25 healthy habits that will change your life

Are you ready to get healthy? Just try adding a few of these healthy habits into your daily life.

We all want to feel better and develop a healthy lifestyle. Nowadays, it seems like everyone is constantly trying (and failing) to lose weight and feel healthier. In today's modern world, we are increasingly relying on caffeine, alcohol, and technology to make it through the day. Now, all of those things have a place in life(in moderation, of course), but wouldn't it be great if adding just a few healthy habits could make you feel better?

I've put together a list of twenty-five healthy habits that you should try to incorporate into your life. These healthy habits are behaviors that are good for your mind, body, and soul. Adding a new healthy habit is easy; it doesn't take a large commitment or a huge amount of work. There is no fad diet here, no extreme workout. Simply trying to incorporate a few new healthy habits into your life can make you feel so much better, healthier, younger, and happier.

>> How long does it take to form a new habit?

25 amazing and easy healthy habits and how they can change your life

It actually doesn't take a lot of work to get healthy and feel better. Nor does it take a long time. Just add a few of these small and simple healthy habits into your daily life, and notice how much more energy you'll have!

1. Get more (high-quality) sleep - This is one of the most overlooked health tips. We all know that the human body is supposed to get eight hours of sleep every night. So many people think that they can function just fine on less. Sure, you can live on less than eight hours, but having a real full night of sleep makes the world of difference in your health and energy levels. 
2. Wake up earlier - It's hard to wake up early, but once you adjust your body to an early morning, you'll feel healthier, more energetic, and more productive than ever before. There is really no such thing as a "morning person" or a "night person". Anyone can change and adjust their internal clock. Even waking up half an hour earlier every morning (and not allowing yourself to sleep in too late on the weekend) will give you more time to be less rushed and more productive in the morning. >> How to wake up earlier and feel better throughout the day.
3. Cut back on caffeine - I'll admit it, I'm addicted to caffeine. Caffeine is literally a drug. It is an addictive stimulant, and it's readily available and a huge part of our lives (especially for those of us who work in an office). Now I'm no fan of complete abstinence from caffeine. In fact, I'm a believer that moderation in all things makes life happier. Instead of cutting out caffeine completely, just try to limit your intake. Switch from coffee to black or green tea, or add an occasional afternoon cup of decaf. When you cut something out completely, it's easier to "fall off the wagon" so to speak and binge. Instead, aim for moderation. After all, who doesn't love a nice warm coffee? >> How and why to cut back on caffeine
4. Cut back on alcohol - Just like caffeine, alcohol is a drug. And it certainly has its place in our social lives (as long as you enjoy it in moderation. Studies point to some health benefits of alcohol, but there are just as many, if not more, downsides of drinking alcohol. Again, I will never recommend abstaining completely from alcohol (unless you struggle with alcoholism) but instead encourage you to try cutting back. Try to give yourself a goal of going one or two months without a drink and see how much better you feel. When you cut back on drinking, your skin will look younger, you will sleep better, and you will have so much more energy.
5. Add exercise to your daily routine - No, you don't have to go to the gym if you don't want to. Even going for a 10 minute walk in the morning or afternoon will have a positive effect on your health (mental and physical). While it can be hard to find the motivation to exercise, once you have done it for a few days, you'll be amazed  at how much more energy you have. Just don't overdo it! Learn how to make going to the gym a habit.
6. Find a hobby that you enjoy - Fun is an essential part of life. We humans need fun in our lives in order to thrive. Too many people think that adults can't have fun. They think that they don't have the time or money to enjoy a hobby. That's just not true! A hobby can be something as simple as sketching or painting watercolors, which requires very little investment. Pick up a Frisbee and visit the local disc golf range. There are plenty of hobbies that you can do that require very little, or absolutely no investment.
