The start of a New Year is always an exciting time. Wherever I go, there seems to be freshness and clarity in the air as everyone focuses on the positive changes they want to see in the future.
I love using this time of year as a chance to set small, intentional goals and commit to habits that will last throughout the whole year. It’s also the perfect chance to let go of habits that don’t serve us anymore, figure out what’s most important to us, and strive to make those things more of a priority. This is especially true for me when it comes to health and wellness.
I think we all want to have more energy, experience less stress, and feel more content with our minds, bodies, and souls, but it can feel overwhelming to focus on our health without it taking all of our time, attention, focus, and money.
So how exactly do we commit to a healthy lifestyle without feeling overwhelmed? To help make it a little easier, I’m sharing seven simple habits that will positively impact your health and happiness and encourage you to thrive this year.
Ready to take the next step to a healthier you? Let’s take a sip in a brighter direction in the New Year with seven healthy lifestyle habits to adopt this year!
7 Healthy Lifestyle Habits To Adopt This Year
1. Commit to a self-care practice
The one thing we all seemed to need in 2016 was self-care. While it may even seem trendy at this point, self-care is 100% necessary to your health and well-being. Whether it’s taking a bath once a week, going to a yoga class, reading a book, or meditating, make a self-care plan that works for you and commit to it.
2. Incorporate more veggies into your diet
If you’re anything like me, you have a slight problem getting enough veggies into your diet. I can eat fruit for days, but veggies just don’t vibe with me as well. Rather than focusing on cutting things out, let’s add more healthy things in! Try adding more vegetables into your day by adding spinach to smoothies, and eat carrots and hummus as a snack.
3. Move your body daily
Even if it’s just stretching before bed or taking the stairs instead of the elevator, find one way that you can add a little bit more movement into your daily life. The amount of time we spend sitting during the day can cause numerous health issues, not to mention aches and pains, so aim to get up and move for at least 30 minutes every day.
4. Have a daily calming ritual
Since we all know that stress can creep in at the most random times, I’ve found it can be beneficial to have a daily calming ritual that helps you in moments of stress (or even as a preventive measure before they happen).
For me, it’s taking a walk around the neighborhood on my lunch break. Some other ideas are meditating, taking a bath, doing yoga, calling a friend, or having a cup of tea. You probably already know what calms you down, so pick a method and find a way to incorporate it into your daily routine.
5. Hydrate often
Midday fatigue is often a common symptom of dehydration, so make sure you’re hydrating regularly to beat the afternoon slump and maintain your energy levels. Keep a bottle of water at your desk or in your car so you’re always prepared no matter what. I also like to sip on some caffeine-free tea in the afternoon or knock back a juice if I’m feeling especially low on energy.
6. Make sleep a priority
Getting a good night’s rest can lead to better thinking and healthier choices the next day. Sleep is something a lot of us struggle with, whether it’s because of stress, anxiety, circumstances, or our environment. Start by making your bedroom a sacred space that feels calm and safe to you, whether that involves your bedding, removing technology, or lighting a candle. If you find you often stay up way too late, here’s a blog post to help you make sleep more of a priority!
7. Make time for your passions
What is life without passion? Pretty boring, I’d say! It’s so important to make time for the things that bring you joy and lift your mood, no matter how silly they may be. Think back to when you were younger and see if you can remember any activities you loved doing. I know I always had a passion for dancing and writing, so I definitely want to make more time for those in 2017.
22 Responses
I’m obsessed with Evolution drinks! The taste so good sometimes I swear there is no way they are healthy haha The green one is one of my favorites :)
Great post! I do all of these things, as well as practice the Law of Attraction, and I consider myself to be an extremely healthy and happy person! These things will 100% improve everyone’s every day quality of life!
XX -Kaylee K
http://www.KayleeKarcher.com
Great tips!
I definitely need to practice more self care, maybe meditation…
I need to start getting more sleep so badly! I’ll definitely be making it a priority!
Cloe X http://clxelouise.blogspot.com
These are all such good tips. I’m good about sleep and hydrating but when it comes to moving I can be so lazy. It’s definitely something I want to work on this year!
xx, Pia
http://gymbagsandjetlags.com
These are all great tips! I need to work on drinking more water. I was doing so good for a while then I got too carried away with tea, haha, some simple H2O would be good for my body.
Each person must live with herself. She can never live better than her consciousness allows. You are required to do nothing to yourself that is harmful to you. Right perception and wrong deception never mix well. Indeed it’s the truth that makes you free to live by good tips that have you live lovingly and healthily.
Hello! Can I borrow the last picture to my own blog? I am writing about inspiring blogs and you are one of them. I however think it would be nice with pictures from some of the blogs I’m writing about to make my own post more interesting. My blog is in swedish: http://www.groniabo.ratata.fi
Of course! Thanks so much for asking and for wanting to include me!! <3
Amazing, thank you! I’m still waiting for the answers from other bloggers so I won’t post it yet, but I’ll let you know when :)
Great list, Catherine! I think you’re spot on with #1.. we have to commit to self-care! It so easy to push it to the side. Once I committed myself to a morning self-care routine, my life has never been the same!
http://www.halfwaygirlturnedwhole.com
I’m so glad to hear a morning self-care routine has been doing wonders for you, Jenna! Yay self-care :D
I like your list, many of those things are on my list too. Although, I have found it pretty hard to integrate all of them, especially at the same time. Currently I am looking for great life advice like this list in order to try it out and write about it. I’ll post it on my blog: vademekum.at
Oh yes, it’s definitely a lot to incorporate at once! I’m all about trying habits one at a time :)
You have such beautiful pictures! I definitely know I need to eat more veggies. I’ve gotten better about eating more healthy in general, but I know incorporating veggies is super important. Love your blog, Catherine!
Aww thank you, Katherine! I appreciate that. And you have an awesome name too, even if it’s not quite spelled the same ;)
Thank you for these tips. I certainly lack in hydrating properly. I unfortunately prefer Pepsi over water :(
The only thing I have problems with now is drinking the water norm. I have never had a habit to drink water, and now I just can’t get this habit.
Only when I control this process – pour a large bottle and drink water every two hours for example – I fulfill my norm. In other cases, I completely forget about it.
These are really useful and important habits that we need to develop in order to lead a healthy and happy life!
It definitely takes some reminders to make a habit like that stick! I like to keep a water tracker in my daily planner so I’m more aware of it!
This post provided very good information. I like your blog post and site. thank you for making this awesome site.
Love this list. While I try to incorporate each of these into my daily life, it’s easy to lose focus. I have posted these bullet points on my frig so I am always reminded. Thanks for sharing!
Definitely helpful to have those reminders posted somewhere! Glad you liked this, Claudia :)