6 Healthy Habits to Follow in January

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January is a great time to implement a few daily healthy habits. It’s a month for reflection and new opportunities – and it can get you thinking about how you want to improve your mental and physical well-being in the New Year.

In this blog post, I’ve put together 6 healthy habits to follow in January

There are lots of healthy habits to follow in January, including:

1. Make healthy food swaps
2. Invest in personal development
3. Reduce your alcohol intake
4. Listen to your gut
5. Introduce fitness into your routine
6. Find a work/life balance that works for you

Let’s take a look at each of these habits in a little more detail, including everything you need to enjoy a healthy, happy January!

1. Make healthy food swaps

If you want to be a little healthier in the New Year, why not make a few healthy food swaps? Instead of telling yourself you’ll “eat healthily”, choose a specific habit to cut out or swap with something else.

There are lots of healthy food swaps, including:

• Swap alcoholic drinks for mocktails
• Choose healthy snacks when you’re working from home
• Swap sugary drinks for water
• Make your own lunch, instead of buying a takeaway

You might want to introduce a few healthy foods into your diet, too. This can help you meet any health and fitness goals – and filling your body with healthy foods is a great way to feel good about yourself.

2. Invest in personal development

Personal development is a very healthy habit to start in January. As you grow and change as a person, your goals and priorities will change – and a new year is a great time to think about what that means for you.

There are so many healthy habits for self-improvement, including:

• Keep a journal
• Cultivate a reading habit
• Exercise
• Volunteer

Personal development isn’t about changing everything about yourself. It’s just about finding ways to improve your outlook and grow as a person. Whether you’re reading a book or practising gratitude, find ways to make time for personal development in the New Year.

3. Reduce your alcohol consumption

In January, many people give up alcohol for the month in some form of Dry January. If you don’t want to completely give up drinking, you could reduce how much you drink in January.

Instead of drinking in the house, save alcohol for when you go out. Or if you normally go out every Saturday, could you stop at just two drinks?

Reducing your alcohol consumption has fantastic benefits for your mental and physical health. It can help you sleep better, lose weight and reduce anxiety. Although there’s nothing wrong with a drink, reducing how much you drink could be a healthy way to start the New Year.

4. Listen to yourself

Listening to yourself fits with my word for the year: intuition. Your body will tell you when it needs a break, so listen to it. Listen to your gut when it’s telling you to move on from a job, leave a toxic relationship or speak out about something that’s on your mind.

Listening to yourself goes hand in hand with reducing how much pressure you put on yourself. Instead of speaking to yourself negatively, try changing your mindset and silencing your inner critic.

This is a healthy habit to follow in January, particularly for your mental health. It can help you think about what you need and want in the New Year.

5. Introduce fitness into your routine

I started going to the gym in January 2023 – and introducing exercise to my routine has been revolutionary for my mental and physical well-being.

It took me a while to build up my gym confidence, but I now feel comfortable using the gym a few times each week. It has improved my self-esteem and helped me get a little stronger.

Introduce fitness into your routine for January. You could:

• Go to a fitness class once a week
• Go for a run after work – Couch to 5K is great to get started
• Try out a home workout
• Go for a swim
• Start a new sport

It’s all about making fitness work for you. If you have a busy job, going to the gym at the weekend or doing a home workout might be the best choice. Or if you’re a remote worker, you could move around your day to fit a session before work in the morning.

6. Find a work/life balance that works for you

In January, it’s important to build a work/life balance that works for you. Work/life balance means different things to different people.

You might want to spend time with family at the weekend or you might want to go to the gym every lunchtime. It’s easy to start the year with the best intentions, but habits can slip as you get busy.

If you’re a freelancer like me, set clear boundaries for your clients. If you’re a remote worker, make sure to book regular time off – and take breaks religiously. This will help you maintain a healthy balance, whether you’re a translator or content writer.

It’s also important to find ways to switch off after work and reduce stress. Whenever you catch yourself stressing or worrying, take a step back. You’ll thank yourself for it in the long run.

Looking for more? Check out my ebook ‘The Art of Balance‘ to create healthy habits, avoid burnout and thrive in your business.

What healthy habits are you following in January? Do you have any tips for the New Year? Do you have any New Year’s resolutions?

Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below 🙂

Happy reading x