5 Easy Habits That Will Transform Your Life This Year
About the Author: Janna, RN. As a registered nurse specializing in holistic health approaches, I combine evidence-based practices with whole-person wellness strategies to help you create sustainable health habits that transform your daily life.
Last Updated: April 2025
Table of Contents
- Introduction: My Personal Wellness Journey
- The Power of Daily Habits
- Habit 1: Mindful Digital Detox for Mental Health
- Habit 2: Intuitive Nutrition and Healthy Food Habits
- Habit 3: Stress Management for Holistic Health
- Habit 4: Functional Fitness and Movement
- Habit 5: Emotional Well-being and Self-Care Rituals
- Bringing It All Together: Your Journey to a Healthier You
Disclaimer: While I am a registered nurse, this article contains general wellness information and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making significant changes to your diet, exercise routine, or lifestyle, especially if you have underlying health conditions.
Introduction: My Personal Wellness Journey
You can’t put a price on your health and wellness. I have always agreed with this statement, however years ago—especially in my early 20s—I didn’t put it into practice. I stayed up late, got up early, and some weeks worked overtime and felt constantly tired and stressed. Between wanting to look fit and have everything else in place, it became overwhelming. Let’s just say I wasn’t creating or sticking to healthy habits, and I was not living my best life. Since that time, that has all changed.
The Power of Daily Habits
Creating healthy habits adds meaning to our lives. Have you ever done a difficult hike and thought after, “I just did this super hard hike and I feel amazing!” Or maybe you meal prepped all your dinners for the upcoming week and now won’t have to be scrambling to make dinner or eat fast food and feel sluggish after.
Key Insight: Having a routine with daily habits sets us up to win in life.
When we make choices or habits that are detrimental to our health or well-being, we don’t create a healthy lifestyle. These choices can lead to various life upsets. The power in healthy habits makes a space for us to believe in ourselves and what we can do with our health, mental wellness, work goals, and life achievements. What we do throughout the day and before bedtime establishes a foundation for our overall well-being in life.
Research Says: According to a 2023 study published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine, consistent daily routines are associated with lower stress levels, improved sleep quality, and better long-term health outcomes.
Habit 1: Mindful Digital Detox for Mental Health
Scrolling before bed? I have been there too! Social media is so addicting whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. It can keep us there for hours if we let it. There was a study recently that said most people felt unfulfilled and like they had wasted time after they had spent a while on social media. It can be a complete time waster. I’m not saying this to make anyone feel bad because I am guilty myself.
Breaking the Social Media Cycle
Think how much time would be saved if we stuck to what needs to get done or spent that time with friends or family connecting and skipped social media. Not only that, a lot of the time we as women compare ourselves to other women or believe we need this product we saw to feel better about ourselves.
Healthy Habits Tip: I’m not saying we need to completely cut it out, but having limitations can boost our mental health and make us so much more productive! I don’t know about you, but I love when I have a productive day. I feel so much more fulfilled and create meaning and impact in my life as well as my family’s.
Having a healthy balance and recognizing the need for this is a good place to start. I have a family member who noticed he was spending a lot of time on social media just watching videos. After a while, he realized that it wasn’t fulfilling his life. He didn’t stop getting on social media but instead limited himself to twenty minutes per day.
This is a great way to have that balance and still engage in a productive routine and life. He was able to be more productive in the evenings after work and not let social media control him. Choosing to set boundaries makes a commitment to ourselves and over time becomes a habit where that is our norm. Breaking bad habits like excessive scrolling is often one of the best habits to start on your journey to wellness.
Research Says: A study in the Journal of Clinical Psychology found that limiting social media use to 30 minutes per day resulted in significant reductions in anxiety and depression symptoms while improving overall life satisfaction.
Action Steps:
- Set a daily time limit for social media (try 20-30 minutes)
- Use your phone’s screen time settings to track usage
- Establish a “phone-free zone” in your bedroom
- Replace scrolling time with a connection activity (call a friend, family game night)
Habit 2: Intuitive Nutrition and Healthy Food Habits
There is always a new diet around. For a while it was low carb, then intermittent fasting, then keto. I’m not saying a diet is bad especially if you are trying to lose weight, however I think the bigger picture is looking at if it’s sustainable. Seeing our friends lose weight quickly can pull us into the diet culture circle.
Like so many others, I used to be part of the low-fat diet, over-do cardio and hope to lose weight. It didn’t work for me. What worked was eating a whole foods diet and not stressing about fat or calories. Making balanced snacks and meals with whole foods makes this sustainable. Adopting good eating habits is truly one of the best habits for health you can develop.
