Automatic behaviors — making coffee, reading the news, playing games on the phone, reading email — make up nearly half of the average person’s daily activities, according to research by Wendy Wood, a professor of psychology at the University of Southern California and author of Good Habits, Bad Habits. “We do the same thing in the same situation almost every day,” she notes. “And we do it without even thinking about it.” Intentionally or unintentionally, you’ve spent most of this past year creating new, often unhealthy, habits.
However, now that the world is back to normal, we have a rare opportunity to reset our habits. Health experts share these 60 ideas. Remember this: the brain needs up to three months of daily repetition to create the neural circuitry that automates a behavior. “But the biggest benefit is in the first month,” according to Wood. “That’s why it’s important to be consistent at the beginning.” Persevere: The habits you create now can be the habits you keep for a lifetime.
Boost your brain health
1. Schedule weekly appointments to exercise. It’s easy to talk yourself out of a workout, but it’s harder when you have a pending commitment to work out with a friend. In general, try to get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week. Those who exercise are 45% less likely to get Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation.
2. Eat a salad every day. Just one daily serving of leafy green vegetables was linked to less cognitive decline, according to a 2017 study by Rush University Medical Center.
3. Have a dessert with berries. Dark-colored ones, like blueberries and blackberries, contain compounds that fight inflammation and help protect the brain. Eating a cup of blueberries every day for six months can also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by 12 to 15%, according to research published in 2019 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Turn plain yogurt with berries into your favorite after-dinner dessert.
4. Get into the habit of drinking green tea, especially if your favorite drink is soda. The researchers concluded that people who drink sugar-sweetened beverages are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease, and some studies suggest that green tea may support cognitive function.
5. Join a book club. Those who exercised their minds most frequently with intellectual activities (such as playing games or reading) were 29% less likely to have dementia during a four-year follow-up period, according to a study of adults aged 65 and older that was conducted in 2018 and was published in JAMA Psychiatry.
6. Try to do something new once a week. Listen to other music, learn a few words in another language, or sign up to attend a conference. Continuous learning is linked to better brain health, and keeping the brain active is linked to a delayed onset of cognitive decline.
sleep more easily
7. Make the bed every morning. According to a survey conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, those who make their beds almost every day were more likely to report a good night’s sleep.
8. Change the sheets every Sunday. Allergens can disrupt sleep. So that they do not accumulate, wash the sheets every week. For reasons of hygiene and comfort, also change the pillows at least every two years and the mattress every ten years, as they can deteriorate over time.
9. Place the alarm clock facing the wall. And place the cell phone face down. Artificial light disturbs sleep. Instead of night lights, keep a flashlight by your bed to use when you need it.
10. Turn on the fan when you turn off the light. You can also invest in a sound machine. Snoring, traffic, and other environmental noises can wake you up at night and make you feel more fatigued and sleepy during the day. The problem can be mitigated with a source of white noise, such as a fan.
11. Enjoy chamomile tea at bedtime. In a double-blind, randomized study conducted by the University of Michigan, those who took chamomile extract twice a day fell asleep 16 minutes faster, on average.
Improves heart health
12. Brush and floss your teeth regularly. Inflammation or bleeding of the gums caused by poor oral health can lead to microorganisms circulating in the bloodstream, which can cause inflammation and heart damage. Older adults who did not practice good oral hygiene were 20 to 35% more likely to die during a 17-year study conducted by researchers at the University of Southern California.
13. Try to do 10 minutes of resistance exercise every morning. That represents a truly healthy week of muscle strengthening. In research published in 2017 in the American Heart Association, women with an average age of 62 who did just 20 to 59 minutes of muscle-strengthening exercises a week were 29% less likely to die during the study 12-year-olds than those who did not exercise. Low muscle strength is linked to an increased risk of death among people age 50 and older, regardless of general health levels. Even cardio doesn’t seem to protect you if you allow strength levels to drop.
