If you’re looking for healthy habits to follow everyday, start small. First, build a list of healthy habits to start or follow everyday and prioritize the most important 1-2 that you can realistically take on. Keep yourself accountable by tracking your progress on a daily basis. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you skip a day but get right back on track as soon as you can. With some consistency, your habits become a part of your daily life.
This post is all about healthy habits to follow everyday
When you think about “health habits” or starting new healthy habits, you might immediately think of changing your eating habits. While that can be one area of your life to build healthy habits, think about a healthy lifestyle as many parts of a whole. You can choose to focus on different parts of the whole as you go through different seasons in your life. The tips below are focused on healthy habits for a happy home and mindful eating.
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Healthy habits to follow everyday at HOME
Healthy habits to follow: MINDFUL EATING
Healthy habits to follow: MIND, BODY & SOUL
Healthy habits for a happy home
Home is certainly where the heart is. Our space often reflects our emotional and mental state. Let’s also get real… a home with toddlers and young children can be a disaster — at least mine can be. So do what you can and just know that the little footsteps, crumbs on the ground and sticky handprints won’t be so little forever ❤️
1. Grow something: Growing plants can be so rewarding. Even better if they are edible flowers or herbs. If you don’t have a green thumb, get an Aerogarden (hydroponic plant system). It’s comically easy to grow plants with an Aerogarden.
2. Stop buying and get local: Join your Buy Nothing Facebook Group and participate in hyperlocal sharing. Good way to save money and get to know your neighbors. It’s also an awesome resource for getting things you may need that neighbors might be throwing out and vice versa.
3. Clean out humidifiers and air purifiers on a regular basis: Cleaning out an air humidifier is the one of the last things I wanted to do when I had a newborn and infant. But it’s important to regularly clean humidifiers because they can be a breeding ground for mold and bacteria when they are dirty.
4. Only purchase art that truly speaks to your soul: Art can add so much life to a room but dull art can bring the vibe DOWN. Your art tastes can also change over time. Take some time to reevaluate what’s on your walls and replace it with art of pictures that give you all the feels.
5. Break up chores: Don’t wait until the end of the night when “the kids are asleep” to do chores. Do what you can during the day: Put on some AirPods and your favorite podcast or enlist your toddler to “help” (yes it’s possible!). This also helps move your body and burn calories. Most importantly you’ll be able to use your evening time to do whatever makes your soul happy and avoid “revenge procrastination.”
6. Pick an area of your home, tidy up for 10-15mins a night: If you can’t do much daytime cleaning, try to tidy up for a few quick minutes each night so it doesn’t become overwhelming.
7. Set up your work from home area: If you work from home, get a standing desk, yoga ball, treadmill desk… whatever kind of desk setup encourages movement. It’s good for your body.
8. Adopt elements of Hygge in to your life : ‘Hygge’ is a Danish and Norwegian word for a mood of coziness and feelings of wellness and contentment. While popularized in a few years back, I don’t think coziness ever really goes out of style. Some examples of hygge are cooking a comfort meal with loved ones on a cold winter evening, fuzzy slippers with the scent your favorite candle in the background, reading in front of a fireplace with your favorite warm beverage… you get it. Whatever it means to you, do more of that.
9. Regularly donate things you don’t need: Rather than letting things pile up, have a box where you can store things that you no longer need. At the end of every few months, go through the box and see if you actually needed any of those things. If you didn’t, it’s likely time to donate.
10. Make a cozy spot in your home: Decorate it with photos of your family or things that make you smile. Use it as a space to gather with your family or by yourself to read, tell stories, chat, or just enjoy each other’s company.
11. Rainbow sun catchers increase smiles by 85%: Ok, not a real stat but I promise you that they are fun and can boost any bad mood. You can get these as small stickers, large pieces you can use as privacy film, and battery powered gadgets.
12. Separate areas for work and play / relaxation: Separation of the space helps you mentally switch modes and mindsets.
13. Purge your closet: Only wear what fit and makes you feel good. Put it on, if it makes you feel amazing, keep it. If it’s slightly too big, too small, wrong color, toss or donate it.
14. Add some low maintenance indoor plants: Certain plants can help purify the air and can increase mood. ZZ plants or snake plants are easy to take care of and don’t require too much light or water. If you are decorating a nursery or child’s room make sure that the plants are non-toxic and safe.
