If you have decided to adopt a healthier lifestyle in 2023 but don’t know where or how to begin, this guide will help you get started.
Depending on how many changes you need to make, switching to healthy living can feel daunting, but I can tell you from personal experience that a healthier life is completely obtainable and sustainable and I will show you how. Trust me - it is a lot simpler than it sounds, and the difference a healthy lifestyle will make to how you feel is so BIG, it is worth the effort and commitment.
The trick to living a healthier life and adopting healthy habits that you can stick to, is to start slow and make changes one step at a time. If you need to make 5 or 10 changes and decide to do it all at once, you are setting yourself up for failure. Most probably, you will end up feeling overwhelmed and give up before you’ve actually started.
Instead, write a list of all the changes you want to make (pick & choose from the list below!), order them in a way that feels natural to you in terms of ease, and then make one or two new changes every week.
Some of the Benefits of Living a Healthy Lifestyle:
More energy
Better mood
Better skin
Better night’s sleep
Better health
18 Habits for Healthy Living
#1. Water, water, water!
The benefits of staying hydrated are countless. I wasn’t a major water drinker until about 6 months ago - the most surprising change I noticed from the first day I upped my intake were my increased energy levels.
Aim for a minimum of 2 litres per day (around 8 glasses), more if you can. It only takes a couple of days to get used to, and I found that having a refillable water bottle with me all day helped.
`#2. Get enough sleep.
Sleep is the time your body uses to heal and recover. It is also the time your mind uses to process the events of the day and store them as memories.
Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night. If you are used to much less sleep, try bringing your bedtime forward by 15 minutes every 3 days until you reach your goal.
#3. Limit processed food intake
You may have noticed you get bloated after eating a big bowl of pasta or a piece of sugary cake, but processed foods also affect us in ways that we are not even aware of. They affect our metabolism and even our brain function. Feeling sluggish after lunch, anyone?
Start being vigilant about what you eat and drink and limit processed food/drink as much as possible. If you can cut out sugar completely, even better. This may be a big change for you, but it usually takes about 3 days for your body to adjust and stop craving, so take it day by day.
#4. Moderate your caffeine intake...
...and try not to have any after 2pm.
#5. Turn screens off 1 hour before bed
We’ve all heard by now the adverse effects of blue light from devices and how it also affects sleep quality. Try reading a book, or a short meditation.
#6. Exercise
Find an exercise style that works for you and go for it for a minimum of 3 times per week. Once you get into the habit of exercising, try changing up your routine. Not only will this make you physically stronger and fitter, it will also help alleviate stress and provide mental clarity by increasing your endorphin production.
#7. Stretch
Most of us spend our days hunched over a computer, so taking some time to stretch our body can make the world of difference in our posture and releasing any tight spots. I find it works best for me first thing in the morning and again right before I go to bed. Experiment and find a routine that works for you.
#8. Prep and pack your own lunch for work
This is a game changer to a healthier lifestyle. Your homemade lunch is guaranteed to be healthier & fresher than anything store bought. Granted, you need to find that extra time to prepare it, but think of it as investing time in yourself - in the same way that you invest time preparing ahead of a meeting.
#9. Spend some time outdoors and disconnect
Nature is one of the biggest gifts available to us. Spending time outdoors can do wonders to your happiness levels, and numerous studies now suggest that spending time in the company of trees can help boost our immune system and benefit heart health.
#10. Reduce alcohol intake...
...and keep it to a minimum.
#11. Look after your mental health
Take time for yourself daily to do something that makes you happy, be it reading a book, taking a walk or having a bath.
#12. Practice gratitude.
Studies show that practicing gratitude is strongly associated with greater happiness. Consistently practicing gratitude helps us feel more positive, deal with adversity better and build strong connections.
#13. Establish a good skin routine for face & body.
We forget that the skin is our largest organ, and it so often goes neglected! Exfoliate often and cleanse/moisturise daily.
#14. Nurture healthy & meaningful connections
Avoid toxic relationships as much as possible and protect your mental & emotional health by setting healthy boundaries. This post will guide you through the steps to achieve it.
#15. Avoid news overdose.
Just as you should be mindful of what goes into your body, healthy living also requires being mindful of what you allow into you mind.
Make sure you are not constantly watching or reading every headline. Instead, try making some time once a day where you can catch up with the latest news.
#16. Take vitamins
Supplementing with a good multi-vitamin ensures you are getting sufficient levels of all nutrients. Also, depending on where you live and the amount of sunlight you are exposed to, supplementing with vitamin D3 might be a good idea. Another one to consider is turmeric for its anti-inflammatory properties. Check with your healthcare professional about their recommendations.
#17. Yearly check-ups.
Stay on top of your health with yearly check-ups at the doctor and the dentist.
#18. Don’t go to bed on a full stomach
For your body to be able to heal and repair while you sleep at night, it is important it doesn’t have digestion to focus on as well! Have dinner 4-5 hours before bed, and consider intermittent fasting for at least 3 days a week if possible.
In Closing
As you begin your journey to healthy living with healthier habits, ensure you are patient and kind to yourself. Adopting a healthy lifestyle is a long-term life choice, so find the right pace for you to make changes without adding extra stress to your life.
While you may notice positive benefits fairly quickly from some new habits, remember that healthy living is not about short-term goals and quick results. Rather, it is about a long-term, sustainable lifestyle that doesn’t just focus on exercise and nutrition, but equally on your mental and emotional wellbeing.
Let this be the beginning of a healthier and happier you! You deserve it.
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