Hey friend,

So the new year has begun and we face another year full of new goals, challenges, and adventures. For most, wanting to live healthier is a big resolution or goal, I know it always is for me! There are always improvements to be made with it comes to healthy living.

So today I want to share with you a few tips and ways that you can be healthier going into this brand new year! Whether it’s cleaner eating, exercising, or using better products, I can help you get there! Let’s get started!

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Healthy Living Tips For The New Year

Being healthy means a lot of things. You can be physically healthy, emotionally healthy, mentally healthy, and just generally healthy overall. I will be covering all of these in this post to make sure you have full rounded tips for healthy living!

Physical 

Let’s start off with things that will improve your physical health. Some of these things can be the most difficult to adapt, so don’t feel overwhelmed, especially if you are starting from scratch and you haven’t exactly been super physically healthy lately. It’s all good, take it slow!

Consistent Exercise. Ya’ll know this one was coming! So let’s just get it out of the way right now. It’s probably everyone’s least favorite but, you know you gotta get yourself moving!

Depending on what type of exercise you are used to and your level of fitness, you will know best where to start with this. If you already work out consistently 5 days a week, that’s awesome! Consider switching things up this year and find new moves, classes, or ways to step up your fitness level or start something entirely new.

If you’ve been more of a couch potato as of late () Do some research and find the right type of exercise for you. Don’t jump in too quick and push yourself too hard. Take it easy, do something at a beginner level twice a week and build up your fitness level at your own pace.

Whatever you are needing or decide to do, just make sure that you stay consistent with it and that you get your heart pumping and body grooving at least 2-3 days a week, making sure to eat well and get that protein in as much as you can. Workouts are basically pointless if you don’t fuel your body with proper food!

I know consistency can be tough because well..life. But you got this, my friend! Let’s sweat!

Eating Habits. Obviously, this is next. You know how it goes….eat clean and healthy blah blah blah….but hear me out. How does one actually do this? What really is clean eating? For starters, try to avoid as much overly processed food as you can. It’s so hard, I know! Mama loves her pizza and Taco Bell more than I can express! I would never tell you to give up the good stuff entirely, I’m NOT insane!

Simply activate more balance in your eating habits. Save the greasy and easy dinners for the weekend for special nights out. Chose whole food nutrition from organic sources as much as can be helped the rest of the time. Also, watch out for dangerous ingredients like soy. It’s in basically everything and it has claims as a “healthy ingredient” but don’t trust that!

Soy is actually a hormone disrupter that can cause severe damage over time. So have a watchful eye on what you buy and avoid this nasty little additive. Fake sugar as well. Real, unprocessed, and unbleached Non-GMO sugar is best and much easier for your body to process.

Meal planning is something lots of people talk about and it’s actually a huge help when you’re trying to eat healthier. Squeeze in the time probably about once a week, to plan out your meals and maybe even cook a few ahead of time to store or freeze to save time and energy. Such a game-changer!

Personal Care & Household Products. Yes, these are on the list for physical health. Why you ask? Because the majority of the personal care and household products on the market, these days are actually dangerous to your health. Yeah, it’s true!

With toxic chemicals such as parabens, dyes, hormone-disrupting synthetic fragrances and so much more in almost everything we put on our bodies or use to clean our homes, it’s no wonder the cancer rates are skyrocketing. Not to mention brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s are known to be caused by these ingredients as well.

What should you do to protect yourself and your family from all this toxic craziness? Make the clean product switch! It’s so much easier than you might think! Instead of simply grabbing whatever is on sale at Target, take a minute to do some research first to see what’s in the product, how it will affect your health, and what would be a better option.

Apps such as Think Dirty and EWG are great options! You can scan your item to see its rating on the toxicity chart and search for clean alternatives. You can also shop for all your personal care products and household essentials at sites such as Thrive Market, iHerb, and Vitacost to save money on the good stuff to keep you and your home healthier! Goodbye, harmful chemicals!

