How to Start A Healthy Lifestyle & Stay Healthy
So you’ve decided you want to live a healthier life. Now what? You’ve probably tried before and did great for a while, then slipped back into old habits. Living a healthy lifestyle is one of the most rewarding things you can choose to do.
First, congratulations on making the decision to live life on your own terms! It’s not easy to make a shift like this, so it deserves a little celebration.
Life choices and living a healthy lifestyle are all about having a healthy mindset.
When you shift your perspective about things to align with your goals you will find that success is within your reach.
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What’s Inside…
Acknowledge How You Got Here
First and foremost, take the time to acknowledge how you ended up where you are.
If you have unhealthy habits or are living an unhealthy lifestyle what caused that?
Maybe you learned these habits in your home growing up. It’s just what everyone did and you learned it (or the bad habits) from the people around you.
Most likely, there was zero intention behind the behaviors or decisions being made. It’s just what you did.
Does this sound familiar?
Another possibility is there was some life trauma that caused things to shift for you.
You may have developed unhealthy habits as a way of coping with that trauma or life altering event.
Yet another, and a common reason for looking to live a healthier life, is day by day and week by week (maybe even over the course of several years) you just got busy and lost sight of your goals and core beliefs.
Right, wrong or indifferent something was the catalyst for why you are trying to live a healthier lifestyle.
Living a healthy lifestyle is a choice and you have the power to change everything.
Healthy Lifestyle Habits
I’ve included my top 13 ideas on how to start a healthy lifestyle, live healthy and how to be fulfilled with your life below.
You have to start somewhere. Pick as many tips as you can from the list below. Then, start adding a few more over time.
Before you know it you will have established healthy lifestyle habits that will last you a lifetime!
Positive Mindset
Living a healthy lifestyle starts with having a positive mindset.
Believe you can accomplish whatever you set out to do. After all, once you make the choice it’s all about aligning your actions with your thoughts and decisions.
It can sound a bit ominous but don’t go there. That’s self-doubt and self-sabotage inching their way into your mind.
Read all about self-sabotaging behaviors here.
Remember, you are in control of your thoughts and your actions. One of the easiest transitions to make in having a healthy lifestyle is focusing on a positive mindset.
Positive Affirmations
Using positive affirmations or positive self talk is important to stay committed to your healthy lifestyle.
Choose to live your best life, committed to the things you believe in. Positive affirmations are one of the many ways you can focus on your self care and exercise self love.
- I am committed to my good health.
- Love and respect are what I feel for me and my body.
- I choose to be healthy in all aspects of my life.
- My mental health and well-being are a priority.
- Loving myself is worth my time and effort.
- I choose good health and strength
- The life I have built for myself is perfectly imperfect.
- I am a beautiful person inside and out.
- It is my choice to eat healthy, not a requirement.
- I choose a happy and healthy lifestyle.
Meditation
If you haven’t ever practiced meditation you’re in for a treat.
Many people are intimidated by the idea of meditation. It holds some mysterious power over them and they avoid it like the plague.
Living a healthy lifestyle is all about doing what is best for you and your body. Meditation is about breathing, connecting with your core and simply getting back to the basics.
It’s completely unfiltered and allows you to focus on the here and now.
If you’ve grown up in church, you probably know something about prayer. The process of meditating isn’t all that different.
Find a quiet place and slowly and intentionally focus on your breathing. Slowly and intentionally focus on each breath in and each breath out.
There is nothing spooky or evil about it. Meditation is a great way to start your day in a calm and relaxing way.
Use meditation throughout the day to stay focused, bring your heart rate down and avoid feelings of defeat.
Make Sleep A Priority
Without sleep all of your efforts to have a peaceful and productive day will be for nothing.
Getting 7 hours (minimum) of quality sleep is necessary to fuel your body and your mind.
If you struggle with falling asleep or staying asleep try using a good sleep playlist with ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response). ASMR uses placid sounds to relax your mind.
Avoiding the use of technology in the hour before sleep will also help you fall asleep and stay asleep.
Getting quality sleep is a key part of living a healthy lifestyle.
Stay Active
Keeping your body moving and staying active improves your health and reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Beyond the obvious reasons, physical activity improves your overall quality of life.