7. Read one book every month - A healthy mind leads to a healthy body. Sadly, too many adults haven't read a book since High School English class. Reading has a ton of benefits, though. It can help you to become inspired and motivated. It can help you learn new things. Or, it can provide you hours of entertainment. The trick is finding the right genre or author that you enjoy. You don't have to read stuffy old "classics". Fiction, romance, horror... every book you read will benefit you. Try reading a mix of fiction and non-fiction. As a matter of fact, why not try re-reading some of those stuffy old classics? You might be surprised how much better they are when you are not being forced to read them for class (and nearly all of them are free in e-book form on Amazon). >>Re-train your brain and your attention span to read more.
8. Study philosophy - Ok, ok. I know what you're thinking. But bear with me! Reading philosophy, even just a little bit, can stretch your mind in ways that you never anticipated. Today, philosophy is more accessible than ever, and most, if not all, of the classical philosophical texts are available online for free. Philosophy allows us to consider the human condition and to put our own lives in perspective. It's a very healthy habit to develop, even if you only read a passage or two from some of the great thinkers of the past.
9. Meditate - Meditation doesn't have to be a hippy-dippy new-agey sort of thing. You won't have any sort of out-of-body experience. You won't suddenly discover the secrets to life. But meditation does have lots of very real benefits. Sit quietly and comfortably. Close your eyes. Relax. Try not to think at all. You can find plenty of guided meditations on YouTube. If that's not your thing, just put on some relaxing music and try to clear your mind. Meditation helps the body to calm down. It helps you to lower your blood pressure, reduce stress, and slow your heart rate. Clearing your mind can also help you focus on your feelings, and help you think about the things in your life that are really important. Try to add even a five-minute meditation session into your daily routine. This healthy habit can be added first thing in the morning, or as a way to calm down before bed. Try these beginning meditation tips and learn why you should meditate daily.
10. Take the stairs - Unless you work way up in some tall sky scraper, you don't really need to be taking the elevator every day. I have a rule: I will take the elevator if I'm going up more than five floors. If it's under five floors (unless I'm carrying something or chatting with a friend or colleague), I'll take the stairs. Even walking a few flights of stairs is good for your muscles and cardiovascular system. Cultivating healthy habits is all about finding little, easy things that can accumulate into very big, real results.
11. Go screen-free - Turn off the TV and computer. Shut down Netflix. Put away the phone. Give yourself one or two hours before bed where you promise not to look at a screen. Is it harder than you thought? Many of us nowadays (myself included) have developed screen addiction, a very real phenomenon. This healthy habit is hard. It's a lot harder than I thought it would be, and I still struggle with it. The light from your screen, and the constant stimulation from electronic devices stimulates your brain. It's harder for the brain to relax and slow down. Our quality of your sleep is greatly affected by our use of electronic devices. We can offset this by going screen-free for at least one hour before bed. Put the phone away, make a cup of herbal tea, and read a book instead. Your sleep quality, and consequently your energy levels, will improve drastically.
12. Switch to smarter snacks - Hide the cookies and chips. Modern processed foods are so loaded with fats, sugars, and oils that they are literally addictive. Many times, we snack because we are bored, not because we are really hungry. When you find yourself reaching for a snack, ask yourself if you would be just as happy eating a large carrot or apple. If the answer is no, you aren't really hungry. Instead of hitting up the vending machine for a daily snack, try making substitutions a new healthy habit. Try some almonds or cashews instead, or have a piece of fruit (even something exciting like a dragon fruit or purple mangosteen) when you are craving something sweet.
13. Take a break - Our bodies and minds aren't meant to sit in front of a computer at a desk all day. Take a 15-minute break every few hours (walk to the restroom, make a cup of tea, go get a drink of water). If you can, walk outside and breathe in some fresh air. A short break is the best way to defeat the 3pm slump.
14. Enjoy a cup of tea - Study after study keeps showing the incredible benefits of tea. Drinking tea instead of coffee is an awesome healthy habit to develop. Tea is lower in caffeine than coffee, has no calories, and is full of antioxidants. On top of that, a hot cup of tea can improve your mood and make you feel more relaxed, alert, and happy. Make a new habit of taking a  tea break halfway through the day. >> Why you should be drinking more tea.
15. Take a break from the news - Let's face it: the news is depressing. Now, I think it's important to be informed. There is nothing worse than ignorance, and we need to know what is going on in the world around us. That being said, however, sometimes the news can pull us in, and all of the bad news around the world can start to affect us. It can make us anxious, stressed, cranky, and upset. Take a break. Give  yourself a few days every few weeks where you allow yourself to ignore the news for your own mental health.