Mental

Mental health is another biggie. Much like a wave, it rises and crashes regularly. Being aware of the changes in your mental health and getting ahead of it is a very important thing. What are some good ways to do this? Let me show you!

Noticing the small changes in everything from your mood, sleep cycle, thought patterns, and anxiety levels are all part of being self-aware. If you notice or are informed of a change in your behavior or if you’re not sleeping as well, or eating as much, you have trouble keeping track of your daily tasks, or experience intrusive thoughts…these are just a few things that point to a decline in your mental health. 

Keeping track of the natural rise and fall of your personal mental health actually helps you to learn how to not only communicate it to a partner but process it internally yourself and realize that something is off. Facing it head-on and allowing yourself to feel what you’re feeling instead of keeping it locked deep inside and pretending that everything is fine is the way to go. Trust me on this, let your emotions out!

It may be hard, you may not even have the words, but that’s ok. Sit with your feelings of sadness, grief, or overwhelm and fully process what is going on in your life give yourself the allowed moments to deal, and heal. You will find that over time, this will help your mental health far greater than ignoring it as not to seem “weak.” You are stronger than you know, this too shall pass, and hope is coming.

Another tip for helping your mental health is to simply slow down, relax your mind and ease your spirit in little ways such as practicing more self-care. Whether with a bubble bath and glass of wine after a long day, a trip to the salon, or even taking a needed day off from work, more time to relax and not work so hard can really help your state of mind overall. 

Emotional 

Just as with mental health, your emotional health is a big deal too. Staying up to date with yourself about where you’re at emotionally is a healthy habit to start or keep. The things I do on a regular basis to help myself understand where I am and process emotions are lifelong habits of mine. Let me share a few with you…

Music is huge for me. Putting on music while you drive or do laundry can seriously help you understand what you’re feeling better and express yourself in ways you may not have realized. Music allows you to open yourself up and let yourself feel deeper and connect with life on a much more emotional level, which can be a very healing thing!

Also, something like journaling can be a life-changer! Keeping a daily or even weekly journal can help you navigate your thoughts and feelings in a more personal and private way. You don’t even have to treat it like a wordy diary, like teen girls past. Fill it with anything from quotes, bible verses, doodles, or even just something that you feel grateful for that particular day or something small that made your day special or meaningful. 

You can of course use the old-school diary entry format if that works better for you to help process things. However you chose to use a journal, I highly recommend starting somewhere and getting all of your jumbled thoughts down on paper! 

General 

Now to wrap this all up, here are a few general health habits to help you stay as healthy and happy as you can be! Don’t forget the importance of little things that are actually not so little.

Stay hydrated! Yes, drink that water! Drinking enough water has benefits for your body, but your mind as well! Using a motivational water bottle will help you keep hydrated and drink enough water. Added cucumber slices or lemon is a great tip too! 

Cleaning up your social media is a great way to be mentally and emotionally healthier. Stop yourself from all the comparing and bitterness and weed out people you follow on social media that cause these feelings in you. Try to only follow accounts that bring you inspiration, joy, and positive vibes. 

Laugh more. Play a prank on your partner, play a fun game with your kids, watch funny cat videos. Just.Laugh.More!

Lastly, treat yo’ self. Yes…I said it. I don’t necessarily mean go buy a designer bag just because…but if you’ve had a rough day, go out for ice cream with your boo. You had the worst night’s sleep ever? Get your favorite boujee drink at Starbucks. Wearing the same pair of leggings all the time? Get yourself a new pair!

That is what I mean…when the time is right treat yourself to something nice and maybe even a little extra. It will always boost your mood and wellbeing. Heck, go shop your wishlist on Amazon, it’s called retail therapy for the reason! 

There you have it! My best ways to have a healthier 2022! I hope you’ve enjoyed this post and gotten some inspiration from it. May the new year be your best, yet!

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Love, JessXO