11 Tips For a Healthier Happier You

Want to be a healthier happier you? Here are 11 tips for becoming the best, healthiest, and happiest version of yourself again!

Let me start by saying that I know firsthand what it means to completely lose your way in life.

When it comes to being healthy and happy, we all go through seasons where things just aren’t great.

When life throws you curveballs, learning to stick things out can be really tough!

Typically, our health and personal happiness is the first thing to take hits when we’re just trying to make it through.

Personally, my biggest struggles were with getting through rough pregnancies, transitioning to motherhood, and pretty severe postpartum depression.

That’s the short version – you can read more about that experience in this post about fighting postpartum depression.

It can take actual years to recover from traumatic things, friend!

My online nutrition course for women is now OPEN!

Becoming stronger, happier, and healthier

But the good news is that a healthier, happier you isn’t totally out of reach.

I’ve given you the totally condensed version of how I lost myself, but now that I’m on the other side of it, I want you to know that you have the power to change your circumstances.

Becoming a healthier happier you is within your power – you just have to take action.

So, how do you become the healthiest and happiest version of yourself?

If I’ve learned anything about life in general, it’s that every single problem can be a learning experience.

The key to kicking butt in life is to learn a little bit more every day and keep your chin up.

Related Reading: 7 Ways To Get Yourself Out Of A Funk

Don’t sweat the small things and focus on the positive. But that’s easier said than done, right?

Today I want to give you 11 actionable ways to become a healthier, happier you. Let’s get to it.

11 Tips For a Healthier Happier You

1. Think of ONE Good Thing

You know that awful, terrible thing that happened to you? I would be willing to be that it somehow made you stronger or taught you something important.

Think of one good thing that came out of a bad situation. (I promise you there is something.) Once you think of that thing, maybe you’ll think of another.

Do this with everything in life. Pretty soon your perspective will begin to change and you’ll slowly become happier. I promise.

2. Learn To Forgive Yourself

Okay, this is one of those healthy habits that sounds cheesy, but it works wonders.

You’ve made mistakes – we all have. But you were young. It was your first (or maybe second?) time doing that!

Forgive yourself – but not before thinking of one good thing that came of it. (It’s the best thing to do!)

If you make mistakes like the rest of us and you let them get you down, it’s time to get really good at forgiveness really fast. We are all human and we all make mistakes.

But the difference between happy and healthy people and people who are miserable is that they don’t dwell on things. I see this with fitness all of the time.

You had a bad day and you overate? So what? The only way to “lose” is by throwing in the towel again. You become healthier and happier when you move on quickly.

3. Start Your “Hot Girl” Walks

If you think that this is just for the physical activity, listen up.

Did you know that even 10 minutes of walking can give you the mood-boosting endorphins to feel better (and happier)?

Studies show that walking works wonders for your mood and stress levels, which can also impact your energy levels. So make sure to get outside for a short walk as often as you can.

Hey, if TikTok and Instagram are obsessed with this trend, it’s probably for a good reason, right?

It’s simple – if you want to find a healthier happier you, start walking outdoors more often. It’s not just for your physical health! 🙂

Related Reading: 25 Easy, Must-Try Self Care Ideas For Moms

4. Forgive People From Your Past

Honestly, this one applies to people that might be in your life now, too.

If you really want to improve your mental health and enjoy the present moment, this is a great way to do it.

Forgive people who have mistreated you or caused you some sort of pain in the past – whether or not they’re in your life now.

I can almost guarantee that this “forgiveness thing” is going to help you be happier and healthier.

When you address those deep-seated emotions and forgive people for their mistakes, it can have a freeing effect that is SO empowering.

I know it can be hard to forgive people, but letting go might just be the ticket to a healthier and happier you!

I’d be willing to be that someone very specific came to mind when I brought this one up. That person (or those people?) need forgiveness. Bless and release, girl.

5. Set Some Non-Scale Goals

For the most part, I’ve addressed mental and emotional aspects of getting healthier so far.

Now it’s time to set some goals related to your health (but not the number on the scale).

The idea is to *NOT* dwell on your weight. I’ve learned that focusing too much on a number can seriously backfire when it comes to being health and happy.

This has been true for basically every female client I have worked with, and it’s possible that you need to switch your focus, too.

But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be working on some sort of health & fitness goals.

I have a huge list of non-scale victories I suggest celebrating here, and that could be a good source of inspiration for you.

But just in case you don’t understand what I mean just yet, here are a few examples:

You set a goal to break your running mile-time record instead of a weight goal.
Make a goal to lower blood pressure, eat a balanced diet, or fix up your sleep habits
Set a body fat percentage goal instead of a scale goal.
You set the goal to work out at least 100 times (for a minimum of 30 minutes) in the period of a year.

The idea is to switch your mentality from being obsessed with the scale to challenging yourself in other ways. Try it out!

