5 Wellness Habits and How to Stick to Them
Life is an accumulation of habits. If we can accrue more good ones and fewer bad ones, we will thrive, both physically and mentally. Here are 5 wellness habits that you should focus on, along with some tips on how to stick with them.
Establish a Bedtime Routine
Nothing will have a greater impact on your overall state of wellness than the quantity and quality of your sleep. In order to get a great night’s sleep each night, you need to establish a set routine. Here are three things you can do immediately to make that happen …
Set a time to go to bed every night.
Turn your phone off 30 minutes before bed and keep it out of your bedroom.
Develop a wind down routine the hour before bed. You could include a warm bath, reading a book or a period of mindful meditation.
Exercise
You don’t need to tell you that exercise is good for you. Knowing it and actually doing something about, however, are two different things. The key is to start small, build consistently and keep it regular. Here are three ways to ease into exercise …
Take a walk around the neighbourhood with your partner in the early evening.
Download the Yoga for Beginners app and do a 5 minute vinyasa.
Resolve to take the stairs rather than the elevator.
Eat Whole Food
Getting into the habit of eating real, whole food that is as close to its natural state as possible is a great habit to get into. Just like exercise, the key is to make small incremental changes. Here are three things you can do to develop the whole food habit …
Spend an hour every Sunday preparing a large bowl of healthy, whole food salad that you can keep in the fridge and keep serving from throughout the week.
Start planning your meals for the week, accounting for times when you are on the run.
Start experimenting with a green smoothie to beat the mid-afternoon munchies.
Practice Stress Release Habits
A lot of people are so busy that they never get time to pause and recharge. It’s hardly surprising that their stress levels are through the roof. You can’t create more hours in the day, but you can spend a few minutes adding in some habits to help you to attain a calm state by destressing your mind and body. Here are three simple things you can start doing today …
Stretch for 5 minutes with dynamic exercises that move your muscles through their full range of motion.
Start journaling in the evening, recording your thoughts about your day.
Go for a nature walk.
Drink 2.25 Liters of Water Daily
Water is the elixir of life. It is amazing how much better your body, and your mind, will function when you stay well hydrated. Get into the habit of drinking 2.25 liters of water every day. You can do this by carrying a 750 ml bottle of water with you. Plan to get through it by 11am. Then refill and drink consistently till 2 pm. The final 750 mls should take you through to dinner time.
Wrap up
Now that you’ve got 5 great wellness habits to implement, you have the challenge of sticking with them. One way to do this is what is known as habit stacking.This is when you add the new habit to something you are already doing. For example, if you already have the habit of brushing your teeth at 8pm, stack that with evening journaling. Place your pen right alongside your toothbrush so that when you put the brush down you pick the pen up and move straight into your new habit!
