Here’s why I think New Year’s resolutions are a waste of time

Every year at this time it is impossible to pick up a paper, magazine or switch on the TV without being bombarded with advice from lifestyle gurus, nutritionists and fitness instructors on changing our diet, shape, love life? – ?you name it…

As if January wasn’t depressing enough? – cold, grey, murky, short days, dark when you leave the house, dark when you return? – ?we are being harangued into squeezing into ill fitting lycra, knowing that there is every likelihood we look more like Baymax from Big Hero 6 rather than Elastigirl. 

Only a few weeks ago we were in cheerful oblivion? – ?happily chomping our way through giant boxes of popcorn at Cineworld, downing prosecco by the bucket load and feeling smug that we used the stairs rather than the lift up to work once a week. Suddenly Big Ben strikes midnight, fireworks erupt and like Cinderella at the ball, everything sours.

Look at Carol Vorderman – a woman in her late 50s advocating that every woman can look as glossy as her by following her easy-peasy detox diet. But what she fails to mention is all those kale and broccoli shakes make you spend 23 hours of the day on the loo. 

My friend pledged on New Year’s Day that 2018 would be the year of her Charity Skydive. She launched her Facebook page with huge fanfare and then reality struck – she actually had to do it. By the time the day dawned she was in a pale, sweaty, neurotic frenzy of terror, being virtually pushed from the plane. She doesn’t regret the decision though and now recommends it, saying it’s a great way to raise a shed load of money for charity, whilst also losing a shed load of weight due to the stress. Two birds, one stone.

Lotte Pegler is a journalism student at Highbury College.