These 10 healthy habits to start following today, aren’t what you think they are. We usually associate the word healthy, with fitness and weight loss, so when we think of the habits that will lead us to that, we immediately think of workouts, early mornings or salad eating. While those aspects are important, is not all of what healthy means.  Overweight and disease is the consequence of bad habits, but sometimes the root cause is deeply indebted into our minds and paradigms.

The pandemic hit with no warning. We were well into it, and doubts and desperation clouded our minds. A lot of us are still trying to figuring it out. I confess that I was not part of the society that “improved” their life during quarantine. I did not write a book, create an empire or loose weight. Instead, a part of me shut down. I stoped. I plunged into Netflix and instagram stories. It numb me. To get me out of that state, I started following these 10 habits which helped me to see beyond my worries and  heal my body and mind.

1. Give thanks every morning and every night

Gratitude is a habit that helps to see beyond the worries of the day. No matter what you are going through, you come back to what matters. Start and end your day with a prayer thanking God or the Universe for the gift of life. It is a miracle. Gratitude will return you with a positive outlook of life.

No matter how hard the day is or was, look for the good things, like your ability to breath, your health, your house, food in your table, internet to be reading this, and so on. You will learn that you have more solutions than problems and way more blessings than half of the world population. That has to count for something! Take your favorite journal and write at least three things you are grateful at the beginning of everyday and at the end. I promise, this healthy habit it will change you from within.

You can also, start your day with a gratitude prayer. Here I can loan to you my morning prayer until you write yours:

Thank "God/Universe" for another day. I thank you for everything I have given for granted. My job, because there are people who are desperate to get one, and I have been bless with the opportunity to have this one. My house, because, there are people today that are losing theirs, or that do not have one and desire one badly. Sometimes, I tend to only see the problem at hand and not the broader picture, thank you for the opportunity to own a home. Thank you for my family. The ones that I still have with me, and those that are not longer here. Thanks you for the time I spent with my mommy, granny and grandpa. I know that we are here on borrowed time. Thank you for the time you gave me with them, it was perfect. They made me the person I am today. I still miss them everyday, but I miss them because of the measure of the immense love we shared. Thank you, for the various opportunities you have laid down in my path that have led me to the place where I am today. Thank you, for my life. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

2. Forgive Yourself

I am a perfectionist at heart. I it is because of how I was raise. Even more, as Brené Brown mentioned in The Gift of Imperfection,  this feeling of perfectionism is a response of our fears, especially the fear of failure, so in everything I do, I try not to fail. And it is exhausting, as failure is part of learning, part of life.

So, every time I am actually wrong or un-perfect, I tend to punish myself, and my reaction is to not do or say anything until I am certain that I am right or create the best possible outcome. Just imagine the things I did not learn because I was afraid of asking the questions…

Additionally, I strive for public retribution. When the public does not respond to what I expected, then it comes punishment and regret. Instead of forgiving me, I reprimand me.  

Truth told, it has affected my job, my studying, my personal life, my blogging and my dreams. I procrastinate due to the stress of not seeing the outcome I envisioned, I get stuck in finding the way to do it perfectly and as a result I don’t complete anything.  To let go of that feeling, I had to learn to forgive myself and stop wanting perfection and public acceptance.

How to Do it

So lest’s start this healthy habit of forgiving ourselves, and not punishing us. Be merciful with the most important person that there is in your life, you. To help with that lest’s practice the following: 

1. Ignore other people’s opinion. Most of the time we cannot forgive ourselves because that feeling of shame that comes from the fear of what the other people will think of you, the back talk. Ignore the powerless feeling uninvited comments have on you. Your validation does not come from
2. Remember always, is ok to fail. Failure is part of living and learning, if you don’t fall you don’t learn to walk. The best way for you to learn this is to repeat it to yourself everyday, write down in your journal or notebook, in the fridge notes, in your room ceiling, its ok of fail.
3. What is the worst thing that can happen? A mentor once told me, ask yourself, what’s the worst possible outcome and imagine yourself in it, create the feeling in you mind, so that before hand, if the worst happens, you know the feeling and that it will be ok.

3. Meditate

Take some time during the day and meditate. It can be early morning before the start of the day or really late after work. This will help you manage better your stress levels, help you to have less anxiety and more control over your emotions. This healthy habit tends to be a cornerstone habit, as learn in the book by James Clear, Atomic Habits, there are habits that will make your life change radically if you start doing them consistently.

The book, The Miracle of Mindfulness, by Thich That Hans, known as the father of mindfulness, gives practical guides and exercises that will help you learn how to meditate and find peace in your inner self and everyday chores. It is a very short read with 160 pages and each chapter is a teaching from personal anecdotes.

4. Enjoy your meals

Don’t rush to lunch, take your time. Enjoy your lunch break. If you can get away from your office place, do it. Go and take some air. If you have enough time, take a walk around the block, this will help with your digestive process and help avoid the “after lunch” sleeping feeling.

Why should you do this? Because at this time you have been 4 to 5 hours sitting, having meetings, completing tasks and dealing with work “issues”, your mind is already tired, and it will help your look at whatever you have been doing into a different perspective. You need the energy this break will give you to be able to finish your work day.

For weekends, take it slow and drink some wine. Romanticize your breakfast and meals. Enjoy every moment with your love ones, because family and friend usually gather through food. There is nothing better than the joy of a full meeting with family and friends, where you can talk, laugh and catch up with everyone. You need this, the more you can enjoy it the better your mood and self-esteem will feel.

