Welcome!
Are your revved up to feel healthier and happier in the year ahead – starting today?
If you are like me and most people I know, we often use the beginning of a new year to self-assess and determine the best ways to make the coming year a healthier, happier and more satisfying one. Some of us refer to these thoughts as New Year’s Resolutions–which we painstakingly craft but subsequently forget or give up on by the end of March. (And I’m being optimistic here!)
Over the years, I have found that writing down my healthy lifestyle plans and monitoring them in a notebook or planner each day made such a difference in my ability to stick to my plans.
This year my top 6 healthy, happy lifestyle goals are:
- Lose weight in a healthy manner
- Increase the quality my daily nutritional intake
- Exercise more and try new workouts
- Drink more water and invest in a better filter
- Detox my body, home and lifestyle
- Laugh more and don’t sweat the small stuff
Feeling healthy, fit, energized and able to do what I need to do, makes me happy!
What about you?
What are your top 6 (or more) healthy, happy lifestyle goals this year?
52 Weeks to a Healthier, Happier You
These 52 healthy living tips and Healthy Lifestyle Planner can help you live an entire year of healthy weeks leading up to the next New Year — when you will already be healthier and happier with no need for more Near Year’s Resolutions. Right? (I wish, I wish, I wish!)
These tips have been helpful to me as “good habit joggers” that just might remind you to incorporate them into your healthy living routine.
Of course, you don’t have to stick to the month a tip is listed under. Most of these tips are just great ways to live a happier, healthier lifestyle every day of the year.
Most importantly, these 52 tips are just a starting point. There are so many more healthy, happy, green and natural habits to incorporate into our daily lives. Add them to your list of goals and intentions and into your planner.
Make Your Year Healthier and Happier!
Ready to Plan a Healthier, Happier Year?
Simply CLICK THE BLUE LINK BELOW
to download your FREE Healthier Happier You Planner below:
FREE Healthier Happier You Planner from UrbanNaturale.com
52 healthy living tips + healthy lifestyle #planner can help you live a full year of #healthy weeks.Click To TweetJanuary
- Eat Less Sugar — Commit to eating less sugar, by not having any more leftover Christmas cookies/chocolates. The holidays are over, and you can have more next year.
- Move More — Set a goal of getting in 15 mins more exercise this week. Try simple indoor activities such as dancing to music, or setting a timer during household chores forcing you to work faster and harder, thus burning more calories.
- Stay Hydrated – It can be hard to remember in the winter that you still need plenty of water to stay healthy. It’s so cold and dreary that you may not realize that you still need to drink your 8 glasses a day.
- Eat Soup – It’s cold anyway. Avoid creamy soups and opt for vegetable-rich soups and broth rich soups. You’ll get full faster, get more veggies in, and probably even drop some weight. It’s your best choice when it’s cold and you don’t want a salad.
- Spend Time Alone – You’ve had a lot of togetherness with the recent holiday, now’s a great time to find time to spend with yourself. Read an educational or uplifting book.
February
- Spend Time with Loved Ones – It can be easy to get busy and forget about spending quality time with your loved ones. Take the time to give your spouse a kiss when they arrive home and spend five minutes talking to kids when they get home.
- Avoid Sitting Too Much – Most people have sedentary jobs these days. Try to get up and walk or move around every 90 minutes at least for about three to five minutes. For example, walk to deliver documents to people instead of emailing them.
- Keep Healthy Snacks Nearby – Depending on your diet, it’s important to have snacks nearby to avoid problems with being overly hungry. A small package of nuts, an apple, a banana or something equally healthy is a good choice.
- Take a Nutrition Class – If you’re not sure about nutrition, the best way to get help is to take a class. Ask your healthcare provider as your insurance may help pay for a certified nutritionist to help you.
March
- Get a Bike – You can find used bikes at good prices these days at consignment stores or through Facebook seller groups. A bike is a good way to start exercising even if you’re not in the best shape.
- Avoid Toxic People – It might be shocking to note that negativity can play a huge factor in your health. The more negative you are, the more negative the people who surround you are, the less healthy and happy you’ll be.
- Ditch Technology – When you can, turn off all your electronics. Turn off your notifications on your phone, on your Facebook, and inside your home. Try to spend at least a few hours after dinner each night without this technology.
- Be More Empathetic – Attitude is more than 80 percent of the reason you either feel good or bad about anything. But, empathy is something that is necessary to feel good about people. The more love and care you have in your heart for others, the more it will trickle down to you.
