead to a better all-around diet, helping to lower body fat and promote weight loss.
Cooking at home often means higher-quality foods that can incorporate more whole foods. This can lead to a myriad of health benefits, too, lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes and several forms of cancer, including breast cancer.
“Controlling when and what you eat can help your body better regulate blood sugar, support hormone function and maintain your immune system, all of which help decrease inflammation,” explains Dr. Renee Young, Naturopathic Doctor and Founder of the Young Naturopathic Center for Wellness.
It can also make a significant impact on your wallet, helping you save untold amounts in delivery fees and tips.
New Year’s resolution: Try starting with just one meal a day and go from there. Suddenly, you will find yourself cooking most of your meals at home.
Reduce Alcohol Intake
Why it matters: Many people find themselves drinking more than usual during the holidays, which has helped give rise to Dry January, a month-long commitment to cease drinking alcohol. However, you do not have to wait for January to lower your alcohol consumption.
In addition to fewer hangovers, drinking less alcohol can improve your coordination and concentration. It can also help improve your judgment and decision-making abilities.
“Cutting back on alcohol can lead to deeper sleep and give your liver more time to do its job,” adds Dr. Young.
After all, reducing alcohol intake has been shown to lower your risk of cancer, heart disease and liver disease, and it has even been shown to help with memory problems, reducing the risk of dementia.
Frank Spinelli, MD, a medical advisor and health coach at Reframe, outlines what actually happens when you stop drinking for 30 days. “Your sleep improves within 5-7 days. Your blood pressure drops within two weeks. Liver enzymes start normalizing.”
“Your mood stabilizes because you’re no longer riding the dopamine roller coaster. Most people lose 5-10 pounds without trying,” he says. “You just stop drinking, and your body does what it’s designed to do: heal.”
To do that, it is often a matter of reframing your thought process.
“Most people set goals like 'drink less' or 'limit myself to two glasses,’” explains Diana Oliver. As the founder of This Naked Mind, she has helped over 500,000 people change their relationship with alcohol. “These often don’t work because they focus on restriction and counting, not real change.”
Don’t focus on what you're giving up, she says. Instead, focus on how you want to feel. “Ask, ‘How do I want to feel in 2026?’ Less foggy? Well-rested? Present and engaged? Less anxious?’ That feeling becomes your North Star - not the number of drinks per week.”
New Year’s resolution: If you do not want to abstain from alcohol completely, try to limit your consumption to moderate use, which means one drink for women and two for men each day.
Get Active
Why it matters: The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 31% of adults and 80% of adolescents don’t get enough physical activity. However, an active lifestyle can provide several physical benefits, such as the reduced risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes. It can also improve your mental health, reducing depression and anxiety, while improving brain health.
It is important to sit less and move more, as some studies suggest that prolonged sitting can increase the risk of overall mortality.
“Movement, in particular, is a powerful, underappreciated habit,” says Dr. Naheed Ali, MD, PhD, Physician, of the Vera Clinic. “Movement helps blood vessels function well, makes the body more sensitive to insulin and lowers inflammation.”
You can start small, says Lauren Palumbo, a licensed psychotherapist at Clarity Therapy NYC. “If your goal is to go to the gym 4x a week but you have difficulty mustering the strength to even go for a walk around the block right now, it's imperative to take a closer look at what will make your goal achievable.”
“This might mean shifting the goal temporarily to simply putting on your sneakers and committing to going outside once a day, or walking to the end of the block and back.”
Over time, you will be surprised at what you can achieve.
New Year’s resolution: Instead of an expensive gym membership, commit to daily walks, biking, shooting hoops or even a yoga or dance class.
Whatever you decide, try to get the whole family involved – physical activity can improve bone health and muscle development, as well as improve motor and cognitive health.
Rediscover the Outdoors
Why it matters: Spending time in the great outdoors can lower your blood pressure, improve your mood and reduce stress levels. This can lead to reduced symptoms for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
In fact, research shows that as little as five minutes spent in nature can improve the regulation of the sympathetic nervous system, leading to better mental – and thus, physical – health.
“The resolutions that I see people keep and maintain as habits into the spring are those that reconnect them to themselves and to nature,” shares Justin Brown, Lead Instructor and Co-Founder of The Vessel. “In other words, resolutions that change how we feel internally before we act.”
New Year’s resolution: Try to spend time outside each day, whether it is going for a walk, taking your dogs to the park, reading a book in the local gardens or going for a hike. Even if you work indoors, spend your lunch break outdoors, or carve out some time over the weekend to enjoy nature.
Prioritize Mental Health
Why it matters: More than a billion people across the world live with a mental health condition.
Negative self-talk and temporary setbacks in life can lower your confidence and affect your mental health. However, when you improve your mental health, you are better able to cope with the stresses of life, thereby improving your lifestyle and overall well-being – mentally, psychologically and physically.
“Mental health habits work best when they’re treated like hygiene, not emergencies,” says Elika Dadsetan-Foley, EdD, MSW, MA, Founder and Executive Director of Enroot.
