Resolution Ready: How to Build Healthy Habits That Actually Stick
Written by Dr. Malisa Carullo, MSc, ND
Every January, the same pattern plays out. You arrive at the new year with genuine excitement and ambitious health goals. You stock your fridge with vegetables, join a gym, download a habit tracker, and promise yourself that this year will be different. For the first week or two, the energy is real.
Then February arrives, and the momentum fades. The frustrated thoughts start creeping in: “I don't know why I can't stick to anything.” “Maybe I just don't have enough discipline.” “Why do I keep falling off?”
The truth that often gets missed is this: It's not your fault. You didn't fail. And you aren't lacking discipline. This cycle leaves many people wondering why building new habits feels so hard, even when motivation starts out strong.
Something else is happening underneath the surface that has nothing to do with willpower, and understanding it is the key to learning how to build healthy habits long-term. Your body plays a far bigger role in how easy or hard habits feel than most people realize. Even with the best intentions, chronic stress can quietly derail your daily routines.
Creating a structured health plan with specific, measurable goals could help you move from abstract aspirations to concrete actions, but only when your body has the capacity to support those actions.
Table of Contents
The Science Behind Habit Formation
Approximately 45% of our everyday behaviors are repeated in the same location almost daily.¹ These habits work through context cuing, where repeated actions in consistent environments create automatic behavioral patterns. When your body has the resources to support these patterns, routines flow more naturally. When it doesn't, even well-established habits can start breaking down. That's why building sustainable wellness routines requires much more foundational support than motivation alone.
If you've heard that it takes 21 days to form a habit, you've been misinformed. A comprehensive 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis of 20 studies found that habits actually take 59 to 66 days on average to form, with substantial individual variation ranging from 4 to 335 days.² If you want to really cement your healthy habits, start by setting timelines that match real biology, not internet myths.
Most health behaviors require somewhere between two to five months of consistent practice before they feel truly automatic.
Simpler, repetitive behaviors with clear cues (like taking vitamins with breakfast or walking after dinner) become automatic much faster than complex behaviors like meal planning or structured exercise.²
Breaking larger goals down into manageable steps makes the process feel less overwhelming and increases your likelihood of success. Understanding how micronutrients and habit success connect helps you set realistic expectations for your wellness journey.
Why January Is Extra Hard on Your Body
One of the reasons people struggle so much in January is because they're entering the new year already depleted. By the time winter settles in, many bodies are running on lower reserves without anyone noticing. This explains why habits are harder in the winter and why January motivation fades so quickly.
What winter may deplete:
- Vitamin D: Sunlight is too weak for adequate skin synthesis. Nearly 40% of US and Canadian adults have insufficient vitamin D, especially during winter months.³
- Omega-3s: These essential fatty acids can be difficult to obtain consistently from diet alone, and many people don't eat fatty fish regularly.
- Magnesium: Holiday stress may deplete magnesium more quickly, potentially leaving people more tense and less able to unwind.
- Gut balance: Weeks of rich meals, sugar, alcohol, and irregular eating patterns can disrupt the microbiome. Think of your gut as a command center that sends signals throughout your body, influencing everything from digestion to mood.
- Sleep quality: Schedule disruptions during December can compound everything else. Sleep restriction increases free fatty acids in the bloodstream, which can affect metabolic function and energy regulation.⁴
Knowing when to take your supplements for better absorption can help you get the most out of your routine during these depleted months.
Winter months can leave you feeling depleted before you even start your new routines.
Understanding how gut imbalance affects consistency (and the link between gut health and winter fatigue) helps explain why healthy choices feel so much harder in January than they did in October. The gut-brain connection influences your motivation more than most people realize.
So by the time January arrives, people expect themselves to hit the ground running, but their bodies may be starting from empty, not neutral. If you have a goal in mind, filling the tank might be the first step.
Why Emotional Capacity Predicts Consistency
Habit formation isn't just physical, it's emotional. When your nervous system is stuck in stress mode, even small changes can feel threatening. Your brain may interpret new routines as potential risks rather than opportunities, defaulting to familiar patterns because they feel safe.
This explains why overwhelm sabotages consistency more than laziness ever could. When you're emotionally depleted, new habits require a sense of internal stability that chronic stress makes difficult to access. New year's resolution ideas often fail not because of poor planning, but because the emotional foundation isn't there to support them.