Healthy Snacks to Keep on Hand:
- Fresh in-season fruit
- Raw veggies and dip
- Greek yogurt
- Walnuts and pecans
- Peanut butter
- Cheese sticks
- Chia seeds
- Honey and maple syrup
- Salad
- Homemade salad dressing
Intuitive Eating Insight: Intuitive eating is understanding your body’s needs and being aware when it has reached fulfillment. I used to measure everything out and weigh it to track calories and macronutrients. I do not believe this is necessary to have optimal nutrition and be at a healthy weight.
If you’re entering a bodybuilding contest, then sure this may be impactful. For those of us that just want to feel our best, we need to eat nutritionally packed food. It’s important to eat until we aren’t all the way full. Appreciate the food before us and balance our plate with protein, a carb, veggies, and enough fiber in each meal and snack.
Each person is different in what their needs are and how their body functions. There is not one size fits all. What works for your best friend may not be the best for you. Learning how to fuel your body comes with practice. Developing healthy eating habits to lose weight is more about nourishment than restriction – a principle that’s central to holistic wellness.
Research Says: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published findings in 2023 showing that intuitive eating approaches result in better long-term maintenance of healthy weight compared to restrictive dieting methods.
Action Steps:
- Practice mindful eating (no screens, sitting down)
- Stock your pantry with whole foods rather than processed options
- Listen to your hunger and fullness cues
- Aim for balanced meals with protein, fiber, and healthy fats
Habit 3: Stress Management for Holistic Health
Stress has so much impact on us. Not only is it taxing mentally but it takes a toll on our bodies. Chronic stress can lower our immune system, set us up for the flu, and even cause disease. It can determine how well our digestive system works too! Suffering with digestive issues is no fun!
Understanding Stress and Wellness
Maintaining a healthy stress balance is key. We all feel stressed from time to time, which is completely normal. We need a little stress now and then. Finding ways to manage everyday stress is crucial to reducing chronic disease and living our healthiest life.
Finding Your Stress Reliever: Finding your personal stress reliever is key to balancing this. It can be something simple that only takes 5 minutes per day. It can look like:
- Taking a walk
- Listening to music
- Dancing
- Deep breathing
- Yoga
- Reading
- Listening to a book
- Laying down and closing your eyes
The Power of Positive Self-Talk
When we encounter stress, it’s all about what we tell ourselves. The more we say good things to ourselves, the more we believe it. When faced with challenges, telling yourself “I can do this” or “I am up for the challenge” can change our brain process and pattern.
In turn, this makes it easier to handle stressful situations in the future and reduces the strain it puts on our body and mental aspect. This positive self-talk is one of the habits of successful people that we can all adopt for better habit health.
Research Says: According to the American Psychological Association, chronic stress is linked to the six leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver and suicide. Managing stress effectively through mindfulness practices has been shown to reduce inflammatory markers in the body.
Action Steps:
- Identify your top 3 stress triggers
- Choose one 5-minute stress relief activity to practice daily
- Create a positive self-talk mantra for challenging situations
- Track your stress levels in a wellness journal
Habit 4: Functional Fitness and Movement
We’ve all been told and heard how good exercise is for us. I think often we think about our bodies in just their physical form. There is so much more going on inside when we exercise. It regulates our hearts and creates better blood flow. It has been shown to reduce stress and boost our immune systems and our digestive health.
Commitment to Movement
Sticking with an exercise routine is easy when we’re super motivated and ready to make changes. However, if we aren’t committed and just doing it while we’re motivated, it won’t last. We need to stick with it and form a habit, that way when you don’t feel like it, you do it anyway and push through that workout. That is true commitment.
Variety in Movement: Movement can look different for all of us. For some it might be jogging outside, and for others it might be yoga or balance training. Switching it up from time to time will help us not reach a plateau and break up the monotony. Not only that, it challenges our mental stamina too.
The Importance of Strength Training
One of the best indicators of longevity is strength. Cardio can burn calories, but weight training, in my opinion, wins out in the end. I highly advocate for strength training. We don’t need to lift super heavy. Just getting some weight training in that is a little challenging can build up our muscle strength and is a predictor for life expectancy.
Regular movement is one of the best habits for life and definitely one of the most important healthy habits for women who want to maintain bone density and muscle mass as they age.
Research Says: Engaging in 2–3 strength training sessions per week lowers all-cause mortality risk by 46% compared to those who didn’t strength train. Additionally, the CDC recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity and 2 days of muscle strengthening per week.
