35 Healthy New Year’s Resolutions & Habits (That Are Worth Trying)! 

Today’s post is all about 35 Healthy New Year’s Resolutions & Habits That Are Worth Trying! 

You know what’s funny? Setting goals, creating a plan, and then life completely thwarting that plan. Now THAT is funny. If you want to sum up 2021, that was it for me. At the beginning of the year I told myself I was going to reach a few very specific life goals.

And even though my plans were thwarted, I’m really happy with the results regardless. I’m a firm believer that what is FOR us, will never miss us. Some goals may not happen when we want them to or not at all. We can only control so much (and the older/wiser I get, the less it seems we can control). 

Becoming too attached to the ‘how’ or even the ‘what’ can block us from an even better option. Sometimes ya just gotta let go and let life surprise you like that. 

Whether you like to set goals or not, today’s post is all about healthy New Year’s Resolutions and habits that are worth trying! 

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link, I will earn a small commission, but it won’t cost you a penny more)! Click HERE to read my full disclosure policy.

habit

hăb′ĭt

noun

1. A recurrent, often unconscious pattern of behavior that is acquired through frequent repetition.
   

Trying to build a bunch of new habits all at once is a recipe for failure. I NEVER recommend trying to change your whole life in one day. For a habit to be unconscious and a pattern of behavior, time is an essential component. Repeating certain actions over a period of time is the key to successfully building a new habit. 

My recommendation? One new habit at a time. I also do NOT recommend creating a new habit while simultaneously breaking another. The more you can simplify, the more successful you will be. Consistency doesn’t mean being overbearing, controlling or obsessing about doing everything right and perfect. Instead consistency means being practical about what you can do, honest with yourself about what you want to do, and holding yourself accountable. 

Creating a habit is a commitment. Some habits require more responsibility, awareness and effort. 

Which is why I like mixing it up with healthy New Year’s Resolutions. 

resolution

rĕz″ə-loo͞′shən

noun

1. The state or quality of being resolute; firm determination.
   
2. A firm decision to do something.
   

Resolutions can be a bit more loose and fun to commit to. You can make a firm decision to go on a summer road trip up the coast. You can make a firm decision to deep clean your home every 3 months. They’re not unconscious habits! 

I compiled a list of healthy New Year’s Resolutions and Habits that are not your usual; ‘lose weight, join a gym, workout everyday, eat more salads’. Instead, I created a list of ideas that are all encompassing from mental health, to physical, as well as spiritual. Take what you like, leave what you don’t, and most importantly share with someone who would benefit from a list of healthy New Year’s Resolutions that are worth trying! 

ONE. Create a ‘Get Shit Done Day’ 1x a month: Perfect for people who procrastinate, time block, or lead generally busy lives and need a day to tackle their smaller item to-do lists.  I love a ‘GET SHIT DONE’ day because it allows me to put on my badass cape and conquer the things I’ve been avoiding. You can really get into the mindset of being empowered and handling your shit.

TWO. Start a Gratitude Journal: Gratitude is the frequency of abundance, so if you want to feel good about what you already have, this is a great habit to start. You can do this on any journal you have lying, this 6 Minute Diary, or the 5 Minute Gratitude Journal! 

THREE. Eat Mindfully Once a Day: When was the last time you ate a meal one bite at a time with little to no distractions?  When you actually tasted your food and had a mini food-gasm? Our relationship with food deserves some TLC, so eat mindfully once a day. Sit down, one bite at a time, zero distractions, eat slowly, taste every bite, and be present. 

FOUR. Genuinely Compliment People More Often: Want to feel good while also making others feel good? Give people you know and strangers authentic and genuine compliments. 2022 could use more compassionate and kind people. 

FIVE. Create an At Home Spa Day: Taking the time to physically care for your body and indulge in some mini at home luxuries like a face mask, bubble bath with epsom salt like Dr. Teals, soft music, at home pedis and manis & even a fake tan can be the difference between you having a blah week and a GREAT week. A little TLC goes a long way. When you look good, you feel better. You deserve it. 

