15 Healthy Habits To Start In January
Are you ready to embrace a healthy lifestyle this year? Here are 15 healthy habits to start in January to kick the year off with a bang!
Hi there! I’m Chantal. I’m a mom, NASM-certified personal trainer, nutrition coach, and the owner of this site. I’m also the creator of the online nutrition course designed to help you stop yo-yo dieting and finally master mindset for sustainable weight loss.
It’s nice to “meet” you!
I don’t know about you, but this time of year I’m always reflecting on what I could do better and what I’d like to accomplish in the new year. But while I am a big health and fitness topics and have a lot of knowledge in that area, I still struggle with daily healthy habits and sticking to my goals.
It’s not that I don’t have any healthy habits; it’s more so that I struggle with choosing just a few to prioritize and tend to go down a rabbit hole of trying to overhaul my life too quickly when I want to change.
Then, as the year goes on, I typically struggle with consistency and motivation, and I appreciate the ability to be inspired by others. If that’s relatable to you at all, today’s article is definitely for you.
We all need a little inspiration and motivation sometimes. So let’s jump into some healthy habits to start in January so we can all start the year off right.
P.S. I highly recommend that you choose three or four realistic habits to embrace, not all of them! Trust me, I have crashed and burned a lot, and trying to overhaul your whole life in one month will simply not work. 🙂
15 Healthy Habits To Start In January
1. Start Your Day Earlier
If you want to have more time to accomplish great things this year, it’s probably a good idea to start your day a little earlier. (I’m talking 30 minutes to an hour each day.)
Why? Because many of the things you don’t feel like you have time for right now can be easily accomplished in just a few minutes per day. In fact, many of the healthy habits in this list are going to require a little extra time. If you want to move more, eat healthier, read more, stretch, journal, etc., it is going to take planning.
So make one of your priorities for the new year to get up earlier consistently.
Pssst! I made these cute printable habit trackers to help you solidify these daily rituals.
2. Get Moving Early
Getting your movement in earlier in the day (before 10 AM) is not only a great way to ensure that it will actually happen, but it sets a positive tone for your entire day. (This is especially true for those of us who struggle with mood disorders or ADHD.)
When you release those feel-good hormones early on in your day, you will be more productive, happier, and more energetic. So set the goal to get some movement in right off the bat, even if it’s only 20 minutes.
3. Eat a Protein-Rich Breakfast
Protein is incredibly underrated, and most people simply aren’t getting enough of it. If you are struggling with fitness or you are in your thirties or beyond, you absolutely must try increasing your daily protein intake. (Muscle mass begins to deteriorate at a higher rate beginning in your 30s.)
However, while I suggest increasing your overall protein all day, it’s super important to eat a protein-rich breakfast daily. Aim for 30-40 grams of protein in the morning to leave you feeling full longer, to keep your muscle mass high, to deliver essential amino acids, and to increase your daily caloric burn.
(Protein takes more energy to digest than carbs and fats, so you not only stay full longer, but you burn calories while doing it!)
4. Set a Daily Intention
Each day can feel pretty meaningless if we don’t know what we’re trying to accomplish. So why not set a daily intention (it can be mental) to help you stay focused and positive each day?
It doesn’t have to be overly specific or difficult. This can be something like, “Today I will be kind to my body,” or “Today I will be less distracted by putting my phone away.”
Whatever you choose, keep it simple. Of course, there are some days that your daily intention might be to stay alive and make it through the day without crying (or is that just me?), but hey, that’s human.
5. Incorporate a Daily Walk
Did you know that a short walk can lower cortisol (stress hormones) and improve your whole mood? It’s science! So find a way to enjoy the fresh air and move your body daily with a walk, even if it’s just for ten or fifteen minutes.
If you’re not sure how to make this a habit, focus on finding a time that makes sense for you. After dinner or during your lunch hour might be the best times – just attach it to another thing you already do every day. (This is called “habit stacking.”)
6. Start Reading Regularly
Reading is also a great stress reliever, but it’s also important if you want to focus on personal growth. Did you know that they’ve studied super successful people, and one of the main things they had in common was regular reading?
It’s true! We can learn so much from books (and other people), so why not embrace regular reading as part of your routine?
Every December, I love to make an Amazon list of 12 books I’d like to read and I order the first two or three as a gift to myself. Then, I work down the list throughout the year so that I can stay inspired and motivated by others. It has really worked for me (Rich Dad, Poor Dad really changed my life!) and I encourage you to try it.
7. Focus on Nutritious Meals
Most people have health and fitness-related goals in January, and I am no different. However, ever since my long battle with imbalanced hormones and high estrogen, I have prioritized nutritious foods instead of counting calories or being a certain size.
I have a TON of articles to help you if you are interested in focusing on nutrition this year, and I even have a whole online course dedicated to helping women clean up their nutrition and get really educated on the topic.
