Over the past five years, I’ve read dozens of books related to habit formation and routines. Everything I read pointed to the importance of incremental change. So I made a big list of 52 small healthy habits to improve my physical and mental health. These 52 healthy habit improvements add up to a year of big change.
Most of these habits on their own don’t require too much effort. But each time you choose a healthy habit creates a stronger resolve to make healthier choices in other areas.
Fun Ways to Implement Small Habit Changes
To provide some structure around habit improvement, you may choose to focus on one particular habit for a period of time. This list was curated with the intent of focusing on each positive action for one week.
Weekly Habit Focus
Each Sunday, choose a new habit to focus on for the week ahead. When the week is up, evaluate whether this change is beneficial and either continue or discontinue what you’re doing. This is a very small commitment, but it will cause you to carefully consider which habit improvements are most important or useful to you and to maintain a focus on your overall health and well-being.
You may choose to follow through on some of these habits all year long, while others can be a priority for shorter periods of time, or fit into your schedule on a less frequent basis. For example, a few years ago I began drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning, and that has stuck with me as a daily habit. On the other hand, keeping a food journal was something I did for a week, but I no longer do daily. It’s still a valuable habit to bring back from time to time, but not one I personally want to focus on every day.
Monthly Habit Focus
Alternatively, focus on making one habit change for a month at a time. You’ll spend more time solidifying a habit, while still allowing you to work on a dozen healthy habits within the span of a year. Choose twelve of the habit improvements listed below and deliberately work on one each month.
21-Day, 30-Day, or 100-Day Challenges
Choose a habit to work on, choose a time frame, and challenge yourself to change your behavior. You can start anytime you like and do as many as you wish in a year.
Read: 30-Day Challenge Ideas to Try This Year
Partner Up
You may find it helpful to have a buddy to provide accountability and support when working on habit change. Recruit a friend or family member to commit to building the same healthy habit and have a weekly check-in.
Don’t try to change everything at once…just start small.
List of Weekly Habit Improvement Ideas
NOTE: Some of these habits involve physical exercise or food intake. Please be smart and check with your doctor before trying any new or unfamiliar fitness plan.
1. Water first
Drink a glass of water when you first wake up.
2. Good posture
Remind yourself every morning to focus on your posture. Put a post-it note on your computer, set an hourly reminder on your phone, whatever helps you to think about sitting and standing tall – shoulders back, head up.
3. Deep breaths
Take 10 deep breaths each morning before you get out of bed.
4. Morning pushups
Do 10 pushups each morning after you get up.
5. Journaling
Start a journal. Write something every day. There are numerous ways to journal. Use it as a record of your life: what happened, favorite moments, funny things your kid says. You could write a stream of consciousness rambling of your deepest thoughts. Or, use reflective journal prompts to spark your creativity or answer specific questions.
6. Eat your veggies
Fill half your dinner plate with a green salad every evening. Eat your salad before any other part of your meal.
7. Watch the sunrise
Get up early and make a point to watch the sunrise. If you like, combine this with writing in your journal, taking a walk, or savoring a cup of coffee.
8. Work out while you watch TV
Every time you watch TV or Netflix, do a mini workout. Aim for at least 10 minutes of activity. It can be as simple as jumping jacks, high knees, lunges, squats, planks, pushups, wall sits, or calf raises. Just get moving!
9. Goal setting
Think about one goal that you want to accomplish. You don’t have to wait till New Year’s to set a goal! Now think about how you would advise a friend to go about accomplishing this goal. Start writing out a detailed step-by-step plan to achieve your goal. Revise and add to this plan every day this week.
10. Try healthy new foods
Eat a fruit or vegetable that you have never tried before.
11. Focus on the positive
Every day, write down or record (video) the best thing about your day.
12. Water before lunch
Drink a glass of water before you eat lunch every day.
13. Jumping jacks
Do 20 jumping jacks every morning.
14. Take movement breaks
Any time you’re sitting in one place for an extended period, make sure to stand up and move regularly. Every 30 minutes, stand up, stretch, and walk around for 3-5 minutes.
15. Go meatless
Eat at least one meatless meal every day.
16. Identify your top three tasks
Every evening this week, make a list of your three most important tasks for the next day.
17. Stop procrastinating
Think about a task you’ve been procrastinating (cleaning out your car, making dental appointments, cleaning makeup brushes) and schedule it into your calendar.
18. Dance party
Turn up the music and have a dance party in your living room!
19. Lay out workout clothes
Lay out your workout clothes before bed. Put them on first thing, and don’t take them off until you’ve exercised for at least 15 minutes.
20. Get outside
Take 5 minutes to go outside and look up. Watch the clouds float by, stargaze, or watch the wind blow leaves off a tree. Just take a few minutes to breathe in the beauty of nature.
21. Tell someone you love how much they mean to you
Tell someone you love three specific things you admire or appreciate about them. Even better if you put it in writing!
22. Music in the morning
Turn on some upbeat or positive music and sing along while you get ready in the morning!
23. Prep for weekly activities
Sunday night, look at your calendar. Prep for your activities for the whole week. Pack kids sports bags, find their “superhero day” outfit for school spirit week, pre-pack a bag with non-perishable snacks to keep in the car, anything that will make your week a little less hectic.
