Here’s Some Good News About Those Productivity Apps You DL

Host Regular Friend Dinners

Commit to making a monthly or bi-monthly dinner date with the friends you love most. Life can get in the way, but these are the memories you'll always value in life. Take turns hosting and turn it into a dinner club. Here are quick and easy dinner ideas to try out throughout the year!

Start Journaling Like Emma Watson

Journaling can help you put things into perspective and get more in touch with your emotions. It can also help you sleep better by putting your thoughts on paper first! In British Vogue's In The Bag, Emma Watson explains how important journaling has become in her life. Here's what Emma has to say about her journaling practice.

Create An Inspiring Vision Board

Vision boards are one of the most effective tools that you can use to build your business, nurture your romantic life, and reach your creative goals. The process can bring clarity to your thinking, focus to your plans, and can leave you with a curated visual + tangible reminder of the life you want to build. Here's how to get started to create your own vision board for 2024.

Eat Breakfast In Bed More Often

We're so quick to look at our phones and jump out of bed and hit our laptops. Rather than make breakfast in bed a once-a-year type of activity, turn it into a common practice. You'll connect better with your partner and yourself. Here are easy breakfast recipes to eat in bed throughout 2024.

Create A Morning Ritual

A morning ritual that doesn't involve working the minute you wake up can clear your mind, calm your nervous system, and prepare you mentally and physically for the day. Some morning ritual ideas: a skincare routine, a bike ride, a nature walk, journaling, drinking tea, reading a book, and more. Decide what would help you start your day on the best foot.

Become A Plant Lady

Plants can clean the air you breathe, boost your mood, and increase your creativity. Embrace plants in your decor and bring the outdoors in! Make it a resolution to learn more about how to care for them.

Take A Yoga Challenge

Try our at-home yoga challenge or join a new studio, many of which have challenges for new members at a discount. Yoga can help improve digestion, mood, stress levels, and more.

Give Daily Compliments

Licensed psychologist Dr. Lauren Hazzouri says you can actually learn more about yourself and create more positivity around you by taking notes about what you see in others. Here are her thoughts on why heartfelt praise is so powerful and five super solid sentiments you can aim to share every day.

Delegate The Things You Don't Want To Do

Uncover the things that are taking up your time that you don't want to do and get support. Maybe it's cleaning your apartment or tasks at work that can be automated or maybe it's getting your laundry delivered. Delegate the tasks you don't love so you can focus your time on the things you do love.

Get Organized, One Day At A Time

Overwhelmed by the clutter in your home? Dedicate each month to a new decluttering project. Bedroom Closets January, anyone? Donate or sell what you don't use and build an organizing system you can stick to. Here's more pro advice for decluttering your space.

Open Your Mind To New Stories

Want to read more books? Set out a plan to read the books you missed in 2023 and plan for the books you want to read in 2024, depending on your schedule. Maybe it's a book a month that you share with others, near and far?

Train For An Organized Run

Want to get back on a running schedule? This is a great goal to try if you want to achieve a 5K, 10K, or even a marathon. New to running? Check out our running tips for learning to love it.

Make New Friends

Is there a new acquaintance you want to know better? Or feeling like you're missing out on a community? Maybe you've just moved to a new city. Nurture new friendships in 2024 with these friendship tips.

Reconnect With Old Ones

Reach out to old friends this year and reconnect in a more meaningful way with these thought-provoking questions to get to know your friends better. Make it a resolution to reach out to one old friend a month!

Plan Regular Dates With Your S.O.

Connect with your partner one-on-one with these date night ideas for the whole year.

Flirt With Confidence

Single? No problem. Try online or IRL dating but before you do learn to flirt with confidence. Practice makes perfect!

Judge Less, Communicate Better 

Learn to communicate better by communicating to understand versus judge. We can all use better communication skills these days with people inside and outside our bubble.

Eat Healthy Most Of The Time

Try Whole30 this January to uncover any allergies or an intermittent fasting schedule to lighten your load (and sleep better!). Whatever you do, do in moderation (indulging once in a while is OK!) and pick up healthy habits that you can sustain throughout the year.

Find A Job That Appreciates You

Feeling burnout or stuck in a job rut? Use your MBTI to find your next career move, and then start finding the job you want!

Become Better Friends With Your Siblings

Become better friends with your siblings by having a conversation that runs deep, no matter what difficult things you've faced in the past.

