It has been a heck of a year. Let’s end it on a high note. Here are 7 healthy habits to add to your daily routine. These simple healthy habits could have an amazing, positive impact in the quality of your life.
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7 Healthy Habits to Have in your Daily Routine
I have put a number on these 7 healthy habits, but the numbers don’t denote significance. Each habit’s significance for YOU will vary.
Pick the ones that really resonate with you. Deep down you probably know what you should do…let these inspire you to start doing them.
1) Healthy Smoothie every Day
A smoothie a day is a quick and tasty way to consume some servings of veggies and fruits. The vitamins, antioxidants and phytonutrients provided by the smoothie can be a great addition to a healthy diet.
You can also add some protein powder to boost the protein content. You can get protein from Whey (cows milk), plants (peas, pumpkin, hemp, etc…), vegan blends (like Earth Chimp), Paleo Protein blends, and EVEN CRICKETS (yes really…like this one from Bud’s Cricket Protein Powder).
Related: 7 Delicious Paleo Smoothies to Jump Start your Morning
2) Being Appreciative – Keeping a Gratitude Journal
How often do you take things for granted? Do you see the negative in everything?
Or lets be more blunt: would you be friends with yourself?
If you had to pause and think about these things then you should start a gratitude journal. You can purchase a dedicated gratitude journal, or you can simply use a blank notebook.
Write down three things you are grateful for that day.
Try being more appreciative of the things you have and less resentful of the things you don’t.
And when those negative thoughts and feelings flood into your system, try to think about some positive aspects to the situation.
It can be difficult at first, I know. But give it a try.
3) Commit to Getting the Sleep you Crave (and so desperately need)
If you’re struggling to get out of bed in the morning, tired and fatigued during the day, and needing coffee “hits” to make it through the afternoon then you are not getting adequate restorative sleep.
You need to commit to getting a good sleep. And this will mean changing your habits…your nighttime routine.
Try developing a soothing nighttime routine (like you would for a baby) and some good sleep patterns. (They call this sleep hygiene.)
- Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day
- Get off screens (TV, phones, computers) starting an hour before bed
- Limit the bed to sleep and intimacy (i.e. no working in bed)
- Dim the lights to stimulate melatonin
Of course, you should talk to a doctor if you suspect you have sleep disorder such as sleep apnea. (This is a medical condition where you repeatedly stop and start breathing throughout the night.)
Many people turn to sleep medications (Mayo Clinic article on Sleeping Pills). And some people do need them, but they are generally only for short-term, infrequent use.
(But that isn’t always how people use them. When I worked as a pharmacist for 10 years, the sleep medication Zopiclone was always in the top 5 drugs we dispensed in a year.)
That means people are becoming reliant on the medications, and they often develop a tolerance: the same dose of the medication doesn’t work as well anymore so they increase their dose.
In an ideal world, you would use a sleep medication only short -term to help “reset” your normal sleep patterns.
Quick Note: If you have been taking sleep medications for awhile, you need to talk to your doctor before just stopping them because some may cause severe withdrawal symptoms if stopped abruptly (such as the Benzodiazepines).
Click here to learn more about Sleep Hygiene
4) Get your Body Moving…
We are meant to move. And you can make a commitment to start moving more…to get more active…to get some exercise. And you can start right now – not some time in the future. (Just remember to start slowly if you’ve been inactive for awhile or have healthy issues.)
Activity Ideas:
Exercise Videos
You can join a fitness challenge that suits your abilities (or lack thereof). There is something for every one out there. I just recently decided to check YouTube for some old Tae Bo videos, and sure enough I found hours of Billy Blanks workouts!
So whatever your style or fitness preferences there are videos out there for everyone.
Get Outdoors
And if you want to get a good dose of Vitamin N…. NATURE…then get out into the woods and walk the trails, hike the hills, paddle the lakes or whatever outdoor activity will get your moving.
Go in the Yard
Don’t forget about yard work. You can get moving and get active by getting outside and doing some raking (instead of leaf blowing), and try pulling some weeds by hand using good posture (instead of using weed-killing chemicals).
There are lots of ways to get more active.
Find an activity that works for you and start doing it.
Make it a habit by doing it over and over.
Adding some movement, activity and exercise into your daily routine is a great healthy habit.
5) Look into the eyes of your loved ones and listen and connect
Do you always have your head buried in your phone?
We live in a time when we are so “connected”. We’re on social media right…things are good. “I have lots of online ‘friends’.” But are your personal “IRL” relationships suffering?
Are you really connected to – and connecting with – the people around you?
Are you pulling out your phone when your kid’s story runs a little long?
Are you giving your partner, children, coworkers, friends, etc… the attention they deserve? Or are you checking Facebook to see what your friend from high school just posted?
Ask yourself: What relationships matter to me?
Then ask: Are my actions truly showing that?
Try looking into the eyes of your partner or children. Show them that you are listening to them (and not just nodding along as you scroll on your phone).
This is an easy healthy habit that you can instantly adopt and it’ll start paying dividends in your life’s relationships.
6) Take some Breath Breaks – Take some Deep, Calming Breaths
A healthy habit to adopt is to take some breathing breaks. It is when you take a few moments to take nice, deep, slow breaths: belly breaths (breathe with your diaphragm and not just puff out your chest).
Taking even 3 long, slow deep breaths can help calm the mind and relax the body.
If you find yourself getting wound up or frustrated, pause for a moment and take a breathing break. After your deep breaths you will feel calmer and more capable to handle the situation.
Give it a try today and make it a healthy habit that is a part of your daily routine.
7) Hydrate Before you Caffeinate – drink water before your morning coffee
In the morning before you reach for your cup of coffee, drink a glass of water first.
Water and proper hydration is very important for mood. (Reference) In fact, scientists believe that even a 1-2% decrease in hydration can have negative effects on our mood (i.e. more depressed mood).
When you’re sleeping, not only is your body fasting from food, but it is also “drying up”.
So drink some water in the morning and get your body ready for the day.
It is an easy, healthy habit that you can start doing immediately.
I hope you’ve found some inspiration in these 7 healthy habits you can add to your daily routine this fall.
You may not start doing them all this Fall…but which ones resonated with you?
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