14. Add avocado to your meals. Substitute half the butter in baking recipes for mashed avocado, and incorporate this source of healthy monounsaturated fatty acids into smoothies and spreads whenever you can. Substituting these fatty acids for saturated fats can help lower LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol).
15. Walk when you feel like smoking. Smoking increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. When you feel like smoking, put on your shoes and go for a brisk walk and some fresh air. Who knows? Maybe you don’t want to stop.
16. Eat bananas. A diet rich in potassium can help offset some of sodium’s harmful effects on blood pressure. Add bananas to everything from breakfast cereal to dinner dessert to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. While we’re at it, add more sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and oranges.
Get rid of stress
17. Organize one thing per day: the purse, the nightstand or a drawer, for example. You’ll feel like you’ve finished a task, which helps you feel less pressured overall.
18. Take an uninterrupted break every day. Whether at the desk, the kitchen or the terrace, close your eyes and don’t open them for anyone. Even if it’s only for five minutes: you’ll feel great.
19. Adopt a ritual that you look forward to when you feel too anxious. Do something simple, like call a friend, have a cup of tea, play a piece on the piano, or sneak off to read a few pages of a novel.
20. Enjoy a little game time every day. Remember what you liked to do as a child, and do it. Play yo-yo or Rubik’s cube. Go jump rope or swing a golf club. Doodle, build a tower with toy building blocks, fold paper to make origami, or draw with colored markers. Incorporate the fun in five to ten minute intervals to allow the brain to relax.
improve diet
21. Find a way to eat vegetables. Find a salad dressing or sauce that you love: you will want to eat vegetables dipped in it more.
22. Store fruit in the front of the refrigerator. When you bring fruit home, wash it right away and put it in a bowl at the front of the highest shelf instead of storing it in a drawer. As soon as you open the fridge, you’ll feel like eating a little.
23. Separate the nuts into portions. In 2013, a study of adults ages 55 to 80 who were at cardiovascular risk was published in BMC Medicine. It was concluded that those who ate more than three servings of nuts per week were 39% less likely to die from any cause during the next five years of the study. The problem is that we often overdo it and eat straight out of a big bag or can. Separate individual servings in resealable plastic bags to eat only one serving and not five.
24. Think about your health when decorating. If there are chocolates on the table, you will eat them. Hide the less healthy snacks and place fruit and nuts on the table within easy reach.
25. Have a snack before you go shopping. Going to the supermarket on an empty stomach—even if it’s an online store—can make you buy on impulse. Eat something and, while you eat, write the shopping list and stick to it.
26. Drink the fiber. Put some fruit in the blender before it goes bad. Try blending a banana, an orange, and spinach, and adding walnuts for extra fiber and omega-3 fatty acids.
get your shape back
27. Move even if you work from home. With the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us stopped traveling to and from the office, thereby stopping moving. Use that free time to walk, bike or jog. One study found that older women who walked an average of 4,400 steps a day (compared to just 2,700 steps) were 41% less likely to die during 4.3 years of follow-up.
28. Schedule a “stretch timer.” Use the timer to stand up, circulate your blood, and move your muscles once an hour. The brain needs oxygen to be productive, so if that can persuade you to get up and move, go for it!
29. Receive phone calls standing or walking. They are called “mobile phones” for a reason. Every time the phone rings, stand up or go for a walk. It’s an easy way to reduce sedentary activity time.
Limit the use of technology
30. Turn off all phone notifications. According to 2019 research, people in the US already check their phones an average of 96 times a day, so you won’t miss a thing if you don’t get notifications.
31. Establish phone-free zones, starting in the bedroom and during dinner. A review of 290 studies by a Swedish university researcher published in 2018 found a link between frequent mobile phone use and depressive symptoms and sleep problems.
32. When you wake up, don’t reach for the phone. Instead, do something you enjoy: write in your journal, stretch, make coffee, or read a chapter of a book. Get an alarm clock so you don’t have to rely on your phone to wake you up.
