Having a healthier lifestyle and making positive changes for our health and wellbeing is something that many of us want to do. Yet, we often hold back from making a change because it can seem difficult, overwhelming or just too hard to sift through all the health information out there. We tend to think we need to make really big changes and may get stuck, not knowing where or how to even begin!

What if there was a better, easier and more sustainable way to make positive change? It turns out that there is – and it all comes down to healthy daily habits. If you repeat a healthy habit every single day, the impact of that small habit becomes greater over time and can actually make a big impact on your health. Healthy habits are often more sustainable than bigger changes too, as they are easier to integrate and maintain as part of your normal daily lifestyle. 

When you want to make positive change, a great starting place is to do an ‘audit’ of your current daily habits. First, think about the goals you have for your health – it may be improving your sleep, increasing your energy, or cooking healthier meals, for example. Next, look at your daily habits in light of your goals and consider whether these habits will actually help you make progress towards them. If your daily habits aren’t serving you well, it may be time to add in a new healthy habit or two! 

Think of one small thing that you can do each day that is good for you and aligned with your goals. You can ask yourself some questions to discover which new habits might work for you. What habits could help you make progress towards your goals? Which of these habits would be easy for you to integrate into your day? Which healthy habits could actually be enjoyable as well? And perhaps, which of your current habits aren’t serving you well and could be replaced with better habits?

It could be something simple like drinking a glass of water when you wake up – being well hydrated, especially at the start of the day, can improve focus and energy. You may like to gently stretch your body for 5 minutes before bed each night or set a rule to be in bed by 10pm. If you like to have a cup of coffee in the morning, you could try drinking it slowly in the sunshine, really appreciating how delicious it is! This simple act of drinking your usual coffee then becomes a new practice in gratitude. 

Another great habit is simply to go outside in the morning soon after waking, even if only for a minute or two. Seeing the sunlight in the morning tells our body that the day has begun, and our brain will then set its ‘cycle’ (known as a circadian rhythm) for the day. It may seem small, but simply going outside into the natural light for a few minutes every morning can actually have big impacts over time, such as better mood and energy throughout the day and better sleep at night. 

As the saying goes, how we spend our days is how we spend our lives. The small things we repeat each day become the habits that influence our weeks, months and years. The wonderful thing with healthy habits is that they help us to create momentum in the right direction. Often, when we maintain a healthy habit that makes us feel good, the energy we get from that allows us to make another little positive change. This compounding effect of good habits can be a gentle and powerful way for us to move towards living the life we want.

About our author:

Briannan is Back to Nature Ecotherapy’s Operations Manager. She has studied Integrative Nutrition, Nutrition for Mental Health, Reiki and Business Management. She is a mum who loves all things nature and is dedicated to helping our team and business thrive!