14+Unexpected Personal Habits for a Healthy Lifestyle and Better Life
I like to think I have good personal habits. The first thing I do when I wake up is sip 25 ounces of water. Next, I feed my kitties, do my quick AM skincare routine, then do 10 minutes of yoga or stretching. I make my tea, sip it in the sunroom while I do a devotional, then finish my morning off with a few minutes on my hammock.
My nighttime habits and routine look different. I start winding down about an hour before I like to be asleep. I do a quick, 5-minute nighttime tidy up, my PM skincare routine, floss, and slip into bed to do my simple journaling practice.
I’ve built a set of healthy habits that line my days and allow me to feel like I’m living a life that’s aligned with my values- even when I’m busy and life gets crazy.
I want to clarify, too, that I’m a totally normal adult with normal responsibilities. But I choose to be intentional about leaving time for healthy habits and routines because I know it makes me feel good!
Maybe you also have a desire to be healthier, to have and consistently build healthy habits but it feels overwhelming to revamp your whole life into a picture-perfect, Pinterest-worthy life.
If you feel overwhelmed at the prospect of implementing worthwhile habits into your life, or you’re not sure where to start, no worries! I’ve got ya covered!
By the end of this post, you’ll learn a handful of healthy habits that you can slowly implement into your days with intentionality which will allow you to work toward increased overall wellbeing and life satisfaction.
Why Even Bother Incorporating Good Personal Habits?
Have you ever gotten to a place where you feel totally burnt out? You’re doing all the things, work/school, family stuff, social outings, life admin tasks, and you’re totally beat. It feels like you’re on autopilot, jumping from one responsibility to another (for more on that, read here).
When you live your life like this- just fulfilling your obligations and responsibilities- you can easily get run down and completely burnt out. This is when you lose that zest for life you had when you were little, running through sprinklers and licking melted ice cream from your arm before it drips down any further.
I have found that incorporating healthy habits into my everyday, mundane routines allows me to feel like I’m taking back my life! When I intentionally make room in my days for things that nourish my body, mind, and soul, I’m happier and more fulfilled.
I’m guessing you desire that too! A life that feels full of joy where you have time to engage in things that feel good just for the sake of feeling good, right?
(If you want some help and inspo for doing one small thing for yourself every day, click here!
Good personal habits have so many obvious benefits, friend!
Healthy habits relieve stress
When you make time to do restorative, uplifting, worthwhile tasks and activities every day, you make room for release. You allow space for clarity and room for your mind to think about other things besides your stress.
Healthy habits increase life satisfaction
When you take back control of your schedule by incorporating good personal habits, you’re so much more likely to feel fulfilled in life because you’re spending your time (or some of it) in ways that you genuinely enjoy, doing things that feel good!
Simply put, you’ll feel better when you incorporate healthy habits
When you invest time into your physical and mental wellbeing, your body and mind reap the benefits! You’ll likely feel more energy, more focus, and more creativity!
My Go-To Healthy Habits
By adopting a holistic approach to our health, which encompasses physical, mental, and emotional well-being, we can cultivate habits that support our long-term vitality and resilience. Prioritizing healthy eating, regular exercise, and meaningful connections with friends and family fortifies our bodies and minds against the challenges of modern living. As we embrace these habits for the long term, we pave the way for a healthier, more fulfilling life.
Wake up a little bit earlier than you need to so you can have a slow-paced morning.
I wake up about a half hour earlier than I “need” to so I can slowly sip my tea in the sunroom, because to me, that is an ideal morning. So I do what I need to so I can make that happen!
Try waking up even just 10 minutes earlier and see how a slow-paced morning feels to you. When you’re unhurried, you’ll likely feel more relaxed and less stressed!
Or use your extra time to implement another habit, like making your bed, cooking a simple yet healthy breakfast, or moving your body!
Drink water right after you get up.
Sip 8 ounces (or more if that feels good) before those tootsies hit the floor. This helps you get a jump start on your daily water intake for the day. A hydrated queen is a happy queen!
Drink water throughout the day.
Get yourself a cute water bottle that holds a lot, and sip it throughout the day. Add lemon or berries or whatever floats your boat. Your body will thank you for the increased hydration! Your skin might even clear up too!
The goal is to drink half your weight in ounces each day. If you weigh 160 pounds, you should shoot for 80 ounces of water a day. And believe it or not, it’s not that difficult to get those ounces in if you drink some when you wake up, and just sip throughout the day.
And if you don’t hit that goal, it’s okay. Any water is better than none!
Opt For A Healthy Diet
A healthy diet serves as the cornerstone of our overall health and well-being. By prioritizing nutritious and wholesome foods, we nourish our bodies with essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Consuming a variety of healthy foods not only supports physical vitality but also enhances mental health and emotional stability.