Start An Exercise Routine You Love

Exercise doesn't have to be a chore. Find a sport or activity that gives you the workout you need while also boosting your mood, expanding your friendship circle, and bringing you joy every day.

Eat More Veggies With Better Cooking Skills

Here are 10 sneaky ways to get more veggies in your diet. Remember, they should make up half your plate! Learn how to cook vegetables more flavorfully too! Salads for breakfast, perhaps?

Eat Less Meat For You And The Planet

Beef production accounts for most of the greenhouse gas emissions of the entire food production industry, and leads to deforestation and loss of biodiversity, significant contributors to climate change. Vegetarian diets tend to have fewer calories and less fat too, and vegetarians have a lower risk of heart disease so you'll do good by you and the planet!

Make Drinking Water More Fun

Stay hydrated with more water in your 2024, whether you flavoring it a la TikTok, shopping the latest water bottles for on-the-go hydrating, or simply cutting back on soda and sugary drinks. All good things!

Do The Work To Get More Sleep

Make an effort to ditch the devices before bedtime, design a bedroom ideal for sleep, and follow these tips to fall asleep faster. Sleep with a partner? Try the Scandinavian sleep method for better co-sleeping.

Improve Your Gut Health

Try an anti-inflammatory diet if you have a hard time getting rid of belly bulge or have health issues related to gut health. You'll feel and look better through 2024 and beyond!

Take Care Of Your Sexual Health

Here's a reminder that you need to take care of your sexual health to ensure a healthy overall wellbeing. Sexual health includes self-esteem, personal attractiveness, competence, as well as freedom from sexual dysfunction, sexually transmitted diseases, and sexual assault/coercion. It goes beyond testing for STIs and fertility and rather encompasses just as many mental components as physical ones.

Quit Smoking

Add as much as a decade to your life and avoid a slew of health problems by quitting your smoking habit, even if it's just socially. Make a point of asking your doctor the best plan for you. We know this is a tough one -- and totally not unique -- but your health matters and this is a big one to reach your fullest potential!

Cook More At Home

You'll save money and eat healthier by reducing your restaurant and takeout budget. You may also find that you enjoy cooking! Check out Brit + Co's Cooking Classes, plus try our delicious recipes!

Learn A New Language

Download Duolingo, Babbel, Rosetta Stone or take a language course in person at a community college or community center. You might even want to find a local person who speaks the language you want to learn and meet for coffee once a week for IRL practice!

Manage Your Time Better

Start the new year with a new planner and these time management tips, like time blocking.

Improve Your Public Speaking Skills

Get over your fear of public speaking with these public speaking tips. Find ways to practice your new skills at work, at networking events, even weddings!

Volunteer For A Cause You Care About

Build connections, improve your resume, even volunteer to travel to do good work for your community and help those in need.

Pay Off Credit Card Debt

Here are 7 ways to get out of debt, including credit card debt, this year.

Learn How To Invest

Women are still not investing at the rate that men are. Let's close the investing gap for good. Here's our ultimate beginner's guide to investing in the stock market. Try our free Investing 101 course and check out Nicole Lapin's The Money School, where our favorite finance pro shows you how to make your money grow and we mean really grow. You'll learn things like: how to create a budget, how to save for big life goals, how to buy a house and car, how to invest in the stock market and retirement accounts. This is truly the masterclass for all things money!

Launch A Side Hustle Or A Business

We're all about following your passion at Brit + Co and if you've had an idea for starting your own biz now is the time to take that first step. First, get over your fear of failure with these seven tips, then write out your business plan. Need a little motivation? Check out Brit + Co's Selfmade online business course, where you'll meet inspiring entrepreneurs who will help you get to the next level (all while Brit and her "Co" cheer you on!).

Plant A Garden

Gardening has mood-boosting benefits and is a great way to clear your head and get creative. Given it may be snowing outside early in the year you can try an indoor herb garden for starters and come spring plan a bed or two outside for your favorite fruits and veggies.

Take A Creative Class

Learning something new about yourself or the world can be as easy as listening to a podcast, which is the whole premise for our Teach Me Something New podcast. Listen in on our chat with experts on meditation, cooking, mental health and more during your next drive or jog. Get creative too with more than 120 Brit + Co creative classes on everything from cake decorating to coding.