33. Turn off all screens one day a week. “For eleven years now, my family and I have turned off all screens for an entire day every week and spent that day doing things we love. It’s our favorite day of the week,” says author Tiffany Shlain.
Improve your relationship with your partner
34. Turn dishwashing into a dance. Pick a chore you both hate and turn it into a late night dance party. Dancing together in the kitchen or anywhere in the house will remind you how much fun the two of you have.
35. Maintain eye contact during dinner. Hold your gaze for 60 seconds. Both of you will be able to find grace, beauty or soul in each other’s eyes.
36. On Friday nights, be thankful. Every Friday night at dinner (or any night of the week), share three things you are grateful for. It’s a wonderful custom that will give you a new perspective on your family members.
conquer loneliness
37. Keep your list of loved ones close. Write three to five names on a sticky note and stick it on the refrigerator or near the computer, or post their photos. In general, we are happier if we feel deeply connected to a few people we prioritize rather than trying to stay in touch with everyone.
38. And communicate briefly and often with your loved ones. One study revealed that even a few ten-minute phone calls each week can reduce loneliness by 20%.
39. Once a week, call a friend you haven’t seen in a while. We often discourage ourselves from calling because we think we’re going to interrupt him or that he won’t feel like talking to us. However, being the one to initiate contact can be a great gift and another way to relieve loneliness. In a study published in 2020 in the journal Heart, men and women with heart problems who reported feeling lonely were twice and three times as likely to die, respectively, a year after discharge from the hospital.
40. Give small gifts. A handmade card, flowers, a good deed, or a photo via text message are examples of ways we can bring joy to ourselves and to those who may be feeling lonely or anxious.
Increase your resilience
41. Spend 20 minutes a day among the trees. That’s exactly the amount of time you need to spend in nature to significantly lower stress hormone levels, according to a 2019 study. Researchers note that spending more time in nature may lower those levels further, but not significantly.
42. Ask what you can do to help. Get in the habit of asking others if you can help. The more you connect with your community, the more support you will receive in difficult times.
43. Keep a “list of things you always wanted to do”. List the things you had to put off over the years for work or starting a family. Then give yourself a deadline to reconsider these goals. Regret can be largely avoided with a little thought and mindfulness.
44. Write a little bit in your journal each day. Keeping a gratitude journal in which you can be thankful for what you have will help you keep perspective in difficult times. At the end of each day, write down three or four things you are proud of, positive traits you learned about yourself, or positive actions you took to take care of yourself that day.
Care your skin
45. Apply SPF 30 sunscreen every day, even on rainy winter days. Don’t forget to apply it to your ears, the tops of your feet, and the back of your neck. Skin can begin to repair itself once you start a routine to protect it.
46. Use a lip balm with sunscreen every day. Lipstick protects women against lip cancer, which is why the disease is more commonly seen in men. If you don’t wear lipstick, use a lip balm with sunscreen.
47. Go out in the morning (or in the evening). The risk of skin damage is greatest between the hours of 10 am and 4 pm Scheduling your outings at 9 am or 5 pm instead of noon can greatly reduce skin damage over time.
48. Spend time looking at your partner’s skin. See if there is any change in her moles. People often find skin cancer from a spot that doesn’t look good. Get to know your own moles and get evaluated if you notice any suspicious changes in shape, texture, color, or size.
limit your vices
49. Give the TV a break. Pay attention to the type of shows you watch and pick a show or movie to watch. When it’s over, turn off the TV and go for a walk or take a bath to rest your mind. The end of the pandemic should be the end of long TV binge.
50. Do not be so impulsive when buying online. Delete your credit card information from websites where you shop frequently. Digging through your wallet to pay for an impulse purchase adds another step that gives you more time to consider whether the item is really necessary.
Protect the environment
51. Store leftover food in glass containers instead of plastic. Plastics often contain harmful chemicals—such as bisphenol A and phthalates—that can leach into food and harm your health.