5. Spend some time without technology (Do a Digital detox)

As a beginning entrepreneur, I believe in the power and reach that social media gives. In the personal level, I am benefited on how technology today help us to connect with friends and family everywhere.  Yet, as known in popular believe, everything in excess is bad. And sometimes our society or even just our circumstances lead us to these excesses.

Create this healthy habit for a weekend every month. Complete a digital detox and connect with friends and family the old way. Take a camping trip, print various recipes and cook, walk, talk, visit friends instead of chatting and just calling. At the end you will be even more connected to those you love and will have improved your mental and physical health.

6. Read more

Nurtured your mind and read an educational or spiritual book that relates to a current situation you are dealing, or simple because you want to learn something different. It will give you topics to discuss in social meetings, and help you clear your mind from every day life. Instead of putting Netflix as the champion of your leisure activities, add a space for this healthy habit and give a book the first place for at least one weekend every month.

Following I share the list of my favorite books to read even on repeat for years, you always learn something new even with the same book.

My favorites books on repeat for personal development:

1. In the Company of Women: a Collection of Interviews by Grace Bonney, with women who dared to dream from every possible background and ages.
2. The subtle Art of not giving a F*ck by Mark Manson: Not too much to explain here, the title says it all. Summary, you are happier if you do not care what other people said about you.
3. The Gifts of Imperfections: As always Brené Brown’s ability to write from research and personal experience, that will change you forever. (I also recommend to watch her TED Talk’s)
4. The Power of Habits by Charles Duhigg. Honestly, without this book I would have not changed my life. Maybe the science backing it up, or the way it was written. But I have read this book, over and over, and every time I change something in my life.
5. Limitless: Upgrade your brain, learn anything faster and unlock your exceptional life by Jim Kwik. As the author described it in an interview, the book that will unlock all the others
6. The Rod to Character by David Brooks, I purchased this book after reading the introduction pages in a bookstore: “You foolishly judge other people by their abilities, not by their worth. You do not have a strategy to build character, and without that, not only your inner life but also your external life will fall to pieces.” At that moment, my life was falling apart, so the phrase resonated with me.

7. Stop for a moment and watch the sunset or sunrise

The best canvas to admire is hidden in God’s work, which He lovingly updates every day for you to enjoy at every sunset and sunrises. Stop and admire. Is all you have to do to feel rejuvenated and loved. As simple as that. After a few days and weeks you start doing this healthy habit, you will start to feel more grateful and full of life that ever.

8. Stretch every morning

Stretch, your body needs it. Specially if you work sitting all day. This will inject energy levels rapidly every morning. New born babies stretch to teach they muscles and joints to grow and to gain strength. This is a natural process immerse in our DNA. Why to stop when adult? You will be missing these top benefits:

• Decrease muscle tension,
• Improve posture,
• Reduce stress level, and
• Improve circulation in your body

There are various ways you can introduce this healthy habit into your routine starting by doing 15 minutes of yoga (you can follow through various apps like AsanaRebel or Yoga Studio) or simple doing basic stretching exercises like standing hamstring, lunges, triceps stretch and others, which you can find in YouTube channels.

It will fuel your day with energy, clean your digestive system and prepare it for your day meals.

9. Do just 30 minutes of workouts every morning

Yes I know, I wrote that these 10 healthy habits where not about exercises and eating, but it certainly helps to clear you mindI know if you’re not used to wake up early in the morning, this will be a difficult one to follow, but think of the multiple benefits early work-outs will do to your health, body, mood and energy levels:

• Endorphins levels will rise and will have better mood and a more positive attitude
• Continued to burn calories throughout the day
• Feel more energetic
• Lose weight
• Improve B12 levels hence increasing your memory ability
• Help with your circulation level

In Robin Sharma, The 5 am Club: Own Your Morning. Elevate your Life, includes 20 minutes of exercise as part of the 20/20/20 Formula for every morning routine. Why? Because it will give you the necessary energy and strength to focus of what’s right for the rest of the day, it will help you to maintain you positive outlook in life.

10. Eat more veggies and fruits

A lot is said about the dangerous consequences of eating too much processed food and bad fats, specially the one found in fried oil. From increasing your probability to suffer from cancer to heart attacks due to arteries blockages, just adding some veggies to your diet can do wonders, just like the saying goes, ‘one apple a day, keeps the doctors away’:

• Increase your fiber intakes hence it could improve your circulation reducing blood cholesterol, bowls movements and slowing sugar absorption
• Adding vegetables with potassium will improve your blood pressure, muscle strength and cardiovascular system.
• Decrease the risk of stroke, cancer and diabetes.

To make eating more vegetables a healthy habit, you do not have necessary to eliminate anything in your life, but if you start adding them to your diet, you will start to feel fuller, and you body will want more of it. Don’t eliminate the old, but the new will help your overcome the old!

Closing thoughts

Implementing these 10 healthy habits into your daily routine can have a profound impact on your overall well-being. By starting with practices such as gratitude, self-forgiveness, meditation, mindful eating, digital detox, reading, connecting with nature, stretching, exercising, and incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your diet, you can nurture your body and mind in a holistic way.

Remember that small changes can lead to significant transformations over time. Embrace these habits one step at a time and watch as they positively influence your physical health, mental clarity, and emotional state. Prioritize self-care, listen to your body, and make conscious choices that support your journey towards a healthier and more balanced lifestyle.

Have you enjoy this 10 healthy habits? What other healthy habits to you follow in your life? Which one do you think will be the easier to start? Tell us how do you think you can start implementing them in you life!