Break Out Of Your Comfort Zone

New Year's resolutions don't have to be full of Don'ts. Brit + Co Founder and CEO Brit Morin started her #GiveItAWeek challenges as a way to break out of her comfort zone and try something new every week of the year vs. one "Don't" all year long. Try dance lessons, take an illustrating class, or change up your running routine to make it more FUN. Good news is a new hobby has restorative benefits for your mental health too.

Start Saving For A Rainy Day

Make 2024 the year to get your finances in order, from setting yourself up on a budget-minded money date to knowing the milestones you should hit by 35.

Break Out Of Your Cooking Rut

Bored by the same meals you've been cooking at home since spring 2020? We got you. Whether you want to cut down on sugar with our Whole30 recipes, use your new Instant Pot to make easy weeknight meals, or save money and eat healthy we've got loads of recipes to help you reach your food goals. Not confident in your cooking skills? Pick up some pro cooking tips from our pal Rachael Ray.

Drink Less Booze

Treating yourself to a Dry January might seem like a good idea right about now and it can mean better sleep, a cleaner gut and a host of other health benefits. You'll save money too and probably boost your productivity like Brit + Co'er Lindsey Graham-Jones experienced when she took a Dry July and B+C editor Meredith Holser tried Sober October. Not sure you can swing it? Try these mocktail recipes that are just as tasty sans the hard stuff.

Hack Your Workout Goals

Research by The Myers-Briggs Company shows that our MBTI personality type preferences affect how we like to exercise and who (if anyone) we like to exercise with. Here’s how knowing where you fit on each of the four dimensions of the MBTI assessment can help you reach your workout goals. Here's our workout playlist too!

Lighten Your Social Media Load

You don't have to go cold turkey like quitting Instagram for a month but cutting back on your online use by even 50 percent can have measurable benefits like better sleep, improved mental health, more QT with the ones you love and more time to focus on your goals, hobbies and creative pursuits (vs. scrolling through the pursuits of others!). Here are pro tips for limiting social media this year.

Write Thank You Notes

Send a little love to the people who make big and small differences in your year with old-school thank you or gratitude notes. You'll pay positive vibes forward and score greater feelings of happiness and (some studies show) lower levels of depression. Here are more health benefits worth giving this resolution a try.

Start A Spa Budget

Finding the time for self-care can be tough as work and life commitments start to pile on, which is why scheduling a regularly sesh is so needed. Put aside money each month for a regular spa day, or if money is tight try a solo hike or walk to recharge, take 10 minutes a day to treat yourself to meditation, online yoga, an article read, a mini massage or an impromptu call to a long-distance friend or family member.

Advance Your Career

Commit to taking a training or certification class to build your skills and advance your career.

Network Better

Here's advice for how to network when you're not comfortable networking.

Become A Mentor or Mentee

Have a skill or experience you can share? Find a mentorship program near you to connect with people in your industry. Need a mentor to coach you through your career? Check out these mentor tips or try Selfmade, our business and coaching course for new entrepreneurs.

Seek Out New Challenges At Work

In a bit of a career rut? Rather than find a new job, look for new opportunities at work to build new skills, broaden your connections, and feel inspired. It may lead to a new role and promotion too!

Log Off More Often

Create better balance in 2024 by logging off and finding time to do things you love, like creating, reading, and socializing IRL.

Learn To Say No

Stop being a people pleaser and instead be a YOU pleaser by establishing better boundaries without feeling guilty.

Become A Minimalist

Learn how to build a minimalist wardrobe that isn't boring and live a minimalist lifestyle with these minimalist tips.

Reduce Digital Clutter

This is a good resolution to break into smaller tasks. Make a plan to reduce your digital clutter by clearing work and personal inboxes, reducing your social media follows and accounts, and organizing photos and videos while backing up your digital files.

Don't Procrastinate On Important Things

Procrastination can be your creative superpower but it can also keep you from doing the things you want most in life. Here are tip to stop the procrastination that holds you back.

Start A Gratitude Jar

Every day in 2024 write down the good things that happened that day and put it in a jar. At the end of the year, read all the good things that happened to you! This is a great activity to do with kids.

Relax More

Is your stress response cycle In overdrive? These 7 stress response tips can help.

Start Therapy

Finding the mental healthcare that fits all your needs can be very overwhelming. The internet is filled with self-proclaimed “mental health experts” and more information on mental health than someone ever could read in a lifetime, so here we help you narrow it down to the truly important deets. After all, if you believe that you could benefit from mental health services, you deserve the best information possible.