52. Choose fragrance-free products. If your household cleaner or air freshener says “fragrance,” you might want to throw it out. If the ingredients are not listed, the product likely contains harmful chemicals that are carcinogenic. Also, invest in a HEPA filter to purify the air in general.
53. Put plants in your home. Plants not only look beautiful, but there are many types that can improve air quality, such as bamboo palm and English ivy.
54. Choose organic fruits and vegetables when possible. By opting for organic produce, you reduce your exposure to pesticides. Organic foods can also be more nutritious than conventional foods.
Improves gut health
55. Try natural treatments for constipation. Over-the-counter laxatives can interfere with nutrient absorption, an increasingly important problem as we age. Look for ways to get more fiber and foods that are natural laxatives into your diet: kiwi, plums, and rhubarb are all good options.
56. Stop eating artificially sweetened gum. In some people, foods sweetened with sucralose or fructose—such as mints or sugar-free candy—can cause abdominal pain and cramping, bloating, gas, or diarrhea.
57. Practice diaphragmatic breathing. Stress or anxiety can make digestive tract problems worse. Try to breathe deeply in order to expand the abdomen. This exercise activates the autonomic nervous system and reduces the sensitivity of the digestive tract to various stimuli.
58. Place a stool in front of the toilet. The idea is to raise the knees above the hips to be in a more squat position. This straightens the lower part of the colon so that you can move your bowels more easily.
Maintain flexibility and improve posture
59. Check your posture once an hour. Sit or stand with your feet flat on the floor. Look straight ahead, roll your shoulders back and down, and tuck your chin in slightly. Hold this position for a count of five. Do it several times throughout the day. This way you will get used to maintaining a healthier and more upright posture.
60. Change the way you carry items. The goal is to distribute the weight equally on both sides of the body. When carrying bags in your hands, it’s best to have a similar amount of weight on both sides to maintain an upright posture. If you wear a backpack, put on both arm straps to spread the load evenly. You should avoid carrying a heavy bag on one shoulder. If you lean to the side or forward, you are carrying too much weight.
Our panel of experts
Yuko Hara, director of Alzheimer’s and Aging Prevention at Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation
Dr. Rachel Salas, Associate Professor of Neurology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Dr. Kien Vuu, performance and longevity specialist and author of Thrive State
Sharon Gilchrest O’Neill, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based in Westchester County, New York
Marco Borges, Founder of 22 Days Nutrition, New York Times Bestselling Author and Exercise Physiologist
Kelley Vargo, Certified Personal Trainer and Professional Trainer at the American Council on Exercise
Dr. David Sabgir, cardiologist and founder of Walk With a Doc (WWAD), a national non-profit organization
Tiffany Shlain, author of 24/6: Giving Up Screens One Day a Week to Get More Time, Creativity, and Connection
Andrea Dindinger, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based in San Francisco
Shasta Nelson, friendship expert and author of The Business of Friendship: Making the Most of Our Relationships Where We Spend Most of Our Time
Mike Bayer, personal mentor, host of the Evolving With Coach Mike Bayer podcast, and author of One Decision: The First Step to a Better Life
Kaitlyn Lyons, Executive Wellness Advisor, host of a course called Powered by Play that teaches adults how to play
Dr. Eva Selhub, author of Resilience for Dummies
Dr. Susan Chon, Professor of Dermatology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Louis Iacona, co-founder and director of marketing for Laguna View Detox addiction treatment center
Julie Jolzet, licensed psychologist based in New York City and member of the Psycom editorial advisory board
Dr. Mark Hyman, founder and director of the UltraWellness Center, director of strategy and innovation at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine, and author of The Pegan Diet
Dr. William Chey, Professor of Gastroenterology and Nutritional Sciences at Michigan Medicine
Efrat Cohen, physical therapist at ProPostureUs Physical Therapy, based in Brooklyn
Aaron Heller, Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Miami
Nicole Pajer writes on health topics for The New York Times and other publications
Nicole Pajer writes about health for The New York Times and other publications.