- Eat More Salad – Now that the weather is getting nice outside it’s time to enjoy more salad. You can eat all the fresh salad, fruits and veggies your heart desires if you avoid sugary and fatty dressings. Try making a dressing with raw fruit, vinegar and spices blended for a natural alternative.
April
- Plan Meals – One of the biggest factors in success for any diet is to plan. Plan before you shop, and then plan before each day so that you’re never in a hurry and tempted to run through a drive through.
- Think Before You Speak – One thing that often interferes with your happy life is your mouth. Your mom was right. If you can’t say something nice don’t say it at all. Even if you mean for it to be nice, just stop.
- Learn Something New – Keeping your mind active is an important part of being healthy. Focus on learning something new this month. It doesn’t matter what it is about if it’s new to you.
- Smile More – It might seem strange but your mind is connected to your muscles in such a way that if you smile more you’ll feel happier. Not only that, others will respond in a positive manner, increasing the effect.
May
- Learn Chair Exercises – One great way to combat a sedentary lifestyle is to learn about chair exercises. You can do quite a workout right in your office chair as you work.
- Get More Sunshine – Now that the weather is better, try to get more sunshine. You need it for vitamin D production. If you’re unable to get at least 20 minutes of sunshine a day you may want to supplement with vitamin D.
- Invest in a Standing Desk – A great way to combat getting a bigger rear-end from sitting a day, along with blood clots and other things that happen to sedentary people invest in a standing desk so that you can stand and work.
- Wear the Right Shoes – When you exercise or just walk around normally the right shoes are important. High heels are especially bad for women’s health. Sure, you must for work, but when you need to walk have some shoes to switch into that are better for you.
- Try Yoga – One of the best exercises for most people in most stages of health is yoga. There is a practice at the right level for almost everyone. Check with your local gym or YMCA to find classes in your area.
June
- Laugh More – Laughing is the best tummy exercise you can do. Not only that when you laugh you release feel-good endorphins that will make you feel good even if you’re feeling unwell that day.
- Eat More Raw Fruit & Veggies – The original fast food is good for you no matter what anyone else says. The sugar and fat in fruit are always better for you than any other food. Switch out snacks and other processed foods for raw fruit and veggies (skipping the high fat dips) and you’ll notice within about a month.
- Be Sneaky – Get more veggies in your regular food by shredding and adding to any casseroles or saucy dishes. For example, shredded zucchini goes great in lasagna or spaghetti sauce and no one will notice.
- Be More Generous – You don’t want people to take advantage of you but focus on being more generous when you can and it will rub off on your feelings about yourself.
- Park at a Distance – You can get more steps into your day by parking far away from every entrance. Not only will you be walking as you shop or run errands but you’ll get in those extra steps that can make a huge difference in your fitness level.
July
- Take Martial Arts Classes – Whether you choose Taekwondo or another form of martial arts you’ll get healthy without feeling as if you’re exercising and gain confidence in yourself which will give you a better attitude.
- Get the Family Involved – Whether it’s cooking a healthy dinner or it’s moving more if you get the entire family involved you’ll also be making amazing memories.
- Bring Back the After-Dinner Walk – Before we got so busy it was normal for people to take leisurely after dinner walks around the neighborhood. People would stop and chat but also get needed fresh air and exercise.
- Get Enough Sleep – If you find that you’re going to bed on time and still are sleepy during the day get a physical to rule out health issues such as sleep apnea. This can affect even thin people so don’t assume you don’t have it. It should be one of the first things to find out if you’re always tired.
August
- Write Down Goals – If you have any goals in relation to your health and well-being it’s important to write them down. Not only that, write down how you’ll achieve them so that you’ll have a map to follow.
- Don’t Compare Yourself – As humans, we have a strange compulsion to compare ourselves to others when it comes to weight and looks. But, this is not a good thing to do because everyone’s situation (and genetics) are different. Feel good about what you have and work to make it better in a realistic way.
- Stop Drinking Soda – Whether you call it pop, soda, coke or soft drinks they’re very bad for you. They’re not even a real beverage. If you like the fizzy feeling you can replace your soft drinks with naturally carbonated waters and juices.
- Get Accountability – There are many ways to get an accountability partner now. You can look close to home or you can look across the country using Fitbit and other online communities to help you stay on track with your fitness goals.
September
- Improve Your Gut Bacteria – A lot of people who have gas, GERD, and other issues really have poor gut bacteria. You can get tested for the H. Pylori infection if you’re concerned. You can also add in healthy bacteria through supplementing with acidophilus.
