What a healthy habit you started which improved your life?

[C1239]

Looking for some inspiration - what is a good/healthy habit you started and noticed and improvement in how you felt from it?

I quit caffeine about 20 years ago as I realised it gave me insomnia.
About 10 years ago (when I was 30 ish) - started wearing a proper sun hat with a brim as soon as the weather was warm enough not to need a warm winter hat.
About 7 years ago I started wearing SPF 50 on my face & neck, & chest if I go outside at all. Even in winter. I'm 41 & have absolutely zero wrinkles or lines. I've also recently started wearing a hand cream with SPF in, in sunny weather.
I generally try to keep processed foods to a minimum. I never eat UPFs.
I also started putting a vegetable oil or beeswax based lip balm & hand cream on before bed every night. No more dry cracked lips or sandpapery hands, it's lovely.

Also, I started Dukan at the beginning of April & I'm already 10lb down.

Two things -

Stopped being so hard on myself, has improved my mental health hugely.

Joined the local health club with DH a few months ago, we don't go excessively, usually an hours badminton and a go on the treadmill at the weekend and a couple of "swims" midweek for me. I should really swim, but instead I sit in the jacuzzi or lie on the hot bed . We both feel a bit healthier and it's nice to find something to do together now the children are old enough to sort themselves out..

Cut out caffeine. I was already low caffeine (only had caffeine at work) then was furloughed so went cold turkey as only decaf at home. I really haven't looked back. I feel so so much better for it.

Transcendental meditation course. I did the course online and am completely shocked that I'm doing it everyday and look forward to it.

Paying attention to macros and not just calories. I feel so much fuller now that I’m eating more protein.

Increasing my steps. In lockdown I was often below 500! Now, I aim for at least 10K.

I started walking with a friend during lockdown and we’ve kept it up. It’s really done me good, both mentally and physically, and I certainly feel better for it.

we walk about 5km every day and at a brisk pace.

Great ideas here

Awww love this 😊 away to do all of these 🤣

My water intake is horrific. There are days (like today) where the only water I have consumed has been in cups of tea. I’m going to do the 2L thing first of all.

The one healthy thing I do is running, have always liked it. Bizarrely out of all the running comments on here no one has mentioned parkrun. It’s almost a bit ‘🙄’ due to how often people talk about it now, especially since everyone became a runner in lockdown but if you’re just getting into running I would one million per cent recommend going. You’ll go once and think it was ‘okay’, but the key is to try and go every week for a couple of weeks. It very quickly becomes additive to try and beat your previous time. I love that you’re not in competition with anyone but yourself and everyone is really just running round to try and beat their own time 😅

*addictive even

Taking Echinacea and Vitamin D as immune boosters way back in 2015, before I had surgery.
The rest of the family have colds etc while I (smugly) seem to avoid!

Walking the few miles home from work instead of a bus.

Quit drinking sweetened drinks of all sorts. I do occasionally drink one...we're talking about 5-6 a year. Making NO change but that, I've dropped 45 pounds in two years.

Realising that a little exercise was better than no exercise so instead of saying ‘I don’t have time for an hour so there’s no point’ I just started doing fifteen/ twenty minute runs every day. A lot of me putting it off was psychological but most people actually do have fifteen minutes. And as time went on I was able to make it more a priority and stretch the time out. And whenever I can’t, I don’t beat myself up for only doing ten minutes or whatever. because it’s all better than nothing.

logging it every day was very good psychologically too.

Page marking as some excellent ideas

Also a big one as sleep is an issue for me: Sleep mode on phone from 10pm and also keeping phone in a drawer at night time to resist urge to check the time if I get up for a wee at night.

Biotin and earlier bedtime on weekends. No more feeling knackered on Monday mornings.
Also, getting back into the habit of reading every day, which is something purely for me.

@TAKESNOSHITSHIRLEY wow! As a fellow coke addict you have given me hope!
I'm 2-4 cans a day full sugar (despise diet /zero sugar ones).

I start to feel physical sick around 4pm if I've not had a can, do you still crave it?

Yoga
Singing in a choir

5 - 10 minutes stretching and gentle dynamic movement as soon as I wake up.
3 litres of water daily.
50+ SPF everyday on my face/neck.
Screens off at least 30 minutes before bed and 15 - 20 minute meditation.
Stopping outlook notifications on my phone for work emails - have to open the app to see any emails.
Blocking out times in my diary for regular "get up and move" breaks and blocking out from 4pm (I start early).

Being kind. It’s free and gives great rewards.

Taking that extra moment to help someone with their shop into their car, carrying groceries, running a quick errand for my elderly neighbor, etc etc etc.

It helps them & makes them feel good and it does my heart good. Win-win.
Plus I like my kind self.

Wow @TAKESNOSHITSHIRLEY. What are you doing with the extra £150 saved each month?

Yoga every day even if it's only 20 mins.
I love the idea of the Ballet Movement class a PP mentioned. I'm struggling with yoga after an accident.

I quit drinking alcohol a while back and I feel great for it.

Remembering to take an iron tablet and b12 supplement. I was aneamic and I didn't realise, it's day and night I am no longer foggy, exhuasted, forgetful. Its just great I feel so alert.

Walking. I bloody hate running and I feel like a prat, so started walking more with my dog. Feel great getting some fresh air and I can use the really long walks to justify a treat at the end of the weak.

Stopped drinking all fruit juice. I never drank fizzy drinks but I used to drink loads of cordial and cartons of juice. Didn't realise I was consuming so much sugar. I stopped completely and swapped for water or herbal teas. I love herbal tea, if you have had a few bad ones keep trying they are really hit and miss but so comforting calming when you find one some you like.

Getting less stressed. I realised everything is better when I care a bit less what people think. And don't trust to micromanage what my family are doing. Realised I was stressing over trivial things. It's a bad habit I think we all get in. Now I just allow the thought/feeling/worry. Accept it. Then let it go and move on.

Taking magnesium glycinate everyday, has improved my sleep and anxiety no end.

Best habits:
Started running regularly in 2009 and still love it. Run every day.

Cut out carbs and started 16:8 during lockdown and lost 8kg post babies weight. Have stayed same weight since, still doing low carb and intermittent fasting.

Next goal: cutting out alcohol to weekends. Enjoy a daily glass or 2 at the moment and not a good habit to have developed!