On the bright side, when foundational needs are met (adequate sleep, balanced nutrients, stable gut health), your nervous system may be better positioned to support change. This is why addressing daily habits and nutrient deficiencies often creates a ripple effect.
When you feel better physically, you naturally have more emotional bandwidth for change.
When you're sleeping well, you don't have to force yourself out of bed. When your digestion feels comfortable, you don't crave the same foods you do when you're bloated. When your mood is steadier, you're not constantly fighting with yourself. This is what “feeling supported” can look like.
How Foundational Nutrients Help Make Habits Feel Easier
Supplements can help support the very systems your habits depend on. When your body has what it needs to create energy, regulate mood, support sleep, and maintain steady digestion (these are the true wellness essentials) routines may become more sustainable.
Not everyone needs the same support. Your body's needs depend on your symptoms, stress levels, sleep quality, and health history. But certain nutrients frequently make a difference for people struggling to maintain January routines.
A Comprehensive Multivitamin May Help Support Energy and Focus
26 essential vitamins and minerals for complete nutrition & healthy aging*
When meals get skipped or stress runs high, nutrient gaps start affecting how you feel. Your cells rely on vitamins and minerals to produce energy, regulate metabolism, and support clear thinking. For many people, a daily multivitamin for energy and motivation is one of the easiest places to start.
Explore all multivitamin options to find the right fit for your needs.
Vitamin D for Winter Mood and Immune Support
Many adults enter winter with low vitamin D levels, which may help explain the widespread fatigue and sullen mood that settles in during darker months.³ Vitamin D helps modulate both innate and adaptive immune responses while potentially influencing mood regulation.
For those living in northern climates, vitamin D3 supplements may help support baseline needs during months when sunlight isn't sufficient. While fatty fish like salmon and mackerel provide some dietary vitamin D, most people in northern latitudes may still benefit from supplementation during winter. Addressing vitamin D deficiency may help support energy and mood during winter months.
High-potency formula for sustained bone, heart, and immune health*
Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Help Support Brain Function and Emotional Balance
1000 mg of EPA & DHA for heart, brain, eye, immune, bone, & muscle health*
A meta-analysis of 26 randomized controlled trials found that omega-3 supplementation significantly improved depressive symptoms, particularly in individuals with clinical depression.⁸
A quality fish oil supplement provides concentrated omega-3s (look for EPA and DHA) in a highly absorbable form that may help support brain health and emotional regulation.
Magnesium May Help Support Sleep Quality and Stress Regulation
Demanding seasons may deplete magnesium faster than diet alone can replace it, even when you're eating magnesium-rich foods like dark leafy greens, nuts, and seeds.
A systematic review found that magnesium supplementation reduced the time it takes to fall asleep and supported deeper, more restorative slow-wave sleep.⁹ Magnesium glycinate offers a gentle, highly bioavailable form that may help support relaxation without digestive discomfort.
Explore all magnesium supplement options.
Highly absorbable magnesium supplement for muscle, nerve, sleep, & stress support.
Probiotics May Help Support Gut-Brain Communication and Digestive Comfort
A foundational daily probiotic featuring two of the most clinically studied strains—Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM® and Bifidobacterium lactis Bi-07®—for digestive balance & microbiome health.
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The gut microbiome communicates with the central nervous system through neural, endocrine, and immune pathways, which may influence mood, cognition, and motivation.⁵ A meta-analysis of 10 randomized controlled trials found that probiotic supplementation significantly reduced depression scores, with the strongest benefits in people diagnosed with clinical depression.⁶
A comprehensive review of 62 studies confirmed that probiotics improved depressive symptoms in both clinical and healthy populations, with Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains showing the most consistent benefits.⁷
A quality probiotic combining these strains may help support digestive comfort and healthy gut-brain signaling. Understanding the gut-brain axis and daily habits helps explain why digestive support matters for emotional consistency—and even for skin health.
Building healthy habits starts with simple morning routines, like preparing a nourishing breakfast.
You don't need to take all of these supplements. Start by identifying your biggest challenge, then choose one or two that address those specific needs.
- If energy and focus are your main struggles: Consider a comprehensive multivitamin with vitamin D, especially during winter months.