16. Teach yourself a new skill - One of the best healthy habits that you can develop is to make yourself a lifelong learner. Never stop learning! Just because you are out of school doesn't mean that you have to stop learning new things. Try picking up a new skill. There are plenty of resources online or at your local public library where you can learn almost literally anything for free. When you are constantly learning new things, life will feel much more rewarding.
17. Cook for yourself - Try to teach yourself one new recipe every month. Too often we can get into a habit of eating out at restaurants, taking food to go, or ordering in. This can get expensive fast, and it just allows you to eat less healthy food than you would otherwise. Cooking at home isn't difficult. It is not expensive, and it doesn't have to take a long time. In fact, if you make meal prepping a new habit, you can do all of your cooking for the week in one day, and enjoy your healthy and cheap homemade meals throughout the week. There is no such thing as a bad cook, there is only an unpracticed one.
18. Wake up with a cold shower - Save your relaxing hot shower for bedtime. Wake yourself up with an ice-cold shower first thing in the morning. It's unpleasant. It's horrible. But you'll feel great! Once taking a cold shower becomes your habit and your routine, you'll notice how good you feel. Cold showers are good for your immune system, your hair, your skin, and your energy levels.
19. Eat more spices - Spices have a ton of health benefits, and we don't eat as many as we should. Spicy foods are great for your immune system, but even if you don't enjoy spicy foods, you can still learn to enjoy different spices. Turmeric, for example, is one spice that has been in the news lately for its incredible health benefits. It's also readily-available and tasty in a variety of dishes! >> Can spices help you lose weight?
20. Put things away - Don't dump things on the floor. Don't let your dirty clothes pile up. This is a hard habit to break, but once you do, you'll have more time, energy, and space. A clean home makes a clear mind. Make sure that every belonging you own has a dedicated space, and make sure it goes there. It's a lot easier to put your clothes in the hamper as soon as you change than it is to spend the time picking up piles of clothes off of the floor. Stay tidy now to prevent yourself from having to tidy up later.
21. Give up soda - Earlier on, I mentioned how you shouldn't have to completely cut out caffeine and alcohol. I wrote about enjoying these things in moderation. I don't feel the same about soda. Is it hard for you to give up soda? You might be addicted to the sugar! Even diet sodas aren't good for you - they stimulate the parts of your brain that crave sweet things and make you overeat later. Once you decide to go cold turkey from soda, giving it up completely and switching instead to water, tea, or seltzer, you'll notice an immediate difference. Even if you only drink soda occasionally, cutting it out of your life will cause you to lose weight quickly and feel much healthier. Try these healthy alternatives to soda instead.
22. Drink more water - Hardly anyone drinks enough water. We are almost all dehydrated without even knowing it. Have a big drink of water first thing when you wake up in the morning, and keep drinking throughout the day. Staying properly hydrated is more effective than caffeine! Hydrated skin looks much more healthy, and a hydrated body feels great.
23. Moisturize and use sunscreen - You really should be using a moisturizing sunscreen every day. Yes, even the guys! Use a light sunscreen to protect your face from harmful (and aging) UV radiation. Prevent wrinkles and look much healthier by taking care of your skin.
24. Floss your teeth - How many of us actually floss (unless we are going to be visiting the dentist later that day)? Flossing your teeth has been shown to correlate to a reduced risk of heart disease, dementia, and cancer. Taking a few extra seconds a day to take care of your teeth could literally add decades on to your life. >> The amazing benefits of flossing your teeth regularly can make you live longer.
25. Stretch in the morning - Stretching helps the body wake up, and helps increase blood flow throughout the body. Offset some of the effects of sitting at a desk all day by loosening up the muscles in your shoulders. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of great stretching and yoga routines on YouTube that you can follow. Stretching in the morning can help you feel much better throughout the entire day.

Getting healthy doesn't require a lot of work. It just requires small changes in your routine. Try to add one or two healthy habits into your life. See what works for you, and how much better you feel when you begin living a healthier, happier life.