Action Steps:
- Schedule 3-4 movement sessions in your calendar each week
- Include at least 2 strength training sessions weekly
- Find activities you genuinely enjoy
- Start with small, achievable goals (10-minute walks, 5-minute strength circuits)
Habit 5: Emotional Well-being and Self-Care Rituals
Emotional intelligence is a habit that takes practice and time. Have you ever felt triggered, try to hold back the mean comment you want to say but you just can’t resist? I think many of us have felt that way. Learning to control our emotions despite feeling sad, angry, or irritable is a skill and habit worth learning.
Developing Emotional Intelligence
This can be developed by walking away and taking a timeout during tense situations. Learning to gather our thoughts and making commitments to ourselves before situations can change our outcomes.
Self-Care is Not Selfish: Self-care is another factor in creating optimal emotional well-being. If we don’t put ourselves first, it can be hard to have anything left for anyone else. This includes us parents who almost always put our kids first. Sometimes we need to put our needs first to show up as our best selves for our children. They deserve the best from us.
Self-care is whatever is going to increase your overall well-being and happiness. This can look like getting a pedicure or having your spouse put your kids to bed and giving you the night off. I recently was able to go to bed early because my husband cleaned up dinner and put our son to bed, and I felt looked after and cared for.
Making Time for Yourself
Making time regularly for yourself is a habit to get into. Whether it’s once a week, every other week, or so on, think about what would make you feel fulfilled and do that activity or thing! Put it on your calendar and let your family know that you are busy at that time. Setting an appointment with yourself will become something to look forward to and will build that habit.
This practice of self-care is one of the simple healthy habits tips that can have a profound impact on your overall well being. By using habit stacking – adding a new habit onto an existing routine – you can more easily incorporate these moments of self-care into your day.
Research Says: According to the American Psychological Association, self-care activities reduce stress hormone levels in the body and enhance emotional regulation capacity. Regular self-care practice is associated with reduced anxiety, improved mood, and better interpersonal relationships.
Action Steps:
- Schedule at least one 30-minute self-care activity weekly
- Practice the “pause” technique when emotionally triggered
- Create a list of 5-minute self-care activities for busy days
- Use habit stacking to incorporate emotional check-ins throughout your day
Bringing It All Together: Your Journey to a Healthier You
Let’s be real – creating these habits isn’t about being perfect. It’s about progress, not perfection. When I look back at my younger self, constantly burnt out and stressed, I realize that transforming your life is about small, consistent choices. Each of these habits is like a puzzle piece – they don’t have to fit perfectly right away, but over time, they create a beautiful picture of wellness.
Remember: You don’t have to overhaul your entire life overnight. Start with one habit. Maybe it’s putting down your phone an hour before bed, or taking a 10-minute walk. Maybe it’s choosing a whole food snack instead of processed food. Whatever it is, be kind to yourself in the process. Overcoming procrastination and taking that first step is often the hardest part of habit building.
Your Personal Wellness Challenge
I challenge you to choose ONE habit from this list and commit to it for the next 30 days. Just one. Track how it makes you feel. Notice the small changes. Are you sleeping better? Feeling more energized? More present with your family? These healthy morning habits might be just what you need for habits for a better life.
How to Get Started:
- Pick one habit that resonates with you most
- Write it down in your journal or planner
- Set a simple, achievable goal related to that habit
- Check in with yourself weekly
- Celebrate your progress, no matter how small
Establishing these best habits for success in 2025 isn’t about following trends – it’s about creating sustainable practices that support your unique healthy lifestyle tips.
Let’s Connect and Support Each Other
I’d love to hear about your wellness journey! Drop a comment below and share:
- Which habit are you committing to?
- What’s your biggest challenge in creating healthy habits?
- What small win can you celebrate this week?
This isn’t just about reading another wellness blog post. This is about creating real, meaningful change in your life. Letting go of bad habits and embracing new positive ones is truly a journey, not a destination. You’ve got this, and I’m cheering you on every step of the way.
Here’s to your health, your happiness, and your most vibrant life in 2025 and beyond with habits for success that truly serve you!
References:
- American Psychological Association. (2024). Stress effects on the body.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.
- Journal of Behavioral Medicine. (2023). Daily routines and health outcomes.
- Journal of Clinical Psychology. (2024). Social media use and mental health.
- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. (2023). Intuitive eating and weight maintenance.
- Journal of Aging and Physical Activity. (2024). Strength training and mortality risk.