To celebrate the Queen’s jubilee, we’ve put together a list of 70 healthy habits that we think must be the secret to the Queen’s long reign. At Second Nature, we believe in small and sustainable habit changes that add up over time to produce big results. The focus might be on the Queen this week, but why not take the time to pick out a new healthy habit for yourself? Here are 70 ideas to get you inspired.
70 healthy habits
- Eat a new vegetable each week
- Start a gratefulness journal
- Read a good book outside in the sunshine
- Cook at least one meal a day from scratch
- Swap fruit juices or fizzy drinks for water/ herbal tea
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Stop calorie counting
- Buy a reusable water bottle and keep it on your desk
- Swap refined carbohydrates for wholegrain carbohydrates
- Ditch low-fat products
- Eat carbohydrates every day, they help to fuel our bodies
- Take the stairs instead of the lift when you can
- imit takeaways to twice a week
- Try exercising with a friend (it’s way more fun)
- Have a source of protein at each meal
- Eat a nutritious and balanced breakfast each morning
- Schedule your workouts in advance
- Spend more time outdoors
- Do one random act of kindness each week. e.g posting a card to your friend, looking after your neighbour’s dog
- Sit down to eat your meals instead of eating on the go
- Put on your favourite song and dance around
- Listen to feel-good music or podcast
- Practice deep breathing for 2 mins a day
- Get to bed 20 mins earlier
- Avoid screen time for 1 hour before bed
- Increase your daily step count
- Spend time catching up with friends and family
- Plan your meals ahead of time
- Snack on whole foods rather than processed alternatives
- Stop labelling foods as ‘treats, syns, or cheat’
- Focus on positive self-talk
- Practice 5-mins of meditation each day
- Try one new recipe a week
- Say positive affirmations out loud each morning
- Wear brightly coloured clothing if you want to
- Avoid food and drinks containing artificial sweeteners
- Focus on achievements that aren’t related to your weight (fitness, confidence)
- Eat distraction-free (e.g. not in front of the tv or while on my phone)
- Add extra vegetables to every meal you have
- Reduce your alcohol intake
- Have a glass of water in-between alcoholic drinks
- Snack on exercise (e.g squats while waiting for the kettle to boil)
- Take hot drinks without sugar
- Avoid caffeine after midday to improve sleep
- Put enough food on your plate to keep you full until the next meal
- Pausing and engaging with your senses when you eat e.g. How does this food taste? smell? feel?
- Prepare healthy snacks to have to hand for the week ahead
- Aim for half your plate to be filled with vegetables
- Be kinder to yourself
- Find alternative outlets for emotions other than food, such as puzzles, podcasts, or speaking to a friend
- Unfollowing social media accounts that promote unrealistic body images
- Avoid the all or nothing mindset
- Prepare packed lunches for the week ahead
- Find a form of exercise that you really enjoy e.g yoga, Zumba, boxing
- Get up every hour from your desk to do 1 minute of activity (squats, star jumps, stretching)
- Write a to-do list at the end of each day to help you feel in control
- Swap milk chocolate for 70% dark chocolate when you fancy something sweet
- Allow yourself to eat a certain food (e.g. biscuits, pizza) when you feel like it, but eat mindfully and distraction-free
- Calling a different friend or family member for a chat once a week
- Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day
- Aim to be outside in nature for at least 10 minutes each day
- Turn off unnecessary notifications on your phone/tablet
- Take a shopping list to the supermarket to avoid any spontaneous purchases
- Take at least 15 minutes to eat your meals
- Swap coffee catch-ups with friends for walks instead
- Read 10 pages of your book before bed rather than scroll on electronic devices
- Set a daily steps goal and look for opportunities to walk more
- Take a vitamin D supplement daily
- Replace negative thoughts about your appearance with positive ones
- Reach out to friends and family when you’re struggling and need support
70 healthy habits is a lot, so we recommend choosing one or two habits that you think you can easily slot into your life. At Second Nature, we take a holistic approach to health, so our healthy habits cover mindset, nutrition and exercise! There’s plenty to choose from, so you can find one that works for you! Let us know what you’ll be choosing in the comments below.
