Welcome, welcome, HUGE welcome back to Venti Fashion! Can you believe I was away from blogging for an entire year? The extended break was unplanned, so I couldn’t be happier that we are done with 2022. So, I had to come back at the top of the year with a blog post chatting all about the wellness and healthy habits you can start today to reset your life. (Speaking of a reset, how gorgeous is the new blog design? More on that in a future post.) Now, let’s get into why you clicked on this post. Time for a reset!

The 5 Healthy Habits to Start Today

Yes, it’s cliche to “new year, new me” your way into 2023, but you know what? I love it! The first step towards an improved life is just to get started, so kudos to everyone who takes the opportunity to reset at the beginning of the year. There’s something incredibly refreshing about turning the page not only to a new year but to a new year that falls on a Sunday. The year beginning on Sunday kicked my healthy habits into gear from day 1 since I typically like to introduce new routines at the top of the week. As much as I enjoy flexibility throughout the day, I thrive when I can bookend my mornings and evenings with a consistent routine. Incorporating these 5 healthy habits into my day or night routine has helped me mentally prepare for and reflect on each day.

1. Drink fresh juice in the morning

Kickstarting your morning with a bottle of fresh juice is an easy way to get your day on the right track. Swapping out my usual coffee a few times a week with green juice has been a staple habit of mine for the past few years. These days, my weekly morning drinks typically look like this:

• SUNDAY: Water with lemon and cucumber
• MONDAY: Cold-pressed green juice (usually Green Aid from Whole Foods or Mean Green from Revolucion SA)
• TUESDAY: Decaf iced coffee with oat milk and sweet creme creamer
• WEDNESDAY: Cold-pressed citrus juice (usually Citrus Refresh from Whole Foods)
• THURSDAY: Decaf iced coffee with oat milk and sweet creme creamer
• FRIDAY: Cold-pressed green juice (usually Green Aid from Whole Foods or Mean Green from Revolucion SA)
• SATURDAY: Caffeinated iced coffee with oat milk and sweet creme creamer

If you’re in the market for a juicer and would prefer to make your own at home, I recommend the Kuvings brand. Both my sister and I have this juicer because it’s slow masticating, easy to use, and quick to clean. She’s much better about making juice at home than I am, which is why I’m carrying this healthy habit into the new year. Need a recommendation for the perfect juice? Below are the go-to ingredients for our favorite green juice:

• Apple 
• Cucumber
• Celery
• Ginger
• Lemon
• Kale or Spinach

You can always pick up cold-pressed juice from smoothie bars or grocery stores if you don’t have a juicer. This has been my go-to method out of sheer convenience for the past few years, so this year I’m planning to up this healthy habit by making more of my juice at home. If you are still getting there, Whole Foods has some of my favorite fresh options, and they often have $4 off 4 bottles. Pressed Juicery and Revolucion (if you’re in San Antonio) are my picks for juice bars. The Suja brand also makes a few flavorful options and is widely available at Target and local grocery stores. 

2. Read more books

Since 2020, I’ve made considerable strides in picking up hobbies that are truly relaxing and not things that I’m interested in monetizing. Even though I’ve read books in the past, I often found myself only reading productive books related to blogging or self-development. As a result, last year I didn’t read a single book. My brain was already in overdrive since it was a hectic work year, so the last thing I wanted to do at the end of the day was read a productivity book. 

That said, I love self-improvement books so I don’t see myself totally ditching them. Instead, I’m splitting my reading time between fiction and non-fiction books…but more on that in a future post. My reading goal this year is small compared to book lovers, but an attainable challenge for me:

• Read 6 fiction books this year
• Read 6 non-fiction books this year
• End the day with a book at least three times per week

If you are lacking in the reading department, start small and use some of these available tools! 

• Goodreads is a super helpful site for setting a yearly reading goal, tracking your progress, and making a wishlist. 
• Libby is an amazingly cost-effective way to read AND support libraries. It’s a free app that you can use to check out ebooks and audiobooks from your local library. All you need is a library card!
• If you haven’t read any books in a LONG time, social media is honestly a great way to get some recommendations. People tend to look down on “BookTok” being a thing in stores. Still, those books are more leisurely reads, so they’re great if you aren’t yet interested in reading and want a good entry point.