- If you feel emotionally overwhelmed or mentally foggy: Omega-3s may help support brain clarity and emotional regulation. Magnesium glycinate taken before bed may help calm persistent mental chatter.
- If poor sleep or digestive discomfort are holding you back: Magnesium glycinate may help support relaxation and deeper sleep. A quality probiotic may also help stabilize digestion and support the gut-brain connection.
Work with your healthcare professional to identify deficiencies through testing and get personalized guidance on what your body actually needs. Working with an expert like a dietitian or health coach can help you set personalized, realistic goals and provide accountability.
For more guidance, read about the optimal timing for different supplements.
How To Build Healthy Habits that Stick: Habit Stacking
One of the simplest ways to stay consistent is to stop relying on motivation. Motivation involves activation, persistence, and intensity—deciding to change, continuing to work toward change, and concentrating on pursuing change.
But waiting for motivation to strike before taking action keeps most people stuck. One of the most practical strategies to build new habits is to attach the new behaviors to routines you already do without thinking.
“Habit stacking” connects new behaviors to actions you already do automatically every day. Your brain runs on patterns, so when you attach a new habit to an established cue, you don't have to think about it anymore. This approach is particularly effective for building a daily wellness routine that feels natural rather than forced.
When you create specific if-then plans (linking a new behavior to an existing one) you dramatically increase your chances of following through.¹⁰ For example, “When I pour my morning coffee, I'll take my multivitamin” is far more effective than simply deciding to “take vitamins every day.”
Habits practiced in the morning form more successfully than those practiced in the evening, and self-selected habits are stronger than assigned ones.² This highlights why personal choice and optimal timing matter when building new routines. If you're wondering how to build a morning routine that actually sticks, habit stacking can be one of the most effective strategies.
Habit Stacking Examples You Can Copy
Building your desired new habit becomes easier when you link it to an existing routine. Try these when-then statements, or create your own:
Morning Routines:
- “When I pour my first cup of coffee, then I take my multivitamin.”
- “When I brush my teeth in the morning, then I drink a full glass of water.”
- “When I sit down at my desk, then I fill my water bottle for the day.”
Evening Routines:
- “When I brush my teeth before bed, then I take my magnesium.”
- “When I plug in my phone at night, then I write down one thing I'm grateful for.”
- “When I get into bed, then I take five slow breaths before looking at my phone.”
Choose habitual cues you already do every single day without any effort. The more automatic the trigger, the easier the new habit sticks. Tracking your progress and setting up reminders can help you stay motivated when life gets busy.
The Power of Walking for Mental Health
Walking is one of the simplest healthy habits with profound impacts on mood, digestion, stress regulation, and mental clarity. A 2024 review of 75 randomized controlled trials involving over 8,600 participants found that walking significantly reduced both depression and anxiety symptoms, with benefits seen across all types of walking, whether indoors or outdoors, individual or group-based.¹¹
People diagnosed with depression experienced even greater mental health benefits from walking compared to those without depression. Even more striking, walking proved as effective as other evidence-based treatments for depression and anxiety, including yoga, tai chi, and cognitive behavioral therapy.¹¹ For those wondering how to stay motivated to exercise when life gets overwhelming, walking offers the lowest barrier to entry.
Even a 10-minute walk can significantly reduce stress and improve your mood.
What people rarely connect is how your nutrient status may influence how walking actually feels. When your body has adequate omega-3s for brain clarity, magnesium for muscle relaxation, vitamin D for mood stability, and vitamins for steady energy, movement may feel less effortful. A well-supported gut can mean less bloating and discomfort during physical activity. Understanding how gut microbiome and energy levels connect helps explain why movement feels easier some days than others.
The 10-Minute Movement Menu
Even 10-minute walks can significantly reduce depression and anxiety symptoms.¹¹Choose one today:
- 🌅 Morning clarity walk: 10 minutes before breakfast
- 🥪 Lunch reset walk: Circle the block between tasks
- 🌙 Evening decompression walk: After work or dinner
- 📲 Walking meeting: Take a phone call while walking
- 🚗 Parking lot extra: Park farther away and walk the distance
No outdoor space? Walk around your home or use a hallway. The mental health benefits show up regardless of location.¹¹
Why Sleep and Steady Nourishment Determine Habit Success
Sleep quality determines how much capacity you have for your day. When sleep is poor, everything feels harder; you're more irritable, hungrier, less motivated, and far more likely to abandon your routines. When your sleep is solid, your mood steadies, energy evens out, mental clarity sharpens, and cravings become more manageable.