Incorporate a journaling practice.
If you’ve never journaled, this may seem weird or uncomfy. But look at journaling as a creative release. There are sooo many fun journal prompts you can try (check out the journaling section of this post for some inspo)
I do a simple gratitude journal every night and I list just a few things from that day specifically that I’m grateful for. I’ve done this nightly for a few years now, and it’s really allowed me to shift my perspective and view not-so-great days in a better light.
A gratitude journal is a great place to start (mine is just a blank journal with a slot for each day). Or you could try out a guided journal and follow the prompts accordingly. Regardless, journaling daily or even weekly is a good personal habit to get into because it frees your mind up from all the gunk and helps you find clarity and contentment.
Engage in a simple skincare routine.
Cleanser, toner, serum, moisturizer. That’s my simple formula for an easy skincare routine.
I have both a morning and nighttime routine.
AM: Splash face with warm water, use toner, dry brush.
PM: Cleanser, toner, serum, moisturizer.
However yours looks, be consistent with it! Your skin will be so happy.
Prioritize movement
Sometimes exercise is scary or overwhelming if you’re new to the fitness space.
A way to overcome that is to simply focus on moving your body a few days a week in whatever ways feel good! Movement could look like a walk in a park, a bike ride in your neighborhood, jumping on the trampoline with your kiddos, cleaning your home, or a simple quick stretching routine.
Every time you get active, it doesn’t have to be this intense, sweaty, hardcore workout. Any movement is good movement! Sometimes your body (depending on where your hormones are at and where you are in your cycle) doesn’t need the hardcore movement.
Reduce Screen Time
In today’s digital age, excessive screen time has become a pervasive issue that can detrimentally impact our mental health and overall health. Allocating time to unplug and spend time in nature allows us to reconnect with ourselves and the world around us. Whether it’s a leisurely stroll in the park or a weekend hike in the mountains, immersing ourselves in nature rejuvenates our spirits and reduces stress.
Work up to washing your hair less.
This is a funny one, but it’s a time saver and better for your hair, too!
I started this by washing every other day for a month or so, then added a day so I was washing it every 2 days, and so on, until I worked up to going 6-7 days in between washes!
Your hair will actually adapt! It will produce less oil, the less you strip it of oil by washing it.
Carry a healthy snack on hand.
I always have a protein bar in my purse! No matter what! This is one of my favorite simple, healthy habits because it helps me not indulge in an unhealthy fast food snack. Plus it helps regulate blood sugar.
Meal prep one day a week.
I meal prep on Sunday afternoons for the week. I cook a big batch of a meal or two so that weeknights are just a quick heat-up. This saves time for you to be relaxing or doing something else fun with your nights! Less time cooking means more time for you and your family. The more time you get to spend on yourself or with loved ones, the better your relational wellness will be!
Have a daily/weekly cleaning schedule.
This is a life admin hack that I love. The cleaning has to get done, so the more efficiently, the better, right?
Try this: get a cleaning schedule on Pinterest that divides cleaning tasks into each day of the week.
It’s so incredibly helpful to have just a few tasks to do every day. Your house will always be clean without you having to take a whole day to do it.
A clean environment has been proven to actually reduce stress! This helpful habit leaves space in your life for better things.
Have a “relax” night once a week and a “me” day once a month.
Pick one night a week to take it slower than usual. Make it work for your schedule. A slower night will allow you to reclaim your schedule and your life and leave room for you to do more of the things that bring you joy.
I don’t do laundry on Thursdays, and I make an effort to veg out in front of the TV with my husband and watch an episode or two of our favorite show.
Additionally, I also pick one day each month for a “me” day (or even a “me” half day if that’s all my schedule allows). I decide what I do, and I let the day take me! It’s just an opportunity for me to do fun things that I don’t normally get to do.
My last “me” day looked like this: I got a bagel from my favorite bagel place, an iced chai latte from my fave coffee shop, and drove down to the bay to have my delish breakfast. Then I took myself shopping at my favorite store, and rounded out the afternoon watching an episode of my favorite show and relaxing on the couch. Keep it simple, and make it fun!
(These days don’t have to cost money either- sometimes I challenge myself to spend no money at all!)
Spend Time With Family And Friends
In today’s bustling world, nurturing connections with friends and family holds paramount importance for our overall health and well-being. Engaging in meaningful interactions with loved ones not only fosters emotional support but also contributes to our mental health and resilience against life’s challenges.
Regular Exercise
Regular exercise, coupled with healthy eating habits, is instrumental in mitigating the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Engaging in cardiovascular activities like brisk walking or jogging not only strengthens our hearts but also improves circulation and lowers blood pressure. Combined with a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, regular exercise forms a powerful defense against chronic illnesses in the long term.
