I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — wellness is unique to you.
Yes, wellness is all about moving towards a healthy lifestyle that has a positive impact on you. But it’s also about what you need for your health and well-being at that moment.
The thing is — making wellness a daily priority can be overwhelming especially if you don’t know where to start.
So that’s why I’ve put together this extensive list of healthy habits, rituals and ideas.
To empower you to prioritise wellness on your own terms and inspire you to create a wellness routine that works for you.
What does a good wellness routine look like?
The key to any good wellness routine is to build it to work for you.
Don’t just copy what everyone else is doing and instead figure out what optimal health looks like to you and create a wellness routine based on this.
Like with any routine, your wellness regime will be made up of small rituals or habits that you can easily incorporate throughout your day.
A healthy habit or ritual is anything you repeatedly do that positively contributes to your overall health and well-being. It should also benefit you long-term.
An unhealthy habit is anything that gives you short-term gratification but does not contribute to your health long-term. Yes, scrolling on your phone might give you an instant buzz but what lasting benefits does it give you?
Other examples of unhealthy habits can include binge drinking, smoking, mindlessly watching TV, eating fast food, etc.
So when you build your wellness routine, it’s important to fill it up with habits and rituals that make you feel good (both on the inside and out) long after the dopamine hit has worn off.
Your habits and rituals also need to be realistic and easy for you to achieve as well as sustainable.
There’s no point adding, “do yoga twice a week” to your wellness routine if:
- You don’t have the means to go to a yoga class
- You don’t physically have the time to do yoga
- You hate yoga
So only include the activities in your routine that you know you can do without any obstacles or barriers.
Yes, it’s totally normal to have bad days.
You might wake up one day and not want to do certain rituals (like yoga) and that is completely fine. Don’t beat yourself up if that is the case as motivation is never linear. The most important thing is to pick yourself back up the next day and keep moving forward.
Remember — progress, not perfection, is the real goal.
101 healthy habits, rituals and ideas to add to your wellness routine
This blog post is intended to be for inspiration only.
It’s a go-to list of healthy things you can do to start improving your health and wellness.
Not a “do every single thing on this list to become your best self” type of post.
I don’t expect you to add every single activity to your own wellness routine or even to do them all for that matter — because I certainly don’t!
To ease overwhelm, I suggest starting small and choosing just 3-5 healthy things that you can start doing daily to nourish your mind, body and soul.
Feel free to use this list as a guide or create your own list of ideas that will serve you better.
If you do plan on using the habits, rituals and ideas listed in this blog post, I recommend that you test them out first before sticking to them as what works for me might not necessarily work for you.
I also encourage you to bookmark this page so you can refer back to it whenever you need to.
Habits, rituals and ideas for your physical wellness
- Open the windows every morning and breathe in the fresh air
- Plant your feet on the floor, inhale, exhale and recite, “Today is going to be a great day.”
- Expose yourself to the sun every morning (without sunglasses) so your body can produce its necessary dose of vitamin D
- Take a daily walk outside
- Do at least 30 minutes of low-impact movement each day e.g. yoga, swimming or brisk walking
- Take the time to properly rest and recover after intense workouts
- Incorporate daily stretching into your routine
- Make time for daily self-care even if it’s just for 10 minutes
- Cook at least one healthy and nourishing meal a day
- Start following blood sugar balancing principles to keep sugar cravings at bay
- Avoid highly processed and sugary foods like store-bought ready meals
- Swap fizzy drinks for sparkling water so you still get that carbonated buzz (or just still water)
- Cut down on or eliminate alcohol and tobacco
- Limit caffeine intake daily or at least have your first cup after breakfast
- Stay hydrated and drink at least 2 litres of water a day — add lemon for extra health benefits
- Buy a reusable water bottle and keep it on you at all times
- Take daily probiotics or multivitamins
- Go screen-free during meals and practice mindful eating by being present and aware
- Hit between 3000 to 10,000 steps a day (it depends on you)
- Invest in an under-desk treadmill and walk your way to wellness
- Use a standing desk instead of sitting down all day
- Get up from your desk every hour and have a mini walkaround
- Always take the stairs instead of the escalator or lift
- Try a new fitness class or activity at least once a month
- Take up a new active hobby like rock climbing or surfing
- Get regular check-ups and health screenings
- Practice cold water therapy by lowering the temperature of your shower at the end for about 30 seconds
- Limit screens and devices at least an hour before bed
- Get between 7-9 hours of good quality sleep a night
- Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day
- Wake up 30 minutes earlier to fit in some morning reading or journaling
- Go to bed 30 minutes earlier to accommodate your earlier morning
- Put your “legs up the wall” and wiggle your toes
- Unclench your jaw and relax your shoulders
Save these ideas on Pinterest
Habits, rituals and ideas for your mental wellness