24. Connect with someone
Send an email, text, or even a handwritten note to a friend or family member you haven’t connected with in a while.
25. Delay satisfying a craving for 15 minutes
Every time you feel a desire to eat something unhealthy, tell yourself you can eat it in 15 minutes. If you still want to eat it 15 minutes later, ask yourself why you want it. Consider this question: will I regret eating this 15 minutes from now?
Many times you’ll forget about it after 15 minutes, and if you have to think carefully about why you want it, you may decide it’s not worth it. By putting obstacles in your own path and thinking deliberately about what you’re eating and why, you’ll find yourself making unhealthy choices less often.
26. Take off your makeup
Remove your makeup every night before bed and moisturize your face.
27. Give a sincere compliment
Pay a sincere compliment to someone every day.
28. Record your accomplishments
Every day, write down something you are proud of having been part of or accomplished.
29. Look up from your phone
Focus on giving a friendly smile and hello to people around you instead of keeping your eyes on your phone.
30. Visualize your day
Each morning when you get up, visualize yourself going through your day. Think about your choices of food and drink, interactions with family and others, and how you want to feel at the end of your day.
31. Eliminate one unhealthy food
Pick one food that you know is unhealthy (but you eat almost every day), and determine that for this week, you will not eat it. Willpower is a muscle that gets stronger with use.
32. Implement positive self-talk
Come up with one negative thought you struggle with often. Replace that thought with a positive one. Write it down and keep it somewhere you’ll see it (post-it on your computer, reminder on your phone). For example, “I could never do that” becomes “I can learn how to do that.” Or “I should be more…(productive, healthy, positive)” can become “I’m working to become more…”
33. Keep a food journal
Keep a food journal. Write down every thing you eat and drink all week.
34. Work on being a good listener
One day this week, ask someone how they are doing—then really listen. Ask follow up questions and make them feel heard.
35. Learn something new
Take a class or learn something new. Here are some places to find wide-ranging classes and interesting thoughts:
- Creative Live
- Academic Earth
- MasterClass
- Skillshare
- Coursera
- Big Think
- The Mind Collection
- The Marginalian (formerly Brain Pickings)
36. Create a healthy breakfast habit
Plan to eat the same (healthy) breakfast every day Monday thru Friday—one less decision to make
Read: Big List of Breakfast Ideas
37. Count your blessings
Every day this week, write down one thing you appreciate about your life.
38. Go to bed 15 minutes earlier
This week, go to bed 15 minutes earlier than usual every night.
Read: Better Sleep Cheat Sheet
39. Set a shut off time for devices
Every evening this week, turn off your devices by 9pm.
40. Eliminate unhealthy liquids
Drink only water, tea, and black coffee (no juice, soda, or alcohol) this week.
41. Listen to something new
Listen to music you don’t ordinarily listen to—expand your musical horizons.
42. Read out loud with your kids (or spouse)
Start reading a chapter book out loud with your kids. Even older kids and teens can enjoy a great book together. If you don’t want to do the reading yourself, choose an audiobook.
Younger kids are easy, but I promise, even grumpy teens will enjoy listening to the right story. Keep trying. My kids have been engrossed by Red Scarf Girl, Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry, The Hobbit, Number the Stars, and many more. Do a quick search for “read aloud ideas for teens” and start a list of books you think your kids might like.
43. DIY continuing education
Watch a YouTube tutorial to increase your knowledge of something you regularly use: specific technology or software, DIY home improvement, work processes or social media.
44. Remove distractions from mealtime
Set aside your phone, book, laptop, and any other distractions while eating. Focus on enjoying your meals and paying attention to what you are putting in your body.
45. Give encouragement
Write your kids, spouse, or a friend a note every day this week. You can use a template similar to this: Monday – a favorite family memory; Tuesday – a personality trait you admire in them; Wednesday –a specific recollection of something positive you observed them doing; Thursday – a hope for their future; Friday – a funny story about when they were younger
46. Learn some fun facts
Visit The Fact Site and learn something new every day this week.
47. Turn off the TV
Go TV-free this week. You can do it!
48. Cook something new
This week, try a recipe you’ve never tried before. Bonus if you use an ingredient you are unfamiliar with.
49. Squats before meals
Do 20-40 squats before every meal this week.
50. Celebrate happy memories
Think back to your childhood and write down three favorite memories.
51. Stretch every day
Start by reaching for the sky every morning. Do a quick regimen of stretches each morning to wake up your mind and body.
Read: 7-Minute Morning Stretches
52. Learn a useful life skill
Think of a practical life skill you would benefit from knowing (e.g. change a tire, jump-start a car, sew on a button, fix a squeaky hinge, back up your computer files) and watch a YouTube tutorial on how to do it.
Read: 140 Life Skills to Prepare Your Teen for Adulthood
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Tools to Help You Stick with Healthy Habits
Printable List of 52 Healthy Habit Improvements
I created a helpful list of all 52 healthy habit improvements for your easy reference. You can print the list and check off the ones you implement week by week.
Join my mailing list below for access to my printables library, where you’ll find the free printable download of 52 small habit improvements, along with many more resources to help you organize your home life and homeschool.
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Big List of Healthy Habit Ideas
