1 Improve your diet

Christmas is over and your jeans are snug; hence that New Year’s resolution to reverse what you’ve scoffed. Leggings might be the answer (we’re all over these bad boys from Epping’s Blush Boutique), but that’s only a temporary to getting back into denim. With their registered office in Southend, Prep Kitchen deliver dishes to your door and let you choose your weight loss goal. Want to eat out? Leigh On Sea’s The Bellhouse‘s menus have a filter for dishes under 600kcals.

2 Up the exercise

Getting fit is another New Year’s resolution for many, with Jan the top month to join a gym. Stansted’s Stronger Together Gym is a women-only space focussing on personal training, but in a supportive class setting. Fancy yoga? Muddy Stilettos 2024 winner, The Yoga Club Billericay, has a weekly schedule plus workshops and events. Or go all out and train for Nuclear Races‘ Kelvedon Hatch May event, with courses from six to a whopping 60km.

3 Cut down drinking

Overdone the booze? Well Baileys and bubbly are hard to refuse. Dry Jan’s here, but it doesn’t mean no fun. Lakeside’s Coco Asia is 100% alcohol-free, from cocktails to wine. Staying in? Hullbridge’s The Alcohol Free Co delivers only 0% choices. Or go all out with this Colne Valley 3 Day Wellness Sober Retreat (10-12 Jan) with yoga, holistic treatments and chef-cooked meals. From £450.

4 Quit smoking

We hope you’re not a smoker, but according to stats six mill of us Brits still puff away. NHS Quit Smoking Better Health can advise on ditching the habit – but why not consider hypnotherapy to stub those butts out once and for all? Clacton’s The Birches Therapy could well be for you, with sessions to say goodbye to filling your lungs with nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide (nice).

5 Boost your finances

If you want to up your bank balance there’s lots of Essex help, starting with financial planning from Ingatestone’s Harperlees. Focusing on immediate, medium and long-term goals, they’ll sort everything from wealth to retirement plans (scary but it will happen). Mortgage deal ending? Harlow’s Genesis Mortgages Ltd can find the best deal. And don’t think you need to hibernate: Great Baddow’s Russells Restaurant has a menu on at the mo from £18 for two courses.

6 Out with the old

Got a New Year’s resolution to come over Marie Kondo? Even the tidiest home needs decluttering (hello, hubby’s ‘wire drawer’). Stop arguing over what’s ‘essential’ by getting the pros in: the Home Style Essex duo are insured and have completed Professional Decluttering and Organising diplomas. Then there’s Chelmsford’s Styled By Katie, with her Wardrobe Edit including decluttering and organising so your clothes are in check.

7 Reduce time on tech

According to a survey us ladies spend just shy of five hours online a day. If you’re guilty like us watching cat reels while the kids are glued to Fortnite it’s time to do something about it. Art gallery Firstsite is great for younger ones, with free music and art clubs plus Lego experiences and more. If, however, you’re after a proper digi detox, Little Clacton’s The Lodge Essex has gorgeous huts overlooking the countryside – and no WiFi.

8 Consider your career

New year; new career? Jan is one of the best months to search, due to updated budgets and businesses considering taking on staff. Recruitment agencies are a good place to start, like Witham’s Prime Appointments, a family-owned indie finding jobs for people for over 30 years. Networking groups are also a bonus, with the Essex Chambers of Commerce hosting events plus training opportunities to members.

9 Make time for those you love

One minute it’s Monday and you’re rushing to work; the next it’s Sunday and you’ve not had a sec to phone your folks. Another New Year’s resolution is making time for friends and family, like a walk around Markshall Arboretum & Gardens or RHS Garden Hyde Hall while you catch up. Why not take the kids to Muddy’s Best Family Attraction winner Clacton Pier? Or sneak off with the girls to Thorpe-Le-Soken’s Lifehouse Spa & Hotel. We know which we’d prefer (soz, kids).

10 Help others

Another New Year’s resolution is helping those in need, putting time aside even just for an hour or two. There’s Foodbanks around Essex for a start, with this Brentwood one needing donations like tea and nappies. You could host an event to share your knowledge or skill with others, such as Braintree Voices‘ free weekly choir. Or volunteer: Volunteer Essex offers everything from newspaper deliveries to marshalling, with the amount of time you help entirely up to you.