Moreover, incorporating strength training into our exercise routines is essential for maintaining optimal physical health. By dedicating just 30 minutes a few times a week to strength training, we can build muscle mass, improve bone density, and boost our metabolism. These benefits extend beyond physical appearance, promoting longevity and resilience against chronic diseases like heart disease.
Treat yourself every so often to a sweet treat, drink or gift.
I love this healthy habit because it’s a nice juxtaposition. This good personal habit is a reminder to indulge occasionally! Sure, it’s great to live a healthy lifestyle (I do and I love it), but all healthy, all the time isn’t realistic. You can’t deprive yourself of a sweet treat every once in a while.
The older I get, the more I understand the value of balance in my life. Balance out your routines and habits by allowing yourself a little something special every so often.
Same goes for spending money. I’m a frugal girl, but if I’m frugal 24/7 and I never buy myself anything at all, I’d eventually feel totally over being frugal, and I’d probably lash out and overspend. But if I allow myself a little budget each month so I can buy something I like, I’m inviting much more balance into my life!
The 15 minute rule.
This might just be my favorite habit in my list! I wish I knew this years ago!! This technique is as simple as setting a timer (for any amount of time that feels doable- I often use 15 minutes) and doing something you want to do.
This strategy is great for when you feel like you don’t have time for YOU because we all have a few minutes each day to set aside for something enjoyable.
I use this to set time aside for reading. I want to read more than I do now, so I’ve implemented the 15 minute rule. A few times a week, I set aside 15 minutes to sit and read. Often, I end up reading for longer, and that’s all the better! Sometimes you just need something to help you get started.
You can apply this to anything at all and it’s helpful for building more habits. Maybe you want to implement the habit below (a nighttime tidy up). You can set a timer for 5 minutes before bed and just clean whatever you can in that time.
Or maybe you want to get into meal prepping as the next habit to implement into your life. You can set aside 10 minutes each evening to prepare your meals for the next day, packing lunch, chopping fruit, or whatever else.
When tasks are put into small time allotments, they feel so much easier to implement into our daily lives.
Do a nighttime tidy up.
Want a clean house but can’t seem to get there? Do a few-minute evening clean up at the end of each night so you wake up to a clean living space. This will reduce stress instantly and allow you to feel like your day is full of opportunity since you woke up to a tidy home. You’ll be in a better mood and more ready to take on the day.
I usually spend my few minutes putting the living room and kitchen back together. I pick up all the dog toys, fluff the pillows, fold the throws, put any straggler dishes in the dishwasher, and wipe down the counters. Easy peasy.
How to Actually Implement Good Personal Habits
I want to be suuuuper clear here- the 14 habits above are NOT meant to be implemented all at once.
Far from it, actually.
My philosophy is entirely different. The way I’ve successfully built my routines full of worthwhile habits is by implementing them one at a time.
I’ll say it again. One at a time.
That means I want you to start with one good personal habit and work on implementing it daily until it becomes completely second nature to you. Then once you have that one habit down pat, only then do you add in another. Once you have that second one totally down, you add a third. And so on.
My morning routine didn’t always include all of the habits it does now. It started out with just one!
I sipped my tea while relaxing. That was it. Once I was really good and consistent with that, I added in laying on the hammock. After I was sipping my tea and relaxing, then spending time on the hammock, I added in 10 minutes of yoga, and so on. See how routines are built slowly with one good habit at a time?
So that’s my challenge to you! Pick ONE good personal habit above, or one that you think of on your own that fits your needs and wants, and start with the goal of just doing it, say 3 days a week. Then build up and up until you’re engaging in that habit as often as is ideal.
Just work on that for now! Don’t get ahead of yourself just yet. Start with one habit!
Let’s Bring it Home
If you’ve been feeling a desire to have better habits and live healthier (both inside and out), but you’ve been overwhelmed at the prospect of overhauling your routines and old habits, I hope you now feel a little more at ease knowing that you only need to start with one single habit and implement that ONE until you’ve gotten it down pat.
Plus, you have 14 great, healthy personal habits to consider that you can slowly implement intentionally. Building good personal habits will help you work toward increased overall well being and life satisfaction!
Developing daily routines that consist of habits that are beneficial for your mind, body, and soul will be so fulfilling! You’ll start to feel like you’re living your ideal life! You’ll feel more joy and increased health!
I hope you feel excited to implement one healthy habit, starting today!
For more inspiring and encouraging content in all areas of personal development, follow me on Pinterest! And check out my blog, Thriving and Inspiring.
Skye is a 20-something located at the Jersey Shore. She’s a cat lady, Jesus follower, and beach girl who loves sweets! Skye is married with 2 cats and a rescue pup. She spends her days working for a non-profit, and her nights pursuing her passion for writing and blogging. She believes in finding time to do what brings you joy, finding stillness in the busyness, and sticking to a self-care routine.