15. Declutter first, acquire second: For some people, buying things helps relieve feelings of anxiety and is a coping mechanism. However, this can lead to being overwhelmed by the amount of things acquired. Declutter your home and get rid of things you no longer need before you buy more. Who knows, at some point you may actually already have what you need.
[RELATED: Best Plants for Baby Nursery]
Healthy eating habits to follow everyday
Focus on having a healthy relationship with food and fueling your body with nutrient-rich foods. When it comes to food, simple health tips for everyday living also includes finding ways to add more vitamins and minerals to meals.
16. Dedicate times of the day to drink more water: By now everyone knows that it’s important to stay hydrated and drink water throughout the day. If you still aren’t sipping enough water throughout the day, try designated certain times of the day to catch up and increase water intake.
[RELATED: 41 shockingly easy micro actions to increase water intake]
17. Limit your alcohol intake: Regularly drinking alcohol/wine in the evening can suppress deep sleep or REM cycles. Consider some alternatives like chamomile tea or a calming adaptogenic drink elixir.
18. Have a cup of green tea or matcha everyday: Green tea is light and refreshing and can help boost metabolism. Matcha has a much more intense taste and both are packed with antioxidants. If you are basically running off caffeine, matcha provides longer lasting energy than a standard cup of coffee.
19. Try healthy alternatives of your favorite processed snacks: Try substituting popcorn with seasoning to match your favorite potato chips. Building a routine of simple health tips for everyday living doesn’t mean depriving yourself of foods you like, it means considering a healthy substitute.
20. Drink 1 full cup of water before every meal: Sometimes we mistake thirst for hunger. Drinking a cup of water before your meal ensures that you are hydrated and can prevent overeating.
21. Portion control using veggies: Fill half your plate with salad and veggies. The other ⅓ with a protein and ⅓ with a carb. If you’re trying to reduce the amount of carbs you eat, you can also do 1/2 veggies, 1/2 protein.
22. Start a vitamin or supplement routine: Do you know what vitamins you’re lacking? Some common deficiencies include Iron, Calcium, B12, and Vitamin A. Check with your physician to see what they would recommend for you given your healthy history.
23. Find alternatives to sugary lattes: If you are drinking Frappachinos or iced grande caramel macchiatos nearly everyday (me a few years ago!), all the sugar adds up. Try finding healthy substitutions like an Americano with reduced amount of syrup. Check out The Macrobarista on Instagram, he does the BEST alternative drinks to get at Starbucks.
24. Prepare your snacks: Meal prep quick raw veggie snacks to grab throughout the day. Make things super easy by adding individual cups of peanut butter or hummus. This is one of the best healthy habits to follow everyday. I was surprised at how often I was mindlessly snacking throughout the day (especially at the beginning of the pandemic).
25. Feed your brain, literally and figuratively: Include healthy foods like fish, good fats, pumpkin seeds, and antioxidants in your diet. Also, read more.
26. Reduce your sodium intake and use herbs: Garlic and lemon are great substitutes. I always have Trader Joe’s black garlic, and lemon pepper stocked in my cabinets.
27. Salad dressing on the side: Salads are generally healthy, until they are doused in dressing. If you’re eating out, always ask for dressing on the side and pour as little or as much as you like.
28. Prepare a tray of your favorite ‘wellness add-ons’ to add to anything you drink: I cut up Lemon, goji berries, chia seeds, Manuka honey to add to water. I also have various Apothekary blends that I mix into smoothies and coffee.
29. Find alternatives to your favorite desserts: You’d be surprised at how easy it is to replicate desserts using ingredients like zucchini, avocado, oats, and more.
30. Help your gut: Prebiotics help healthy bacteria grow in your gut and are usually found in fiber-rich veggies and fruits while probiotics are live organisms that directly add to the population of healthy microbes in your gut. Your gut is extremely important for digestive health and may even improve mental health.
31. Pair veggies with your favorite chips or cookie snacks: This is a great way to sneak in veggies throughout the day. This is also a tactic I use with my toddler to show that all foods are healthy, can be paired together, and the importance of balancing what we eat. This by far is one of the most impactful healthy habits that I have adopted and it has impacted not only me, but my entire family — in a positive way.
32. Freeze old bananas: Not only is it a good natural sweetener for baking, they are great for smoothies and making ‘nice cream.’ Healthy for parents and kids!
33. Add leafy greens to everything: Do you see a trend with adding more veggies and fiber to everything?
34. Have 4-5 easy one sheet pan recipes that can be made in a pinch: This helps with lightening mental load on really long days. A few easy one sheet pan recipes from New York Times here.