8. Drink More Water
Drinking more water can feel like a chore sometimes, but it is a super simple healthy habit to start this January. Water is critical to cellular and brain health, and you need it to flush out toxins and stay healthy.
To make it more fun, go ahead and treat yourself to a new Stanley water bottle or another cute tumbler as motivation. 🙂
9. Practice Gratitude Breaks
Gratitude really can shape your entire day (or month and your entire personality, really), so it’s important not to save all of your gratitude for November. 😉
Seriously, your mental health and those around you would greatly benefit from you adding gratitude to your list of healthy habits to start in January!
There are some cute gratitude journals on Amazon, but I highly suggest keeping it simple. All you need to do is spend five minutes of your day writing down three things you were grateful for that day. It really doesn’t need to be hard!
10. Have a Healthy Evening Snack or Tea
I don’t know about you, but the evenings are my toughest when it comes to being healthy. (My unhealthy habits really tend to shine after 5 PM, lol.)
So the challenge is to add a healthy habit that will distract or take away from an unhealthy one in the evening. The idea is that you swap one healthy choice for an unhealthy one.
For example, have a cup of herbal tea instead of reaching for caffeine or a sugary drink. Or, try having a small bowl of fresh fruit rather than reaching for Oreos or some chocolate. You get the idea.
11. Limit Screen Time Before Bed
This one is tough, especially in the winter months. Still, excessive screen time before bed can negatively impact your mood and your sleep quality. That’s partially because blue light increases brain activity and makes it harder to fall asleep.
So what to do? The first thing is to put your phone, computer, or tablet away earlier in the night. I suggest putting them away 30-60 minutes before you want to sleep. Of course, you’ll need to find something else to do during that time instead, so grab a book, journal, puzzle, or do some stretching.
Here’s a quick yoga routine to do before bed to help you relax!
12. Develop a Skincare Routine
If you are a mom or just someone who tends to neglect yourself, this could be a great healthy January habit to add to your wishlist. (Developing a skincare routine isn’t vain or selfish; it’s loving and healthy.)
It doesn’t have to be high-maintenance to be effective, and I think you’ll find that it will improve your mood and self-worth in subtle ways. It really can be simple. Think cleanse, moisturize, nourish.
13. Start Journaling
Journaling and reflecting help you stay accountable and on track, regardless of whether your goals are health-related or not. It helps us analyze what’s working and what isn’t, as well as get our feelings out on paper.
I journal in some form almost daily, even though some of my journaling is in a Google Doc. (Lol.)
14. Prioritize Quality Sleep
You already know that sleep affects your mood, but poor sleep also affects your hormones. If you want to really focus on health this year, it’s important to know that if your hormones are off, your ability to cope with stress will be low, and your chances of losing weight will also be low.
So, how do you get better sleep? My tips are to keep a clean bedroom, go to bed at a consistent time, start going to bed a little earlier if you can, and keep your phone out of the picture in the middle of the night.
15. Set a Weekly Self-Care Ritual
Self-care goes way beyond skincare because it’s mental and emotional as well as physical. Of course, I can assume that if you’re reading this article, self-care is at the top of your list of things to embrace this year, so that’s a definite step in the right direction.
Anyway, the gist is that you should be taking care of yourself a little more! If you’re not sure how, here are some ideas for an epic self-love day, and here are some ideas for super-simple self-care you can do at home.
16. Try Something New
Staying the same is a disease and a lie. Humans need to try new things to feel alive and be happy – it’s just a fact! If you do nothing else this month, I implore you to try something new (and it doesn’t have to be complicated).
You can keep it as simple as trying a new food, or you can put yourself out there and try a new fitness class. You can try basically any other new hobby, but here are some healthy hobby ideas I highly recommend for women.
17. Be Kind to Yourself
Before I go, here’s one more healthy January habit I want to encourage: self-compassion and patience as new habits develop. As a personal trainer (and human), I have seen people with the best intentions crash and burn when they try to change too much of their lives at once. These things take time!
You should keep things realistic and be kind to yourself to avoid that. It’s tough to do that sometimes, but it really is important.
Final Thoughts On Healthy Habits To Start In January
Before I send you off to start these healthy January habits, I want to reiterate the importance of not overdoing it and taking things slow. True, lasting change takes time!
So pick a couple of realistic habits from this list, and just focus on those. You can add more once you feel like you’ve mastered one or two things. Take it slow and remember that habits can take weeks and even months to develop.
Keep going, you’ll get there!
If you’re ready to take things a step further and want extra support with simple, realistic nutrition, be sure to check out my Ultimate Nutrition Printables Bundle. It’s packed with easy-to-use tools to help you stay on track, feel confident about your food choices, and build healthy habits!
Until next time,
Chantal from Ironwild Fitness
