How to improve your life in 2024 according to science

The start of a new year is a time for making changes and resolutions to improve your health and wellbeing. We look at some of the best tips that science has to offer.

With the arrival of another new year, you might be reflecting on what you’d like to achieve and the kind of person you want to be over the next 12 months. 

These failures can lead to what some psychologists describe as an annual cycle of “false hope syndrome“. Instead, there’s some evidence that it might be better to set goals that are more achievable. Research suggests that approach-orientated goals – those that are realistic, specific and where success can be easily measured – tend to be more successful than those that focus on abstaining or avoiding something, such as giving up smoking or drinking. 

Deciding what to focus on, however, can be tough. So, to help you make up your mind, here are seven aspects of your life that you could focus on in the first week of the new year using some science-based tips.

After what might have been a late night ringing in the New Year, it perhaps makes sense to start by paying some attention to your sleep. And at this time of year, you don’t need to feel guilty about hitting the snooze button – scientists say we should all be spending more time in bed during the winter. 

But with the northern hemisphere in the grips of winter, it is also a good time to get out and do some exercise in the cold, which has been linked to better cardiac health, a stronger immune system and improved weight loss by turning white fat cells to brown.

While you are at it, you could even try turning around during your next walk and do it in reverse. Walking backwards has been found to burn more calories than going forwards, while also strengthening the muscles in your back. It is particularly recommended for people with knee problems as it reduces the strain on the knee joint while increasing the flexibility of the hamstrings. It can also give your brain a boost too.

Talk to a stranger, enjoy a good scare, embrace the chaos of life. All of these things could help you to feel happier, more resilient and less stressed, according to science. You could also try something new. Challenging yourself by learning a new skill to ncrease brain plasticity, which helps the mind to adapt and rewire itself.

If you are looking for something a little more than friendship, you could do a lot worse than embracing your quirkiness. Slight changes in the clothes we wear, and having tastes and opinions that flout conventions can make us more attractive.

December is rarely a time for calorie-counting or moderation, and rightly so. With festive tables littered with treats both savoury and sweet, many of us over-indulge – although contrary to popular belief, eating an outsized Christmas lunch doesn’t really stretch your stomach. It is hardly surprising that so many of us start the new year with what we eat at the forefront of our minds.

If you still have leftovers from the festivities, eating them up rather than throwing them away is better for the climate. And while microwaving them might be frowned upon in polite circles, it can actually be the best way to retain the nutrients in food. Plus there shouldn’t be any ill effects from doing so (though you might want to avoid using plastic containers for this.)

Eating a balanced diet is of course good at any time of year, but probably even better after all that indulgence. Research suggests that junk food – and yes, that includes the chocolates enjoyed from your post-lunch armchair – can be as bad for the mind as it can be for the body.

And while Dry January is a popular way to  start the year, you don’t have to do the same with coffee: research suggests that those who drink coffee have a lower risk of dying from stroke, heart disease or cancer. Although of course, it’s important to consume coffee – like most things – in moderation.

The time of day you exercise can also make a difference – at least where your performance is concerned. Research on Olympic swimmers and cyclists, for example, suggests that they tend to be faster in the evening. But it can also depend on your own circadian rhythms too.

For those looking to eke out an extra few repetitions in the gym or to shave some time off their personal best, it might be worth embracing the power of the placebo. Athletes who take inert pills have been shown to perform better than those who do not, an effect that mirrors what doctors see with medical placebos. But the effect also works with “social placebos” – training with others in a way that increases bonding and provides support can reduce the sense of fatigue and pain.

Our prehistoric ancestors loved it so much, they did it with Neanderthals. Even Britain’s Queen Victoria was an enthusiastic participant. But despite this era-spanning passion for sex, its many mysteries are still being plumbed – and as more studies emerge, it’s becoming easier to have a titillating time in the bedroom.

For one thing, adopting a “sexual growth mindset” by appreciating that intimate relationships must be carefully tended, rather than expected to work automatically, can help people to navigate problems in the bedroom.

Now there are also an abundance of apps which allow people to track their orgasms. These include “biofeedback” vibrators, for example, which use data from sensors inside to help people visualise their orgasms.

And banishing myths around sex more generally could be a positive step. For some women, losing their virginity is fraught with anxiety, judgement, and painful examinations, partly because of ancient ideas about the hymen. Learning how this small piece of tissue actually works, and changing the language we use to describe it, could help to improve sex for everyone. (Read more about the sex myth that destroys lives in this article by Sophia Smith-Galer.)