Foundational nutrients can play a surprisingly important role in sleep regulation. Understanding how digestion affects motivation starts with recognizing how deeply gut health and sleep quality are connected. Magnesium in particular has been shown to reduce sleep onset time by an average of 17 minutes and promote deeper sleep.⁹
Steady nourishment matters just as much (if not more) than any supplement, though. Many people overlook how much regular meals shape their habits. You don't need a strict diet. Just balanced, predictable eating with enough protein and colorful foods. When you eat consistently, your energy stays steadier, cravings lessen, and your mood feels more even, making healthy choices far easier.
But when meals are skipped, rushed, or replaced with convenience foods, blood sugar swings lead to irritability, fatigue, foggy thinking, and that familiar “all or nothing” spiral. Your body is simply trying to function without enough fuel. A bit of planning helps you avoid this, and when your body feels fed and supported, staying consistent with your habits could become easier.
How Plant Diversity Supports Your Microbiome
Rather than extreme cleanses or new year detox programs, supporting your gut microbiome through plant diversity offers sustainable, long-term benefits. The American Gut Project, one of the largest microbiome studies ever conducted with over 11,000 participants, found that people who eat more than 30 different types of plants per week have significantly more diverse gut microbiomes and higher levels of beneficial bacteria.¹² This diversity supports digestion, nutrient absorption, immune health, and mood regulation. For recipe inspiration, check out this guide to gut-friendly holiday recipes.
Different plants include vegetables, fruits, herbs, spices, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. You don't need to hit 30 every week. Even increasing variety gradually can make a meaningful difference.¹²
This explains why gut health and habits are so deeply interconnected. What you eat directly influences how you feel, and how you feel determines how easy or hard healthy choices become. Learn more about sustainable daily habits for natural detoxification.
Why Starting Small Builds Bigger Habits
Habits don't need to start big. Starting with approach goals (beginning a new behavior) rather than avoidance goals (quitting an old one) is one of the most effective strategies for long-term consistency because small habits allow your brain to adapt without feeling overwhelmed.
You might start with taking your supplements once a day, going for a 10-minute walk, eating a real breakfast, or going to bed 20 minutes earlier. The smallest steps you can confidently take create momentum that eventually leads to bigger changes.
Small habits grow and build on each other, creating a steady foundation that feels comfortable instead of overwhelming. This is the essence of mindful living, paying attention to what your body needs, and responding with care rather than force.
Monthly Habit Tracking
Use this monthly habit tracker to notice how often your core habits show up naturally when your body feels supported. A simple checkmark or note is enough. Review it at the end of the month to reflect on what felt easy, what felt challenging, and whether your routine needs more support or less pressure.
Yearly Habit Adherence Assessment
Use this tool to monitor your progress over the course of the year. This assessment is designed to help you reflect on which habits felt easy to maintain, which felt harder, and what kind of support may have been missing during different seasons. Revisit it periodically to adjust your routine with curiosity and compassion, rather than pressure or self-criticism.
Building Habits That Last
Your body isn't your enemy, and it's not working against you. But it may be asking for support. When you provide that support through nourishment, rest, foundational nutrients, and simple daily habits, your body can rise to meet you.
A good first step is creating a wellness plan that includes a few realistic wellness goals examples, a simple routine planner, and one consistent daily wellness routine you can maintain even during busy weeks. Research shows that 70% of people who send weekly updates to an accountability partner successfully reach their goals—so consider sharing your intentions with a friend, family member, or healthcare practitioner. For some people, reducing decision fatigue through a vitamin subscription or daily vitamin subscription makes consistency easier over the long term.
If you're setting mental health resolutions, wondering how to stick to new year resolutions, or looking ahead to healthy habits for 2026, remember that healthy habits for life are built through support and self-compassion, not pressure and perfection. This year, your self care routine can feel lighter and more sustainable.
Explore science-backed supplements designed to support your wellness goals this New Year.
To your health,
Dr. Malisa Carulo
About the Author
Dr. Malisa Carullo, ND is a naturopathic doctor and serves as Senior Manager of Medical Information and Safety at Metagenics, where she supports clinical education, product safety, and evidence-based practitioner guidance across North America.