35. Avoid big meals at night time: Big meals at night can increase indigestion and break up sleep.
36. Don’t reward yourself or your kids with sugary foods: It can be so easy to bribe toddlers and kids to do something by offering them their favorite sweet treat as a reward but this can lead to a whole host of issues.
37. DIY Veggie & Fruit wash: Wash your fruits and vegetables in a veggie wash, vinegar wash, or apple cider vinegar to get rid of dirt and pesticides.
38. Include at least one super food in every meal: Superfoods like blueberries, legumes, and avocado have lots of antioxidants so include them in your meals and snacks (big list of 53 different superfoods here)
39. “Eat the Rainbow:” When putting together your meals, think about eating fruits and veggies that are various colors (like a rainbow). This is a new concept for me but has helped me think about how I eat and how my toddler eats. @kids.eat.in.color is a helpful IG account to follow. I highly recommend her recipe e-book for picky toddler food ideas. I’ve made the chickpea cookies/muffins many times and they are always a hit.
40. Increase protein and fiber (especially for breakfast): It’s easy to grab a muffin or pancakes for breakfast but more protein will keep you fuller longer. Fiber will help move the protein down, so to speak.
41. Avoid caffeine in the evening: The last thing you need to do is be up all night. Be mindful of your caffeine intake in the afternoons.
42. Bake, grill, roast, or airfry instead of deep frying: Reduce the amount of oil you consume by air frying food. Like The Atomic Habits book, air fryers are all the rage right now.
43. Greek yogurt is a great substitute and standalone food: It’s quick protein and can be a substitute for sour cream too. I also mix greek yogurt with applesauce, honey, and nuts for a mid-afternoon parent and toddler snack.
44. Sweet potato fries over regular fries: If your family is anything like mine, you probably get takeout often. If you also love french fries like we do, get sweet potato fries instead. Sweet potato fries have more nutrients than regular fries and high in fiber.
45. Eat fresh fruits instead of dried fruits or fruit juice / snacks: It’s a common misconception that dried fruits are healthy for you. They aren’t terrible but can have added and unnecessary sugars or sulfates. Opt for fresh fruit when you can because they are more hydrating and will keep you fuller for longer.
46. Choose healthy oils vs non healthy oils for cooking: According to experts, you should ditch unhealthy oils like corn, canola, and grape seed oil because they’re highly refined and high in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Instead opt for healthier oils like avocado, coconut, or olive oil. They are cold-pressed and unrefined.
47. Eat more fish: According to Harvard School of Public Health, eating fish once or twice a week may also reduce the risk of stroke, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and other chronic conditions. (Watch out for mercury exposure)
48. Include fermented foods: Fermented foods like kimchi and nattō beans can help with a healthy gut.
49. Don’t eat in front of the TV or computer: Don’t mindlessly zone out when you eat. Slow down, enjoy each bite.
50. Add alkaline foods to your meals: Alkaline foods can help neutralize acidic foods that are often consumed (meats, cheeses, dairy, soda, nuts, and more). Benefits of alkaline foods include possible increased energy levels, elimination of toxins and more. Read up on alkaline foods here.
51. Don’t be too busy to eat: How many times have you skipped one or two meals because you were either in back-to-back video meetings, running around at work, or chasing a kid around? Skipping meals can spike your insulin levels and blood sugars to drop, amongst many other things.
52. It’s ok to indulge: It’s healthy to indulge in the foods you love. If you restrict yourself too much, you could end up overeating. Food and eating should be enjoyable as long as you are mindful of what you are eating.
53. Drink green juice or a wheatgrass shot instead of coffee: If you are trying to decrease the amount of coffee you are drinking, dry drinking green juice or a wheatgrass shot to wake you up. Another option is having green juice or wheatgrass in the afternoon to beat the 1-2pm slump.
54. Add collagen to your drinks, smoothies, coffee, etc.: Collagen is a protein that’s found throughout the body, particularly in skin, bones, ligaments and tendons, teeth, and connective tissues. Sadly, collagen production starts to decline by the age of 25. Help boost collagen in your skin and bones by adding collagen supplement to your food.
This post was all about healthy habits to adopt for mindful eating and a happy home.
Remember to prioritize what you need right now. And don’t forget that finding the right healthy habits to follow everyday is a lifelong journey/practice. Choose what your body, mind, or soul needs and take small baby steps towards your goals.