SIX. Take a Social Media Detox: Whether you do this once a day, once a week, once a month or once a quarter. Leave your phone at home when you go to dinner with your spouse, delete your social media accounts or remove them from your phone. In this blog post, I talk about how important it is to find time to disconnect from social media and connect to what’s in front of you. You can even set time limits on your phone per app. There’s so many ways to create healthy boundaries with social media! 

SEVEN. Start a New Reading List and Sell or Donate Your Old Books: There’s nothing better than hunting down some good books through recommendations or searching online and then happily donating ones you’ve already read. If you have a Kindle or some other e-reader, look at the books you already have. What have you not read but been wanting to? Take 10 minutes a day to start reading and see if it piques your interest! 

EIGHT. Catch up with long distance friends and family on Zoom and/or Facetime: Taking time to spend with loved ones, even over Zoom or Facetime helps to maintain the connection and relationships. There is nothing more valuable you can give someone than your time, energy, and love. 

NINE. Invest in high quality workout shoes every 6 months: Someone has to say it, but girl, buy some new shoes, I can almost see your pinky toe busting out. You are worthy of new workout shoes. I don’t need to tell you that but apparently you need to hear it. Go buy some new shoes and make it a treat for yourself every 6 months. I really enjoy Nike Metcons for cross training! If your shoes are busted please make this one of your healthy New Year’s resolutions.

TEN. Stay Hydrated: I get that this isn’t a cool or novel idea, but it’s so foundational and necessary that I’d be a fraud in the health and wellness space to not include it. Water is life and you’re probably dehydrated unless you have a borderline (semi-un)healthy obsessive attachment to your stainless steel water bottle like I do. 

ELEVEN. Eat Breakfast More Often: This healthy New Year’s resolutions comes highly recommended!! I CANNOT begin to tell you how many of my clients did not eat breakfast when we first started working together and once they did, their results sped up. People who eat breakfast are less likely to overeat at their next meal, snack or crave processed convenient food. Making a small effort several days of the week to get in some nutrition like yogurt, toast, planet protein, or protein bar can prevent overeating and daily drive thrus. When you eat more balanced meals (a combo of protein, fat and carbs) your hunger cues swing less aggressively from STARVING and TOO FULL. You’ll also save money by eating out less and feel more energized. That’s a WIN-WIN!

TWELVE. Book ALL your important appointments for the year: As we get older, our health isn’t just looking good in a bikini during summer. It’s being on top of your dental health, well women’s exam, skin check, hormone panel, and other important appointments. Scheduling all your appointments ahead of time throughout the year can take ONE less thing off your plate and hold you accountable to be aware of what’s happening with your body inside and out. 

THIRTEEN. Eat VEGGIES: Again, not a novel idea but it’s a healthy New Year’s Resolution worth trying! Do you know how important vitamins and minerals are for everyday functioning including your immunity, bone health, eye health and so much more?! One incredible way to feel better is to eat more vegetables. Plain and freakin’ simple. (If you have candida, Chron’s, Celiacs or any other AI or disease that prevents you from eating certain vegetables and/or grains, this obviously goes without saying, but, know what works for you). 

FOURTEEN. Put Your Dishes Away Immediately: This is small but it’s also HUGE. Ask yourself, if you were to go into someone’s home and it was SPARKLING clean but there were a ton of dirty dishes piled in the sink, would you still think their home was clean? Probably not. I don’t love putting away my dishes. In fact, it’s probably my least favorite chore. However, our place looks way more organized and presentable without a pile of dirty dishes. For that reason, I typically put them in the dishwasher immediately after use. 

FIFTEEN. Keep Your Car Clean: This kind of piggybacks off the dishes but having a clean car is such a vibe and to be transparent, I kinda suck at this. So this is actually one of my healthy New Year’s resolutions because I truly, deeply, want to be one of those people who takes their water bottles, Chick-Fil-A cups and receipts out of their car. Dream big kids. 

