I love making New Years resolutions, but all too often, the thought of carrying on habits for a whole year intimidates me (and ultimately leads to me abandoning those lofty goals).

So this year, I decided to go for a total reset, but only for a month. I figured having that light at the end of the tunnel would help me get through the difficult times during a very dry January. No alcohol, no TV, no social media, no added sugar all at the same time.

I realized these habits were interfering with my mood, my productivity and my mental and physical well-being. After eschewing TV for a while last year, I was back to bingeing Netflix shows, frittering away the otherwise productive writing and reading time I would have in the evenings. My social media consumption was way out of hand, and it continually put me in a bad mood and wasted an enormous amount of time. The food I was putting into my body, especially throughout the holiday season, was making me feel like crap. And despite saying I only drank on the weekends, it was unlikely my husband and I wouldnt crack open a bottle midweek.

The toll these vices were taking on my mental health wasnt just in my imagination, either. Research suggests binge-watching TV is linked to poor sleep and insomnia , and social media use can cause increased feelings of loneliness . Consuming too much sugar can lead to heart disease, liver disease and diabetes . And other research shows alcohol can negatively affect your mental and physical state .

Quitting these habits cold-turkey seemed like my best bet to start the new year off on the right foot. Heres why Im planning to kick these habits for a month, along with expert guidance on how you can do it, too:

Alcohol