New Year’s resolution: Daily exercise, a healthy diet, a regular sleep schedule and time spent with loved ones can all help improve your mental health. Try a meditation app like Calm or Headspace, or explore other resources, such as podcasts and books, that can help guide your journey. Consider keeping a journal with goals and priorities, and create a daily gratitude list that celebrates the positives in your life.
Schedule Me Time
Why it matters: It is also important to carve out some time in your day just for yourself. If you find yourself easily agitated, tired more than usual or in a constant hurry, you could be under severe psychological stress. This can result in chronic stress, premature aging and poor mental health.
“Focus more on simply feeling good,” urges Brown. “[Resolutions] must be meaningful enough that you want to keep doing them even on the bad days.”
“Don’t forget to reflect — kindly,” he adds.
New Year’s resolution: This time does not have to be expensive nor extremely time-consuming. This can be something as simple as a warm bath, a good book, a walk at sunset or writing in a journal.
Make Medical Appointments
Why it matters: It is critical that you schedule regular appointments with your medical team. This way, you can treat a problem before it becomes a larger issue, costing both your health and your wallet.
“Going to the dentist regularly enables cavities and early gum disease to be caught before they become big problems that cost much more to fix,” says Madelyne Salo, DDS, General Dentist and Owner of Select Dental.
Medical professionals also recommend that you have an annual physical, but it is important not to overlook other areas.
“Seeing your doctor on a regular basis is important to catch small metabolic or autoimmune changes before they become a bigger problem,” says Dr. Young.
How often you should go to the doctor depends on the type of care, as well as your age, current health and medical history.
Whatever you do, says Dr. Salo, “Don't put off scheduling your next appointment.”
New Year’s resolution: Be sure to keep up with appointments for your entire medical team, including your general practitioner, dermatologist, cardiologist, gynecologist, ophthalmologist and dentist.
Mind Your Finances
Why it matters: According to Fidelity’s 2026 Financial Resolutions Study, 64% of individuals are considering a financial resolution for the new year, with the top three goals including increasing savings (44%), paying down debt (36%) and spending less (30%).
Poor financial health can have several effects on your health, including anxiety and depression, difficulty sleeping, headaches and trouble concentrating. However, good financial health can significantly improve your life, giving you greater peace of mind and freedom.
New Year’s resolution: Start by creating a budget, and stick to it. A budgeting or money management app can help you stay on track with your finances. Also, consider working with a financial advisor and tax professional to help you create a financial plan going forward.
How to Make Healthy Habits Stick
It can be difficult sticking to your New Year’s resolution, but these tips from the experts can help.
Create a Support System
Build a network of family and friends to support you. You can also find a community of like-minded individuals, either locally or online, who have similar resolutions and can relate.
Don’t forget your medical community, either.
“If you're considering major lifestyle changes around health and wellness like cutting down alcohol or quitting smoking, make sure to consult with your physician, a mental health professional specializing in addiction, and/or peer-led support groups,” urges Dr. Palumbo.
“For many, your independence is a strength,” she acknowledges, “but true strength is knowing you don’t have to do it alone.”
Establish a Sleep Schedule
A healthy sleep schedule can not only improve your health but also better prepare you for your day.
“Sleep is anti-diet culture. Poor sleep raises hunger hormones (ghrelin), lowers fullness hormones (leptin), worsens insulin sensitivity, and tells your body to store fat as a stress response,” explains weight loss surgeon Dr. Betsy Dovec. “One short night can biologically undo a full day of 'perfect' eating and exercise. Sleep isn’t lazy; it’s metabolically strategic.”
So, Dovec adds, “Go the f* to sleep if you want to lose weight.”
Do It In Steps
It is important that you create realistic goals with actionable steps to keep you on track.
“Trying to overhaul everything at once will backfire for none of it to stick,” says Dr. Nouhi. “We are not robots, we're human.”
“Change is more successful when it is paced, intentional, and focused on one or two areas at a time.”
Be Realistic
It is very easy to set goals, but it is not so easy to stick to them. You can help improve your success by being careful not to set the bar too high and remaining realistic about your goals.
“Keep your goals small enough to do every day, write them down – at least initially – and link them to something you’re already doing, like making dinner or taking a morning walk,” Dr. Young advises. “Your body adapts to these new practices, and they begin to feel habitual, rather than burdensome.”
“While these small daily decisions may sometimes seem like a drag, they are vital to your long-term health,” Dr. Salo reminds us.
Bottom Line
Resolutions are a time-honored tradition, but they can also be highly beneficial. From better physical health to improved mental health, resolutions can help establish healthy habits with wide-ranging benefits.
Be sure to start small so getting started is more manageable. And remember – if you fall behind, you can always catch up with renewed commitment and focus.
"Stop focusing on what you're giving up. Start focusing on how you want to feel," urges Grace. "The most powerful resolutions aren't about what you DO - they're about who you ARE."