Reduce Your Plastic Consumption

Humans produce more than 350 million metric tons of plastic waste per year, and that number is expected to triple by 2060 if we don't make policy changes. To get a head start, here are the coolest ways to reduce your plastic consumption.

Shop Local 

Give your community the boost it needs (and reduce your dependency on Amazon) by shopping local. You'll get out in the neighborhood, meet new people, and feel good knowing your local businesses have your support.

Learn A New Craft

Working with your hands is a great mental workout and inspires your creativity. Learn to sew, knit, make pottery or more at a local community center or via online classes.

Create An At-Home Workout

If working out in the middle of winter seems daunting, make an effort to create a little gym space at home. You'll save money on gym memberships and get in the routine of fitness in the comfort of your own home. Check out how IKEA can help with a new workout collection.

Go Off The Beaten Path

Travel to some of the happiest cities in the world and find your happy place by taking the path less taken.

Give To A Farm Sanctuary

Farm sanctuaries protect farm animals who have been injured and rescued from factory farms. Share your time by volunteering or adopt a pet!

Visit Our National Parks

Visit as many of the 63 national parks in the United States. Here are 11 national parks that are out of this world.

Try Community Theatre

Build connections, create community, and be creative by becoming part of a theatre program. Here are 5 things that an acting class taught me that I use every day.

Write A Book

Have a book idea in your head but just not sure where to start? Try our tips for writing a book you'd actually want to read.

Give More Hugs

According to science, a 20-second hug helps reduce stress, relieves your blood pressure, and nurtures a healthy heart.

Focus On The Positive

A healthy mindset will help you achieve any goal, any year. Start with these 40 positive affirmations to boost your mood.

Treat Yourself

You went a month, a year, a lifetime reaching a goal you set out to do, not sure whether or not you will get there. But you did it. Treat yourself to the little things, a candlit bath, a massage, a pedicure, anything that brings you calm and joy and makes life more fulfilling to you.

You got this. Try putting pen to paper to hold yourself accountable and even try manifesting your goals to get what you want this year and beyond.

What is your 2024 resolution? Share with us @BritandCo, and sign up for our weekend scroll for more inspiration!

Lead image: Guilherme Almeida

This article has been updated from a previous post.

1. Why won't Meredith sleep in her boyfriend's bed at his parents house?

While I could understand if Everett's parents didn't want them staying in the same room (sort of), I genuinely am so confused why Meredith makes that call on her own. Is she worried about being respectful? About seeming respectful? Do they genuinely not sleep together? A very confusing choice all-around.

2. Yeah, I mean Meredith is a little awkward for sure — but like WHY is she so uptight?

Anyone would get nervous to meet their potential future in-laws, but Meredith is definitely taking this to a different level. It feels like she's totally shut down, or something. I mean, I guess she had a bad experience with Amy back in the city, so maybe she's worried the holidays will end up the same? Regardless, I'm super uncomfy watching just about every exchange.

3. Why do they all act weird when she wants her privacy on the phone?

Okay, even though Meredith is acting a little weird, I don't think it's that weird that she would wanna take a phone call alone. They act like she just told them to buzz off when she asked for space to answer the phone.

4. I love how close this family is, but they're incredibly judgmental!

Listen, I'm all here for a quirky, close family dynamic. I have a kooky family of my own where my siblings and I all speak the same feral language! But these folks seem to take their closeness and use it to alienate and shut out others. It explains why Meredith is having such a hard time connecting!

5. Everyone was very nonchalant about Elizabeth breaking Meredith's nice shoes — I would be pissed!

I don't care if they were Louboutins or the latest Target special — if a child (and particularly one I'd never even met before) recklessly broke my shoes without a care in the world, I would be very upset. It's honestly off-putting that nobody in the family seemed to react to Elizabeth's inconsiderate behavior, and instead chose to look at Meredith like SHE was weird for being peeved.

6. It's honestly so weird how everyone keeps making light that they’re all talking about her?!

Ben literally told Meredith that they're all talking about her behind her back...who does that?! It would be one thing if there were lighthearted jokes and jests leading up to that, but the vibes are clearly bad already. Why make it worse?