6. Try Something New (And Exciting)

I feel like we all have something that we always thought to ourselves, “That would be fun to try someday,” but just haven’t.

Some people want to go skydiving (I would never). Some people want to take a hot yoga retreat. Some people want to summit a crazy-big mountain.

Trying new (and sometimes scary) things is key to feeling alive and well, happy.

Getting into too many draining and repetitive little routines in life is a surefire way to burnout.

Want to find a healthier happier you?

Try something new. Try something exciting. Get your heart rate up a little. And do it often.

Seriously, just learn something new every now and then!

Related Reading: 7 Healthy Hobby Ideas For A Happier Life

7. Find Accountability

Do you have someone to talk to when you’re feeling down or unmotivated? Is there someone in your life who can call you out when you’re playing the blame game in life?

If you have the tendency to play the victim in your own life, constantly finding excuses as to why you can (or cannot) do something, it’s time to find some accountability.

Not everyone has someone close that they feel like they can talk to, and sometimes it’s best to talk to someone who you aren’t so close to.

You can find accountability groups for just about anything online (especially on Facebook) and you can also find them when you simply ASK.

That’s right, ask friends and family to help you with your goals. Need a workout buddy? Need a motivational business mentor? Ask for one!

You’ll never know if you don’t try – and maybe others have no clue what you’re going through.

I promise that asking for help (even in small ways) is going to help you along the way.

8. Practice Gratitude

I’m sure you’ve already thought about this one, but I’m also sure that we could all use the reminder every now and then.

Because mindset and emotions are everything you should definitely focus on the good things more than the bad.

For some, that might mean spending time with a gratitude journal every morning.

It might be a simple prayer, or it might be as elaborate as sending “Thank You” notes to everyone who is special to you.

However you do it, remember that focusing on the good more frequently is going to benefit your health & happiness.

Remember, gratitude can play a really important roll on your journey to a happier version of yourself.

9. Ditch Things (and People)

I don’t mean to sound cruel, but some people and things are just downers in life.

Every so often (maybe every 6 months to a year), take some time to reflect upon what’s working – and what isn’t.

Is your job sucking the life right out of you? Is your cell phone ruling your life? Is your one friend from high school a gossiping drama queen?

What about that one coworker who is always talking crap about everyone when you’re together?

In order to stay happy and healthy, you have to regularly reassess your life. If you need to make lifestyle changes, do it!

Don’t remove things (or people) that bring you joy or are highly valuable, but just consider their place in your life.

Do they still work for you? Hmm. Maybe not.

Related Reading: 7 Easy Ways to Revamp Your Exercise Routine

10. Learn How To Set Boundaries

Boundaries are hard, aren’t they? Sometimes they need to be set in situations and with people and we don’t even realize it.

I can think of a few in my personal life, and I’m glad that I’m slowly wising up and setting boundaries so that I can be healthier and happier.

Here are few boundaries I’ve had to set in the last couple of years:

Don’t ask me to skip a workout to make other plans if I haven’t already met my weekly goal
Don’t assume that I have nothing going on just because I work from home
Don’t ask me to eat junk food on a random Tuesday when you know I have health goals
Don’t ask me to stop everything I’m doing to help you with a silly errand or favor just because you know I have a flexible schedule. I got goals, man!

Phew. How do you tell people that you want to be a little more selfish (without actually saying that)?

So many of us women are just way too nurturing and generous with our time, and it can be so emotionally draining. We need to set limits!

Find a nice way to tell the people that are abusing your time and efforts to kindly back off. 🙂

11. Keep On Learning

This is a really important way to live healthier and happier.

It’s trustworthy advice, I promise.

First, learn yourself. Your habits, your patterns, your triggers, your deepest desires, your strengths and weaknesses – it’s all important.

Learn more about yourself and deny everything that isn’t you. Become the truest version of yourself and start saying no to everything that compromises that.

This can be really hard to do when you’re young (I’m in my 30s now and feel 20x more authentic than I did even 5 years ago).

So what to do?

The most important thing is to keep learning, keep working on mindset and personal development and continuously reflect upon your life.

Remember when I said that you should be reassessing and reevaluating every so often? This will always be true if you want to keep your health & happiness on the right path.

Read all of the books, write in alllll of the journals, listen to the podcasts, keep exercising, do your research on things that matter to you, and most of all – just keep going.

Pretty soon you’ll be well on your way to a healthier happier you. I promise.

Related Reading: 10 Best Bodybuilding Nutrition Books

That’s all I got, friends! I hope this article inspires you on your journey to a healthier, happier you.

Now – no more wishful thinking. Go out there and get stuff incorporate new habits!

Best of luck,

Chantal

PSST! Come hang out with me on Instagram!

11 Tips For a Healthier Happier You

But the good news is that a healthier, happier you isn’t totally out of reach.