SIXTEEN. Create a to-do list based on the Eisenhower Matrix: Do you want to get ultra nerdy and organized when it comes to your to-do list? Perfect. Then you need the Eisenhower Matrix because this shit will JEDI MASTER your to-do list. Here’s how I organize my life. 

SEVENTEEN. Create a Simple Cleaning Schedule: Create a weekly cleaning schedule and put it on your fridge. This resolution and the following are all about being organized in the home. For this healthy New Year’s Resolution I recommend using this magnet chalkboard for your fridge so you can have a do-able and in plain sight cleaning schedule that works FOR you. Remember to be practical. Maybe hire a house cleaner bi-monthly or weekly if you have a big home and/or family. 

EIGHTEEN. Create a Weekly Dinner Menu: Having a dinner menu you can easily see everyday in the space where you will prepare it is a great way to be motivated to cook from home more. Try a new recipe once a week, or bi-monthly. Whatever is most manageable for you. I love having a dinner menu and rotating out old recipes with new recipes.  

NINETEEN. Invest in Your Mental Health: Mental health was a big discussion in 2020 that has continued in 2021. It seems that a lot more people are open to therapy, journaling, meditation, yoga, nature walks, acupuncture, chiropractor, naturopath, reiki, and other forms of mental health and well being tools. 

TWENTY. Create a Weekly Treat / Reward: Having something small you can look forward to each week is sometimes the carrot that gets you through. Except maybe it’s not a carrot, maybe it’s a stroll to Starbucks on Saturday morning, or a long nature walk with your dog, or even sunrise meditation! I personally love and appreciate my once a week Starbucks indulgence. I don’t typically drink coffee, I prefer these Amino Energy because the taste and energy is ideal before I teach my daily morning workout classes. What is something you could look forward to each week?  

TWENTY ONE. Don’t Overbook Yourself: One of my favorite healthy New Year’s resolutions is boundaries baby! Learning to say ‘no’ and prioritize your energy and time on the weekends if you work full time or have a full time schedule (kids, pets, elderly parents, other commitments and engagements) can be really helpful for all you burnt out extroverts or people pleasers. I used to struggle with this, but as I’ve drawn boundaries for myself and protected my energy and time for the things I truly want, I have no issue saying ‘no thank you, not right now, maybe another time’. 

TWENTY TWO. Get Outside and Move: I know it’s the coldest time of the year at the time of this publishing (December 2021) and if you live where it snows and/or rains pretty regularly during winter, it’s probably not IDEAL to be outside, especially if it’s below a certain degree. So in that case, having a method of movement at home can be super beneficial. When it does warm up, find some new hikes, walking trails, and bike paths. Grab a friend, family member, or enjoy solo! Just don’t forget your sunscreen, hiking shoes, hydration backpack, pepper spray, hand sanitizer, and wipes!  

TWENTY THREE. Become more environmentally friendly and ditch the plastics and toxic chemicals by: 

• Switching to glass food storage containers
  
• Switching to reusable sandwich, gallon, snack bags
  
• Ditching the plastic microwave cover
  
• Switching to Clean laundry detergent, dryer sheets, and wool balls

TWENTY FOUR. Create a vitamin regimen: I think Covid not only taught us to wash our hands more often, but also that a vitamin regimen is worth sticking to! I take these daily: Vitamin D, Vitamin C and Zinc Quercetin along with a women’s multi!

TWENTY FIVE. Get Better Sleep: Having a night time ritual can help you prepare your brain for sleep. I don’t need to delve into why sleep is so important. I’m pretty sure we are all aware that better sleep equates to better memory, more energy and balanced hormones. So let’s make going to bed a ceremonial experience. We’re talkin’ eye masks, ear plugs or white noise machines, & pillow spray. Indulge in the small luxuries to create an experience around going to bed. Getting in those 7-9 hours of quality sleep is right around the corner! Better sleep is one of THEE best healthy New Year’s resolutions you can make and keep!