- Build yourself a mindful morning routine full of nourishing rituals that ease you into the day
- Make your bed every morning
- Go swimming
- Meditate for at least 3-minutes in the morning
- Write down 3 things you are grateful for every day
- Write down 3 things you are looking forward to tomorrow
- Practice Stoicism — I highly recommend The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday
- Start a daily journaling practice to reflect on your thoughts and emotions
- Say “I get to” instead of “I have to” for an instant mindset shift
- Set clear boundaries to protect your energy
- Map out your core values and get to the crux of what is important to you
- Listen to a motivating podcast episode before you start work
- Read a book every morning for 30 minutes (choose a genre you actually enjoy)
- Subscribe to our weekly wellness emails for a self-care break every Wednesday and Sunday
- Play a daily or weekly game of chess
- Do more jigsaw puzzles
- Learn a new skill or improve a current one
- Dedicate time each week to learning a new language
- Build a Sunday reset routine to keep the “Scaries” at bay
- Schedule your non-work related activities first
- Limit your exposure to negative news and media
- Take regular 10-minute breaks throughout the day to recharge and refresh
- Have a short pause before moving on to the next task
- Take a proper lunch break away from your screens
- Go on a long nature walk every weekend and pay close attention to what you can see and hear
- Practice active listening
- Slowly work through any limiting beliefs or barriers that are getting in your way
- Read one self-development or health and wellness book a month
- Build a device-free evening routine and avoid blue light
- Practice deep breathing exercises to calm your mind and body
- Make a conscious effort to sit and do nothing
- Spend an hour a week (or more if you can) by yourself
- Work with a health coach to help you reach your wellness goals
- Celebrate your wins no matter how small they are (yes, shaving your legs does count!)
Save these ideas on Pinterest
Habits, rituals and ideas for your emotional wellness
- Create a yearly vision board or write a letter to your future self
- Try a new form of self-expression like poetry or creative writing
- Connect with your inner child and allow yourself to be silly more often
- Listen to more music that uplifts your mood
- Have a daily 5-minute dance party — my “get up and dance” song is Gloria by Laura Branigan
- Practice relaxation techniques like meditation or deep breathing
- Repeat a daily affirmation in the mirror every morning
- Learn to say “no” when necessary
- Reevaluate any friendships or relationships that highlight toxic behaviour
- Start limiting your time with negative people (family is the exception to this rule)
- Surround yourself with positive people
- Set yourself the goal of connecting with a new friend every 2 or 3 months
- Take yourself out on more solo dates and cultivate more self-love
- Leave your phone in your bag when you go out to a restaurant and be more present
- Regularly disconnect from your devices or at least social media
- Call your loved ones more regularly
- Volunteer or get involved in community events
- Attend more personal development workshops or webinars
- Start a new creative hobby like knitting or painting
- Have regular power naps
- Seek out new experiences and take a chance on something that scares you (in a safe way)
- Try therapy
- Keep a list of “healing sentences” that you can repeat during tough times
- Slow down your actions and become more aware of everything you do
- Read a chapter from Me Time by 5 Minutes for You every day
- Have one self-care day a month
- Write a “joy list” of things you can turn to when in need of a mood boost
- Dedicate more time to rest
- Schedule a daily worry period and write down your worries in a journal
- Learn to let go of things outside of your control and focus on what you can control
- Forgive yourself for past mistakes
- Allow yourself to have a good cry every so often
- Smile more often
Save these ideas on Pinterest
Start your wellness routine today with this planner
Studies show that we are a lot more likely to do something if it is written down.
So write down and keep track of your wellness routine with The Daily Wellness Planner. This 18-page digital planner will provide you with the structure and accountability you need to incorporate healthy habits and wellness-based activities throughout your day.
Use it to:
- Successfully build better habits
- Build a morning and evening routine that works for you
- Track sleep
- Map out your meals and exercise for a healthy week
- Reflect on the day and practice gratitude
- Plan out a week of self-care activities
- Journal your thoughts and feelings
- Plus much much more
Final thoughts
I hope you enjoyed this blog post and you are one step closer to building a wellness routine that works for you!
Remember, there is no right or wrong way to do wellness.
Your wellness routine doesn’t have to look like drinking a green smoothie in the morning, ditching meat or doing yoga twice a day. It can look like reading every morning for 30 minutes, spending more time outside or setting better boundaries.
All it comes down to is choosing the right healthy habits and making certain lifestyle choices that make you feel happier and healthier than you did the year before.
So stop allowing social media’s consumerist and aesthetically-pleasing version of wellness to dictate your actions, and create your own version of a healthy and fulfilling life.
Until next week,
♡ Thalia xx
Disclaimer: Please. note, this post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links then I will be rewarded at no extra cost to you. Any money earned through affiliates will be put towards running my blog and newsletter.
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