The trends in New Year's resolutions for 2023

Every year, around the end of December, we are all firmly convinced that we are going to drastically change our lives. By the way, I also fully participate in this. A lot of failed resolutions have already passed by, such as learning a second language, playing an instrument, and no longer ordering food via UberEats. My resolutions for 2023? Fortunately, they are a lot less ambitious: read more, spend more time in nature, and use less social media. Well, that should be doable, right?

What strikes me is that many people often have exactly the same resolutions. Not very original but still very nice, this way you can keep motivating each other. What resolutions are on the agenda for 2023? These are the following trends:

Sober Curious
You’ve probably seen the term ‘Sober Curious’ come up before. It’s a trend that’s about consciously drinking alcohol. So you don’t completely stop drinking, but you choose not to mindlessly down a bottle of wine. As we are increasingly focused on self-care and healthy living, it also includes not wanting to wake up with a hangover every week. In other words: being kinder to your body. Mainly millennials are fans of this trend: they are skipping the notorious Dry January in 2023 and going for Sober Curious.

Less flying
People are increasingly refusing to fly somewhere, and I think that’s more than justified. After all, flying less ultimately benefits our climate the most. Instead, we are taking the train more often or choosing to vacation in our own country. Quite romantic, right? A nice resolution for the planet, I’m in.

Sleeping in nature
The resolution to spend more time in nature is also on my list every year. But where it used to be mainly about walks in the park, this coming year it’s a trend to retreat to nature for a few nights now and then. With the rise of luxury wooden cabins, people are increasingly voluntarily camping in the woods, close to home, and far from primitive. You can’t really call this ‘back to nature’, but hey, as long as it provides relaxation.

Morning rituals
In the context of me-time and escaping the hectic world of 2023, we are increasingly in need of peace and routine. On TikTok, I spotted quite a few morning rituals over the past year; from drinking olive oil shots to submerging your head in a bowl of ice water. The options are endless, as long as you can hold on to something in the morning. I personally stick to my glass of water with lemon, which is just perfect.

Journaling
In other words: keeping an old-fashioned diary. For more and more people, journaling is part of the morning ritual mentioned above. It brings more peace to your mind, it’s a way to express feelings, organize thoughts, and it also promotes your creativity. So, what are we waiting for?

Not following a diet
In recent years, we have been paying more and more attention to our diet, so it’s no surprise that this keeps coming back in our resolutions. But let’s be honest: sometimes we go completely crazy from all the different advice; going vegan or vegetarian, reducing carbohydrates, cutting out sugars, replacing coffee with matcha, and so on. What I find promising is that there is less and less talk of having to follow a specific diet, but that we are increasingly eating intuitively. On Instagram, I now follow countless pages that share delicious recipes for sweets and other delightful things, but just a bit healthier. Away with those salads and more (responsible) enjoyment in 2023. YES.

Even more mindfulness
You might almost think it’s impossible, but 2023 will be even more focused on meditating, mantras, yoga, and mindfulness. Wellness podcasts and yoga schools keep popping up like mushrooms, so be prepared. I think I’m the least enthusiastic about this resolution, but that has everything to do with my short attention span. Maybe it’s precisely a point to work on in the new year.