7. IMO, Meredith's not “shouting” to be rude — she’s trying to be inclusive of Thad because he's hard-of-hearing!

The whole family keeps acting like Meredith is a jerk for speaking up and emphasizing things to Thad, but honestly I think she's just trying to keep him included in the conversation in the way she knows how. Maybe instead of silently judging and letting her look foolish, Everett (or literally anyone else around) could gently explain how to best communicate with his brother?

8. Meredith may be awkward, but she lights up when she talks about her life with Everett!

Amy said that Meredith never stops talking, but it seems like she loves to gab when she's talking about the person she loves: Everett. What's wrong with sharing that with people? So what if she's a little robotic — it's the liveliest she's been the whole time!

9. “I can see you beginning to look at me like they do” :(

Aw, this made me so sad for Meredith!

10. Ben is being so creepy, TBH...

"I had a dream about you," um...okay?! Why are you so clearly trying to mack on your brother's girl?!

11. Sybil may be “nice” but she’s incredibly overbearing — look at how she treats Amy about Brad!

In one of the greatest musicals of all time (Into The Woods), Little Red sings that "nice is different than good" — and that couldn't be more true here. Sybil seems nice and friendly, but really she's pretty overbearing and judgmental towards all her kids. I mean, truly who brings up that who daughter lost her virginity to in front of a total stranger unsolicited like that? She was clearly trying to manipulate Amy into fitting the mold she made for her.

12. There are clearly a LOT of strings attached with Sybil

Seriously though, this woman is a tough nut to crack. I mean, she rushed to conclusions about Meredith, making it very clear she's not "the one" for Everett to him and everyone else. It seems like she would be incredibly tough to please in any circumstance, let alone the one where you're picking your life partner (and requesting the family diamond).

13. Meredith keeps trying to be thoughtful, even though this family is awful to her.

Offering to make Christmas breakfast for everyone, even though this family continued to haze her to the point where she didn't even feel comfortable sleeping under their roof, was honestly really kind and thoughtful of Meredith. I don't know if I'd have that kind of grace and resilience in a similar scenario.

14. This race and sexuality conversation is SO CRINGE I AM CRYING WHY WHY WHY!

Oh my god, please make this end. I know I've been pretty apologetic for Meredith this whole time, but woof. This was uncomfortable and awkward and problematic. She definitely has a LOT to learn — even for 2005.

15. “I love the gays! Gay people!” Okay, me...

Honestly, tattoo this quote on my forehead.

16. Everett is being such a weirdo about the ring and Julie and everything — like what a WEIRDO!

I know he had a nice little evening wandering around with his girlfriend's sister, but it really seems like this man is ready to blow up his whole life so quickly. Like, Julie was so clearly uncomfortable by him asking her to wear Meredith's engagement ring, but he literally forced her to anyway! WHO does that?

17. Julie is honestly sus too...

I get that feels can come outta nowhere, but Julie was very clearly into Everett like...the whole time. There wasn't really any hiding that.

18. Meredith is an incredible gift giver — WOW!

Honestly, if someone gave me that photo of my dying mother, I would be beside myself. That is a gorgeous gift, and I hope to be half the gift-giver she is.

19. Meredith could really stand to tone down the "Karen" behavior

This family put her through a lot, but I am really starting to be over her victim mentality. You put your foot in your mouth multiple times, girly. Apologize and move on!

20. "Isn’t there anybody that loves me?!” is incredibly hilarious.

The way Meredith says this so earnestly is just too good.

21. Rachel McAdams slipping in the eggs is incredible

I can only imagine how many takes it took to get this scene! I would have been cracking up the entire time. 10/10 physical comedy across the board!

22. Is Brad the only normal guy (and person) in this story???

Okay, I know we're supposed to think he's some boring doofus or whatever, but Brad honestly seems really nice. He very earnestly shows up for Christmas morning (you know, the major freakin' holiday) to impress Amy, bringing a gift and being there throughout all the madness. Even when things get crazier and crazier, Brad doesn't bat an eye. A keeper, for sure.

23. TBH only this weirdo family could deal with the girlfriend swapping

Can you imagine? Like can you ACTUALLY imagine? I couldn't! These people are so strange.

24. Poor normal Brad being sucked into all this...

It seems like Brad is fully "in it" by the end. Best of luck to Brad!

25. Okay, so yes I did still cry!

As the weepy softy that I am...of course I cried. It's beautiful that these weirdos still celebrate and love each other after everything — including the passing of their mother. I mean, come on! Can you blame me?!