She holds a Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine and a Master of Science in Biology, with a focus on chronic disease care, healthy aging, and evidence-based approaches to long-term wellness. Dr. Carullo is dedicated to empowering both practitioners and patients through clear, research-informed education that bridges science and everyday health decisions.
Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any condition. The information shared reflects clinical principles and general wellness guidance, not individualized medical advice. Every person's health needs are unique, and responses to supplements or lifestyle changes can vary. Always consult a qualified healthcare practitioner before making changes to your diet, supplements, or health routine.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best habits for gut health?
Habits that may help support gut health include eating a diverse range of plant foods (aiming for 30 different types per week when possible), staying hydrated, managing stress, getting adequate sleep, and supporting your microbiome with gut and digestion supplements.
Plant diversity is more important for microbiome health than following any specific diet.¹² Understanding how gut health affects motivation can help you prioritize digestive support as part of your overall wellness plan.
What are the signs of an unhealthy gut?
Common signs can include bloating, gas, irregular bowel movements, persistent fatigue, brain fog, mood changes, food sensitivities, and frequent infections. However, these symptoms have many possible causes. The gut microbiome communicates with the central nervous system and may influence mood, cognition, and overall well-being.⁵ This gut-brain connection can affect how you feel day to day.
If you're experiencing digestive concerns, consult with a healthcare practitioner to rule out underlying conditions.
Can taking a multivitamin give you more energy?
A multivitamin may help support energy levels by filling nutritional gaps that affect cellular energy production. When your body has the vitamins and minerals it needs to regulate metabolism and mitochondrial function, you may notice steadier energy throughout the day and improved mental clarity. However, if you're experiencing persistent fatigue, consult with a healthcare practitioner to rule out underlying conditions.
What is the best vitamin to take for fatigue and tiredness?
Vitamin D, B vitamins, magnesium, and iron are commonly associated with energy support. Vitamin D deficiency is particularly common during winter months and may contribute to fatigue and low mood.³ A comprehensive multivitamin provides these nutrients in balanced amounts, while targeted supplementation may help address specific deficiencies identified through laboratory testing. Persistent fatigue has many possible causes, so working with a healthcare practitioner for proper evaluation is important.
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References
- Neal DT, Wood W, Quinn JM. Habits—a repeat performance. Curr Dir Psychol Sci. 2006;15(4):198-202.
- Singh B, Murphy A, Maher C, Smith AE. Time to form a habit: a systematic review and meta-analysis of health behaviour habit formation and its determinants. Healthcare (Basel). 2024;12(23):2488.
- Greene-Finestone LS, Berger C, de Groh M, et al. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D in Canadian adults: biological, environmental, and behavioral correlates. Osteoporos Int. 2011;22(5):1389-1399.
- Broussard JL, Chapotot F, Abraham V, et al. Sleep restriction increases free fatty acids in healthy men. Diabetologia. 2015;58(4):791-798.
- Cryan JF, Dinan TG. Mind-altering microorganisms: the impact of the gut microbiota on brain and behaviour. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2012;13(10):701-712.
- Chao L, Liu C, Sutthawongwadee S, et al. Effects of probiotics on depressive or anxiety variables in healthy participants under stress conditions or with a depressive or anxiety diagnosis: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Front Neurol. 2020;11:421.
- Hofmeister M, Javaheri A, Shing CM, et al. The effect of interventions targeting gut microbiota on depressive symptoms: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. CMAJ Open. 2021;9(4):E1195-E1206.
- Liao Y, Xie B, Zhang H, et al. Efficacy of omega-3 PUFAs in depression: a meta-analysis. Transl Psychiatry. 2019;9(1):190.
- Mah J, Pitre T. Oral magnesium supplementation for insomnia in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Complement Med Ther. 2021;21(1):125.
- Gollwitzer PM. Implementation intentions: strong effects of simple plans. Am Psychol. 1999;54(7):493-503.
- Xu Z, Zheng X, Ding H, et al. The effect of walking on depressive and anxiety symptoms: systematic review and meta-analysis. JMIR Public Health Surveill. 2024;10:e48355.
- McDonald D, Hyde E, Debelius JW, et al. American Gut: an open platform for citizen science microbiome research. mSystems. 2018;3(3):e00031-18.