Hello everybody and welcome back to the blog! This week, I’d like to offer you all 7 easy healthy habits you all can start implementing into your daily routine. These are not strict rules to live by but rather tools in your toolbox that you can use to keep your body strong, healthy and running well.

First, I’d like to say that making a lasting change doesn’t happen overnight. Research suggests that it takes approximately twenty-one days of consistent practice for a change to stick. So, if you decide to adopt one of the following habits, don’t be discouraged if you don’t see immediate results. Stick with it for at least three weeks before ruling it out. The habits that I include here cover a range from fitness to nutrition to general mental health, so feel free to adopt whichever ones you feel best fit your lifestyle. 

I’ve structured the list from morning to night habits, with changes you can make right upon waking all the way to setting a nighttime routine. As always, if there are any tips I left out please leave them down in the comments below as they could help someone out :)

Healthy habits

1. Don’t look at your phone first thing in the morning. Give yourself at least 10-15 minutes to wake up and adjust to the day before you bombard yourself with the digital world. 

2. Journal right upon waking. Once you’re up, take five minutes to write down what you’re grateful for and what you want to get out of the day. For more detail on journaling/ a structure you can use, check out my blog post on it (Here).

3. Drink a big glass of luke-warm lemon water upon waking. While we sleep, our bodies expel a lot of moisture through our sweat and breath. Before you put any food into your body, replenish the moisture you lost during the night with a big glass of water. The lemon will refresh you and help to cleanse your system- plus it tastes good!

   1. Caveat: try to brush your teeth 30 minutes before or after the water as the acid from the lemon could harm your enamel.

4. Exfoliate your skin once a week. With all that our skin goes through (city pollution, creams/ make-up that we use on it, harsh weather, etc.) it’s important to give it a little T.L.C. each week by gently exfoliating. Exfoliation removes the dead skin that accumulates on the top layer of the dermis, thus revealing the fresh vibrant layer underneath. I wrote a very detailed post on exfoliation that I’ll link (Here) with 2 scrubs you can make from ingredients in your pantry.

5. Make movement a priority. Many people think that they don’t have time to work out, which really means that they haven’t made it a priority. Rather than giving yourself the option to skip your workout, schedule each day so that some kind of movement (i.e. a weight-lifting, running, swimming, playing with your kids, boxing, walking) is always included. You should move in some capacity every single day so make it a part of your daily routine. By making your health and  physical fitness a priority, the other parts of your life will become easier to manage. Exercise strengthens the body and mind, fights depression, helps us sleep better and boosts our confidence. It’s hard to think of something that prepares us better than that to take on the obstacles life throws at us :).

6. Be mindful of how you speak. Try to imagine that our thoughts and words have power and those we choose to give our energy to shape our perception of the world. If we are constantly complaining about our surroundings and interactions with people, our perception of the world will likely become negative. However, if we choose to frame things in a positive light, give others the benefit of the doubt, and look on the bright side, we can build an environment that helps us thrive. My challenge for you all is to try not to complain for the next seven days. Think of what is bothering you and in what capacity you have the control to change it. You are entirely in control of your reactions, so practice reacting in a way that makes you proud. 

7. Have a nighttime routine. Whether that means journaling, light stretching, reading, meditating, or taking a bath, having a consistent nighttime ritual is crucial for winding down and putting your mind and body in the right space to fall asleep. I would also add turning your phone on silent or on airplane mode and leaving it out of the bedroom at least 30 minutes before bedtime. The blue light emitted from your phone keeps you up and interferes with the quality of your sleep. By giving yourself a solid 15-20 minutes to wind down, the quality of your sleep will improve and you’ll wake feeling more rested the following day. 

So what did you all think? Do you see any of these healthy habits making their way into your daily routine? Any that I missed out on? I’d love to hear, so please leave a comment down below :D

Thank you all for stopping by this week and I look forward to seeing you all here again next week!

Xoxo,

Alexandra