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12 Ways to Build Healthy Routines
There’s nothing like a New Year to bring to light unhealthy routines, and yet, it’s the perfect time to start fresh! What lies ahead are twelve ways we can build healthy routines this year. Twelve ways for twelve months. If it all seems too overwhelming to tackle all at once, commit to building one of these healthy routines each month. By the end of the year, you’ll have twelve healthy routines solidly in place and be reaping the benefits of each one.
1. Look at your phone less and people more. We need that face-to-face contact, and I don’t mean FaceTime. Recently, my nineteen-year-old daughter dropped her smartphone and opted for a “dumb” phone with just the basics instead. She realized how much time she was wasting scrolling on social media and YouTube and decided to be proactive about it; I commend her. Those 86,400 seconds we’re gifted every day? We don’t get them back. There’s nothing healthy about spending hours a day on our phones.
2. Preplan meals. Life is busy; I get it. There’s nothing easier than ordering take-out or hitting a drive-thru on the way home from a hectic day. Easier, but not healthier. My own recent health issues caused me to make a change to preplanning meals. Each weekend, I take 15 minutes to make a weekly meal plan for the upcoming week, then make sure I have all the ingredients on hand for these quick, healthy meals. Some meals are even made in advance, making mealtime prep even easier.
3. Get enough sleep. A good night’s sleep is essential for our physical, emotional, and mental health. Room-darkening curtains and quiet help many people. Other people benefit from white noise, such as a fan running. And putting that phone down and turning off the TV will do wonders; it may take a period of adjustment, but it works! Do what you need to do to make a good night’s sleep happen.
4. Organize your living and working space. Clutter not only wastes time, but it also causes unnecessary frustration and stress. Before I even begin working, I make sure my desk is clean and ready for new tasks. At the close of the day, I make sure the dishwasher is loaded; no one wants to wake up to dishes all over the counter and in the sink. A few minutes here and there, keeping things tidy, helps on every level.
5. Live below your means. There’s nothing like financial stress to wreak havoc on the mind and body. My husband’s work is massively slow, and last year he made $14,000 less than usual; we had to do some serious cost-cutting. But it’s all good. Instead of our usual week-long fall vacation, we stayed at home and took local trips to several free state parks, lakes, and wildlife management areas. And it was enough.
6. Downsize. The less you have, the less you must take care of. Simplicity and healthy living thrive on less. Donate unused clothing and household items; if finances are a concern, as mentioned above, hold a yard sale and use the proceeds to ease the burden. Delete apps you don’t use, clear your cache, and remove non-essential photos and downloads from your phone. While it’s not for everyone, we even downsized our homeplace from 62 acres to 1.5 acres…and we love it!
7. Don’t waste time on negative emotions. Anger, bitterness, jealousy, and resentment are draining. If it’s not going to matter five years from now, don’t let it matter five minutes from now. Let it go. Learn to forgive quickly and keep moving forward. Your mind and body will thank you for choosing positivity and peace instead.
8. Get outdoors more. Natural vitamin D is so crucial to our overall health. Take a walk, have lunch outside, or sit and take in the beautiful sights and sounds around you. Wake up earlier if necessary. If able, walk or ride a bike to work. Reserve weekends for outdoor activities.
9. Drink water regularly. I know, some people don’t like water (A fact that this ice water-loving girl can’t comprehend). But here’s the thing: many people are dehydrated and don’t even know it. Lethargy and brain fog could easily be eliminated by rehydrating your body with some good old-fashioned water. Once it becomes a habit, you’ll naturally gravitate towards water instead of soda or energy drinks.
10. Breathe deep. Seriously. Try it. Take a moment and inhale deeply and exhale slowly. Regular deep breathing is healthy and pushes out stress like nobody’s business. A good friend once suggested it to me; I now do it daily. I’m a believer!
11. Don’t try to please everyone. You won’t. Be at peace doing what you know you’re to be doing and let the rest go. Learn to say no; it’s a gift. There will always be haters, judgmental people, and those who are otherwise difficult; they’re not your responsibility. Healthy living means having healthy boundaries—and sticking to them.
12. Find your tribe. Life is draining; life is hard on so many levels. Hang with people who fill your reservoir. We need to refill before we run dry, and we need positive, healthy people to help us do that. Those are your people; find them.
These twelve tools for building healthy routines will change your life. New Year, new you. Go get ‘em; you got this!