TWENTY SIX. Review ALL Your Subscriptions: And cancel any that you don’t absolutely love and use! Are you subscribed to a monthly subscription box? Or do you have Youtube Plus but don’t use it? Maybe it’s Fabletics and you’ve skipped the last few months. Go through your subscription services and make sure you aren’t draining your bank account with small charges. 

TWENTY SEVEN. Try a New Workout Class: With so many different formats, classes, teachers and apps, there’s plenty to choose from when it comes to workout classes! I may be biased when it comes to Inspire Fitness since I teach Fusion (spin/cycle with strength training aka weight lifting), bodyweight (like HIIT and core based programs), functional training and yoga.  

TWENTY EIGHT. Start a Skincare Routine: Quality skin care doesn’t have to break the bank. I’ve been using Cerave, Neutrogena, Loreal and other drug store brands when it comes to skin care and my skin has never looked better. It’s all about consistency and sticking with a regimen for your skin type! I recommend watching skin care experts like Hyram, The Budget Dermatologist, and Mixed Makeup. 

TWENTY NINE. Donate to Second Hand Stores: Go through your home and see what isn’t worth keeping anymore. You may have a hard time letting go of old clothes, but if you haven’t worn them in 6 months or don’t have an upcoming event you’re wearing it to, it’s time to donate it. You can also read Marie Kondo’s book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up. 

THIRTY. Keep Alcohol Quality over Quantity: Swap the wine nights at home for a once a week treat to a quality cocktail with a friend or partner. 

THIRTY ONE. Book a Nearby Weekend Getaway Once or Twice This Year: Is there a nearby state park, camp ground, cute Bed & Breakfast or town close by you can escape to for a decent price at least once this year? Getting out of your bubble can offer a healthy perspective shift and time to disconnect with your routines. We all need time to unplug. 

THIRTY TWO. Pick One Bucket List Item to Indulge In: Do you have some bucket lists floating around? Maybe saved in the notes section of your phone, on your Google Drive or in a journal somewhere? Go pull it out. What is on that list you’ve been wanting to and would LOVE to do this year? Don’t forget to create the memories of YOUR lifetime! 

THIRTY THREE. Try a Hot Yoga Class! Despite that I’m a yoga teacher, I think yoga is pretty healing inside and out. Who couldn’t use a little more healing in 2022?? Yoga helped me navigate a divorce, bad breakups, moving, and so much more. Try a yoga class at Lifetime, you won’t be disappointed! Or better yet, if you live in Orange County CA, be my guest and come to my class! 

THIRTY FOUR. Go to plays, museums, or some kind of artistic, scientific or entertainment events. It can be so easy to get stuck in your usual way of doing things, especially for all you homebodies and introverts out there. It can be easy to forget how much cool stuff is happening around you! Do a quick internet search for what’s happening in and around your city and/or town!

THIRTY FIVE. Get a new hobby! We all need time to disconnect from reality and I don’t mean binging Selling Sunset (although I do love a good Netflix binge). Having a hobby like macrame, painting, dance, book club, puzzles or any other creative outlet are some fun and healthy New Year’s resolutions to indulge in. I took a macrame workshop in 2020 on Zoom it was a lot of fun! I ended up buying more macrame cord and created a few macrame pieces for family and friends. It was a fun hobby that allowed me a creative outlet. What is something you’ve been wanting to do but have found an excuse not to? Imagine your 90 year old self still wishing you would have done it. Don’t turn 90 saying ‘I wish I would have…’ 

Welp, that’s it friends! I hope these 35 healthy New Year’s Resolutions and Habits sparked some creativity, inspiration and excitement for the coming year. 

Have anything you would like to add? Post in the comments section below! 

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! 

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