Some ideas to get active:
- Do yoga as a part of your morning routine
- Go for a walk at least 3 times a week
- Learn a new sport
- Try a pilates workout on a streaming network
- Take up kickboxing to build strength and endurance
Take Breaks Throughout Your Day
Building in time for a few breaks during the day will keep you fresh and focused.
One of the first and most obvious breaks that is often neglected is a lunch break.
No matter how busy you are at home or at work, you have time to stop for a lunch break. Try listening to motivating music or an inspirational TED Talk during your break!
Next time you take a bathroom break, take a few extra minutes and walk for about 2 minutes before and after. Make a conscious effort to think about what you will do after work, something fun coming up this week or remember something fun that happened recently.
People who are healthy and productive will tell you that breaks are an important part of a healthy lifestyle.
Drink More Water
Drinking water is very important to your health. We know this, but do you know why?
Did you know drinking water helps create saliva, regulates your body temperature, protects your joints and helps excrete waste through perspiration?
Drinking water isn’t just a fad or trend. It’s not going away.
Do you love your drinks that aren’t water? If so, you can still have them in moderation.
Be sure to drink 2 glasses of water for every non-water drink you consume.
Eat More Fruits & Vegetables
One of the more critical parts of living a healthy lifestyle is consuming fruits and vegetables on a daily basis.
Draw your energy from those things that are straight from the earth.
Eating processed foods with hydrogenated oils, high-fructose corn syrup and other fabricated chemicals and additives is bad for your body and your mind.
Want to see what these chemicals really do to your body? Check out this article on the dangers of processed foods by The Laborers Health & Safety Fund of North America.
Meal Prep For The Week
Typically, unhealthy food choices happen when you’re exhausted and don’t know what to cook. Sometimes you just don’t feel like looking for something to make.
You’re human. Don’t beat yourself up about this.
That being said, to stay healthy and committed to a healthy lifestyle you need a better plan.
Meal prep for the week is so simple and it makes such a big difference in how you eat.
An added bonus is you only buy what you need, grocery shopping is a breeze and you always know what you’re having for your next meal.
I wrote a whole post about this and even included my signature meal planner & coordinating grocery list system. I created it after years of trial and error.
Read more about how to meal plan here.
Get Outside
Your body has a physical response to being outside, in nature.
Even just taking time to sit outside decreases your cortisol levels, reduces your blood pressure and can lower your heart rate.
Your body slows down and helps you to feel calm and peaceful.
Being outside also impacts your mind. Spending time in nature can improve your mood. It’s also a great way to overcome feelings of anxiety.
There is something about being in nature that allows you to focus and be more concentrated. Want to increase your self-esteem? Get outside, go for a walk or just have a picnic outdoors!
Decrease mental clutter, approach your day with a clear mind and add the outdoor activities to stay healthy.
Healthy Morning Routine
Having a healthy morning routine helps you set the tone for the day rather than allowing the day to set the tone for you.
If you really stop and think about it, why would you allow the very things you do in the morning to happen by chance?
What you do and how you do it will completely shape your day! Take control of the day by setting a morning routine that works for you.
Check out this post for a perfect morning routine when you’re starting a healthy lifestyle.
Evening Routine
You already know a morning routine is important and why. Now, let’s focus on having a healthy evening routine.
One of the most important parts of having a strong start tomorrow is being intentional tonight.
Ending your day with a consistent routine allows your mind to rest assured you have taken care of everything necessary.
Once you go through your evening routine you will fall asleep faster and rest better. Having routines in your day is critical part of living a healthy lifestyle.
Read my post on evening routines for some great ideas to start planning yours here.
Start A Healthy Lifestyle & Live Your Best Life
Living a healthy lifestyle is worth the time and effort.
Not only will you feel amazing, when you take care of yourself you know that the impact is long-term.
Use these 13 ideas for living a healthy lifestyle to live your best life today!
Self Care, Productivity, Personal Growth and Healthy Mindset Coach
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Be sure to leave a comment below on your healthy lifestyle goals and what has worked for you. Let’s help each other live our best lives!
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This post was all about how to start a healthy lifestyle by using 13 simple health tips and self care ideas. Having a healthy mindset will help you stay healthy!
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