January is a great time to try and develop healthier habits. Doing so presents the opportunity to reap various physical and mental benefits. One of the main ways to achieve these benefits is through eating well and eating regularly, however this can be difficult to achieve giving the complexities around some people’s relationship with food and diet. Where you can, it is important to consume a diet full of vegetables, fruits, and nutrients to improve day-to-day health, wellbeing, and mood.
The NHS state that fruit and vegetables should make up just over a third of what we eat daily but most people are still not consuming enough. The reason why we should eat more fruit and vegetables is because they are a good source of vitamins, minerals, and fibre, which are needed for our brain and body to stay well (NHS and Mental Health Foundation). Eating a combination of fruit, vegetables, beans, and probiotics is also important for gut health. The gut and brain are closely connected so your gut can reflect how you’re feeling, e.g., nervous, excited, so in times of stress, your gut can speed up or slow down (Mental Health Foundation). Poor eating habits can impact gut health emphasising again the importance of a healthy diet, but sleep and exercise also have their part to play (Berman, 2024).
Being active through a range of exercises can help people lead a healthier and happier life where there is reduced risk of serious illnesses including coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and cancer (NHS). The NHS also state that exercise lowers the risk of early death by up to 30%. Furthermore, exercise is a good way to manage stress and improve your mood, energy, and self-esteem. There are many different exercises you could try including walking, cycling, dancing, yoga, Pilates, cardio, and weightlifting, amongst several others. It is important to go at a pace that suits you but that also pushes you so that you achieve a moderate to vigorous intensity workout to feel more benefits.
To achieve better sleep, it is vital to have a good sleep routine. This means having a set time to wind down of an evening – this may involve reading, listening to music or a podcast, or doing sleep meditation – and going to bed (as well as getting up) at fixed times (NHS). Creating a sleep routine is therefore focused on developing good sleep habits and a sleep environment that is right for you in terms of noise, lighting etc.
Lastly, remember to stay hydrated by increasing your daily water intake to improve digestion, focus and skin health.
Overall, making small, practical changes to your day-to-day lifestyle from improving your diet to enhancing sleep hygiene is important for positive mental and physical health and wellbeing. So, why not try some healthier habits this January and get more knowledge and information around diet, sleep, and gut health by reading the following articles:
- Benefits of Exercise – NHS
- Diet and Mental Health – Mental Health Foundation
- The Eatwell Guide – NHS
- Gut microbiome may influence how we handle stress – Berman
- How to fall asleep faster and sleep better – NHS