3. Get dressed for the day

It’s so easy to fall into a pattern of throwing on whatever T-shirt you can find and an old pair of workout pants; however, getting dressed for your day can make such a huge difference! Even on your lazy days or days when you’re working from home, the easy habit of throwing on a matching cozy lounge set can boost your mood. 

One of my absolute favorite sets is from PrettyGarden, a brand I found on Amazon. I previously posted the loungewear on LTK when I bought it for the second time. Guess what? I have purchased yet another color since that post and plan on buying two more colors to complete the week. What can I say? It is the perfect lightweight loungewear you can wear at home and head out to run errands. Of course, you can (and should) wear actual clothes on some days, but a happy compromise with cozy loungewear on your lazy days still counts as a great effort. So, why should you get dressed?

• It can be a form of self-care to put time and effort into your looks.
• Getting dressed for your day adds a sense of structure to even your lazy days.
• If you work from home, it can help separate your working and non-working hours.
• Your outfit can reflect your attitude. When you look put together, you feel put together.

4. Write in a gratitude journal

One of the newest habits I’m still forming for the new year is to write in a gratitude journal. This healthy habit is perfect for you if:

• You had a rough year and want to find positivity in the day-to-day.
• You want to start journaling but only have a little time or need to know what to write.
• You like to reflect on positive things that happened throughout the year when the year ends.
• Your mind often races with a million different thoughts when you’re just trying to go to sleep.

So, how is a gratitude journal different from a standard journal? This can vary depending on which one you purchase, but generally: 

• Gratitude journals are much more specific and only require 5-10 minutes. 
• Rather than being a blank journal or one with random prompts, each day has the same task for you to complete.
• Gratitude journals are for the sole purpose of writing what you are grateful for. 

The one I am using this year is digital and has a morning and night section. I purchased it from Etsy and loved the digital format for this activity. It’s super easy to grab my iPad mini and spend 5-10 minutes in the morning (and before bed) just setting up and reflecting on the day. I’ve tried blank journals before and may eventually return to them when I have more I want to write about. Still, I prefer the gratitude journal as a way to bookend my day. 

5. Move your body more 

Of course, I must mention working out when writing a blog post about healthy habits! Before you roll your eyes, don’t worry! I’m not going to the extreme and saying you need to go from 0 to 100 just because it’s a new year. I don’t need to go into why exercise is excellent for your mental and physical health, but I will stress that it doesn’t always have to be so intense. So, what can you do to move your body more without burning out in the process?

• Start small! Take the Atomic Habits approach and incrementally evolve your workout goal (by time or distance, for example) after you’ve formed the habit of simply showing up. 
• Break up your workout throughout the day into smaller chunks if you have a busy schedule and limited time. Make your ordinary day more active to squeeze in healthier actions without thinking about it. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, stand up and move around each hour if you have a desk job, park farther from the store, etc.)
• Trick your brain into making workouts fun by finding what you love. Put on an upbeat playlist and dance! Get your family involved with a friendly competition, or try gamified workouts like RingFit on Switch or Lanebreak on the Peloton.

Last year, I couldn’t work out for the majority of the year for various reasons. As a result, I’ve definitely lost the ability to do long or strenuous workouts. If you’re in the same boat, don’t let it get you down! Be gentle with yourself and meet your body where it is. This year, I’ll take it slow and remain patient as I work my way back up to longer workouts. Moving your body more can translate to any form of exercise, so my advice is to be kind to yourself and find what works for you. Even in small doses, working out can do wonders for your mental health. Remember, it’s all about working on yourself from the inside out!

Bonus: Spend time with the people you care about

A bonus habit I’m writing in because I was on the phone with one of my best friends while editing this post is to nourish your relationships! It isn’t something you traditionally think of when looking for healthy habits for the new year, but being present and available for your loved ones can help boost your mood! I prefer to be left alone when I’m going through something or very stressed out because I can’t fake a good attitude and don’t want to bring the energy down. As a result, I didn’t see my favorite people last year as much as I needed. This year, I want to be more intentional about spending time with the people I care about and finding wellness hacks to deal with stressful times.

Those are just a few healthy habits I’ve added to my new year, and I already feel happier. But, of course, we’re only in week 2 of the new year, so the key is to keep the momentum going even when it’s hard! So, what healthy habits do you plan to try out?

Love this post? Support the blog by pinning and sharing it on social with your friends!