Embarking on the journey towards a healthier lifestyle doesn’t have to be full of restrictions and giving up on your favorite routines. It’s more about adding in than getting rid off, as the only real change we can ever expect to yield long-term results is the one we can stick to. 

Figure Out Why

It all starts with ‘Why’ you want to create a healthier lifestyle routine. Whether it’s to lose 5 pounds, get rid of the constant bloating, improve your sleeping habits, increase your fitness endurance, clear your skin, or simply have more energy throughout the day; the reason behind your decision will be your main drive and motivation. Keep coming back to it when it gets hard or you feel like you’ve hit a roadblock, and it will help you get through the mud, pushing you further than you think is possible. 

Make Small Changes Daily

Instead of trying to do everything overnight, focus on making small changes on the daily basis, implementing them one by one and giving yourself the time to adjust. Taking it one step at a time creates a higher chance of actually making it work as you’re not turning your whole world upside down while everything around you continues going at the same pace it did the day before. 

We all live crazy busy lives with endless to-do lists and loads of information being thrown at us at every second of every day, and it’s almost impossible to make it all stop and flip our life at any given moment. Ease into it and feel the changes roll after one another like dominos. 

Start with Something Easy

Let the first change you implement be something easy, so you diminish the risk of giving up. Whether it’s going to bed one hour earlier, taking a walk during your lunch break instead of staying in the office, swapping your mid-day snack for a green juice filled with micronutrients, or carving out the time for a 10-min meditation each morning; choose one to start with and try to stay consistent with it. Once you feel like you got the hang of it, you’ll be ready to add something else into the mix. 

Move Your Body

Take out your schedule for the week and find the time to pencil in some movement. Check out that new yoga studio everyone is talking about, sign up for a membership at your local gym, or finally take your friend up on the cycling offer and go for a round in your neighborhood. Whatever you do, let it be something you really enjoy and love, as only by doing things that bring a smile on your face and get you excited can you actually make them a permanent part of your new, healthier lifestyle.

Focus on Your Micronutrients

When you shift the focus from restricting the “bad foods” from your diet to adding more “good foods”, you naturally decrease your cravings and increase your need for fresh nutrients, bringing their absorption to a whole new level. Go to your local Farmer’s market or grocery store and focus on the local, seasonal, and organic produce. Fill your fridge and pantry with fresh vegetables and fruit, swap your third (and fourth and fifth) cup of coffee for tea, and up your micronutrient intake with green juices and superfoods. You’ll give a nice boost to your digestion, help your body flush out toxins more efficiently, speed up your recovery, increase the quality of your sleep, and reduce overall stress and inflammation in your body. It all counts. 

It’s never too late to start changing your life and implementing healthier lifestyle routines. All it takes is the first step, so figure out your why and make your first change today.