If you’ve been following me a little while, you probably know by now that I’m a huge fan of building attainable and realistic habits. In my opinion, habits are the easiest way to work towards any goal – health-related or not. Instead of going from zero to sixty overnight, I like to work on small, realistic habits that I can work into my routine daily or weekly.
Here are a few of the habits I swear by – set a goal to start small, adding one or two into your routine, and work your way up to all ten!
10 Habits to Add to Your Routine
No. 1 Take the stairs
Instead of setting lofty goals to get in 4-5 workouts/week for 30-60 minutes each, start small by taking the stairs and/or getting in more steps each day. Aim for 8-10k steps each day. Working on your NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) is a great way to be active without strenuous activity.
No. 2 Make your bed
I’m a firm believer in starting your day off right. I know it’s annoying but make your bed and I promise you’ll see a difference in how you approach the rest of your day.
No. 3 Drink up…water that is
I’ll say it nice and loud for the folks n the back, you should be aiming to drink at least half of your body weight in ounces each day. For example, if you weigh 180 pounds, you should be drinking at least 90 ounces of water per day. If you work out for longer periods of time or outdoors, I’d suggest upping the intake.
No. 4 Unfollow toxic accounts
If they don’t spark joy, inspire you or make you feel better about yourself, unfollow the toxic social media accounts. It’s not petty. It’s a form of self-care. Instead, surround yourself with people IRL and online that lift you up and empower you to take charge in your life. Trust me – it makes all the difference.
No. 5 Aim for 7+ hours of sleep
Your body needs rest. It’s that simple. Head to bed a little earlier each night until you reach that 7-hour sweet spot. And no snooze button, folks! Put your phone/alarm on the other side of the room so you have to wake all the way up when your alarm goes off. You’ll thank me later.
No. 6 Take daily movememnt breaks
Can’t make it to the gym? No worries. Set your alarm every few hours to get up from your desk and move your body for 5-10 minutes. Go for a walk, march in place, dance to one of your favorite songs, go up and down your stairs a few times – anything to move that awesome body of yours.
No. 7 Give yourself a daily compliment
Every. Single. Morning. Look yourself in the mirror and give yourself a compliment. Negative body image usually starts with us. Change the narrative and try to get used to speaking kindly about yourself.
No. 8 Eat more greens
I’m not going to lie, I’ve been pretty bad about eating my veggies lately. Some of my favorite ways to sneak them into my daily diet (yes, I’m basically a child) is to add spinach or kale to smoothies or use pasta that incorporates veggies in the noodles. I also batch roast a ton of veggies like broccoli, cauliflower and brussel sprouts at the start of the week so I always have some on hand when I need to whip up a quick meal.
No. 9 Tidy up before bed
If you have time, go around the house and tidy up. You don’t have to deep clean but load the dishwasher, put the pillows and blankets back on the living room sofa, put your clothes from that day in the hamper, take your shoes back upstairs, etc. Doing a little bit of tidying each day ensures that your home doesn’t get too unruly and gives you a little peace of mind every day.
No. Organize for the week
This one is important. Ahead of each week, make a list of what you need to do to stay on track of your goals and routine, whatever that looks like for you. I personally like to set out 4-5 workout outfits on Sunday night so I have no excuse on days I might not feel like working out. I also set out my vitamins and a few water bottles so I can easily grab and go throughout the week!
That’s all doable. I do most of them already. Good advice