Well, it’s almost time to flip the calendar and welcome in 2025. With the holidays soon behind us and a new year unfolding, it’s not too early to think about resolutions. But this year, instead of making the same old “I resolve to… (fill in yours here…)”, how about seeing “resolutions” in a whole new light? How about simply examining your daily habits and focusing on embracing the positive ones and slowly changing the ones you’re not happy with?

Your daily habits have a tremendous influence on your health and happiness, and for good reason — they affect both your mind and body. The lifestyle editors at the Times of India (TOI) point out the connection, saying “Did you know that our body plays a role in our happiness? The brain releases chemicals called ‘happy hormones’ that can uplift our mood, reduce stress, and improve overall well-being. These hormones include serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins.”

Fortunately, adjusting habits is far easier to do than a carrying through on a typical resolution — the tired old resolution to lose weight or reduce alcohol consumption. It’s often simply a matter of changing your attitude about your daily activities. The folks at TOI focus on seven aspects of your lifestyle that you might want to think about in 2025.

State of mind. Research has long shown the physiological effects of being positive and practicing gratitude. Specifically, expressing gratitude causes the brain to release dopamine and serotonin. More recent research has shown that practicing gratitude can have long-term health benefits as well, by lowering stress and increasing emotional resilience.

Friendship. Socializing and connecting with people can trigger the release of oxytocin, the so-called “love hormone.” But this hormone is not only connected to romantic love — simple acts such as warm conversations and friendly hugging can trigger it. It’s also associated with feelings of bonding and trust, which can provide the emotional stability for genuine happiness.

Sleeping. Some negative habits, such as not getting enough sleep, have predictably negative physiological effects. Lack of sleep can cause a reduced level of serotonin. This is a key hormone in regulating mood, digestion and, yes, sexual desire. Skipping late-evening snacks or caffeine and striving for 7-9 hours of solid sleep can improve both physical and mental health overall.

Diet. Healthy eating helps you maintain proper weight and energy. But eating certain foods also helps boost good hormones. Turkey, eggs and nuts can increase tryptophan, while Omega-3 fatty acids (in fish such as salmon) can boost dopamine.

Leisure time. Speaking of dopamine, taking part in activities you love can increase its production. This hormone is known as a “reward chemical” because it triggers feelings of pleasure and motivation in response to pleasurable activities. All the more reason to schedule time for your favorite hobby or pastime.  

Meditation. As a proven way to stay in the moment, meditation has also been shown to increase levels of serotonin and endorphins. Meditating just a few minutes per day is a wonderful way to practice mindfulness, which can reduce stress and improve your overall mood.

Exercise. You don’t have to be a long-distance runner to experience the many benefits of regular exercise. Even moderate exercise can increase the production of endorphins. In fact, abundant research shows that regular exercise is one of the keys to reducing stress and anxiety.

None of these habits involves a drastic change of lifestyle. But taken together they can drastically improve your overall health and well-being — a pretty good goal for the upcoming year.