- Learn a New Sport – Exercise is simpler if it doesn’t feel like exercise. Taking a class in a new sport such as tennis or golf can help turn an exercise into a hobby.
- Get a Colonoscopy – If you’re 50 or older, or you have blood in your stools or are often constipated consider getting a colonoscopy. Today there are noninvasive tests that you can do. But, invasive or not, it may save your life.
- Learn Good Posture – Most of our moms tried to keep our posture good, but even sometimes their directions of “shoulders back” might be incorrect and cause back pain. If you’re not sure, go to a trained physical therapist to help you.
October
- Get a Massage – Any time you have worked extra hard at something consider getting a massage. Manually stimulating the body can improve blood flow, increase metabolism, and speed repair after working out or working hard.
- Go to The Dentist – You should be getting professional cleanings twice a year to avoid problems. Many people don’t realize that poor dental health can lead to more problems than just mouth pain, like heart issues.
- Take Vitamins – Most people need to take vitamin B12 and vitamin D is not far behind. You can get a blood test to be sure. But, if you’re tired, or you have body pain these two supplements along with vitamin K can help.
- Moisturize – Now that the weather is getting cold it’s important to keep your skin moisturized. You’ll feel better and age slower if you do. But, ensure that whatever you’re putting on your skin is natural and safe. Make your own DIY moisturizers or you can also use virgin coconut oil.
November
- Don’t Box Yourself In – There are a lot of “shoulds” in life. Try to get rid of as many as you can. For example, you should exercise every single day, but what if instead of exercising you played and had fun?
- Don’t Judge Others – This is for your own mental health. When you find yourself judging others based on arbitrary traits you’re really judging yourself which can make living with yourself difficult.
- Make Work Fun – When you need to clean the house or do chores you don’t want to do find a way to make it more fun. Ask someone to help you, turn on the music, and enjoy the fact that you’re alive as you do the tasks.
- Remember Your Goals – Each day when you get up, take the time to look at your goals so that you know what you need to do that day to get closer to succeeding. Every goal is met one day at a time.
December
- Quit Bad Habits – If you smoke, drink more than three drinks a week, or eat more chips than you’d like, it’s time to stop those habits. The best way to do it is to attack one at a time replacing it with a healthy habit.
- Add Some Weight – Now that you’ve been walking more all year long, it’s time to up your game. Get some ankle weights which will add to the difficulty of your walk and help you get more out of less.
- Avoid Processed Food – Even when the label says it’s healthy if it’s processed you can do better. Shop the perimeter of the grocery store, staying clear of aisles and you’ll find it easier to find whole foods.
- Start Your Day Right – Most research shows that people who work out first thing in the morning as a habit are more likely to stick to the plan. But, if you’re not a morning person that’s okay, just do whatever you’re going to do as soon as possible each day.
Make Your Year Healthier and Happier!
Ready to Plan a Healthier, Happier Year?
Make Your Year Healthier and Happier!
Ready to Plan a Healthier, Happier Year?
Simply CLICK THE BLUE LINK BELOW
to download your FREE Healthier Happier You Planner below:
FREE Healthier Happier You Planner from UrbanNaturale.com
What are your top 6 (or more) healthy, happy lifestyle goals this year?
What tips would you add to this list?
Share your thoughts and comments with us.
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Hi Deborah,
You have lots of great tips here for the whole year long. If people would follow these they sure would see a big improvement in how they feel and their health. Certainly an excellent article. Sharing on Pinterest, twitter & FB.
Hi Marla,
Happy 2018! Thank you so much for checking out this post and planner. I hope all is well with you and your family. My family and I have been traveling a lot but the new year is always a great time to re-evaluate and plan for the year ahead. Wishing you a healthy, happy 2018!
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Hey Deborah,
One of my new year’s resolution was to eat healthy and stay fit, I struggled for days to find what to eat and this list is perfect for me. Thank you so much for making this list.
Hi Erica,
Eating healthy and staying fit are always on the top of my annual list of resolutions. I hope you succeed with your resolutions this year. All the best, Deb
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[…] same thing happens when you establish exercise, good nutrition or any other simple, daily action as a habit that becomes the key to bigger and better […]
I love all of your tips and the way they are broken down into monthly, manageable pieces. Sounds like a great plan overall!
Hi Teresa,
I am so glad you enjoyed these healthy living tips. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. I appreciate it.
Excellent tips! Thanks for sharing with Party in Your PJs!