A healthy and balanced lifestyle requires dedication, patience and discipline.

How we balance the demands of relationships, work, passion projects, and other responsibilities can determine how we feel— physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Are you looking to start a brand-new exercise regime? Are you looking to make changes to your nutrition and sleep habits? Are you looking to level up in your relationships and career path?

You’re capable of making changes in all of these areas to become your healthiest and most successful self. So, where do you start?

Start small!

Here are 15 simple, practical ways to take better care of yourself.

1. Create A Calming Evening Routine

Set yourself up for a wonderful night’s sleep by establishing a consistent evening routine. Some of my favorites: reading, drinking tea, taking a hot Epsom salt bath, lighting a candle, meditating, practicing yoga, or writing.

2. Rest Well

Sleep is critical for your health! Get yourself better levels of sleep by aiming for 8 or more hours a night and creating a quiet, calm space where you can rest. I love incorporating essential oils into my bedtime routine, too.

3. Create an Energizing Morning Routine

Skip the snooze button and wake up in a way that helps you feel refreshed and excited for the day. I like to kickstart my morning with an inspiring podcast or uplifting music, stretching or a great workout, a big glass of water, a healthy breakfast, and a reasonable amount of coffee ;)

4. Fuel Up

Set the tone for your nutrition for the day by energizing with a nutritious and satisfying breakfast. There are a lot of healthy breakfast recipes to try. Consider having a protein, carb and fat to balance out your meal.

5. Move!

Find a type of exercise you love, and stick with it! Also be willing to change up your routine to help your body grow stronger. Diversity of movement is a great way to stay motivated and find a balance of strength and flexibility.

6. Make Working Out Fun and Engaging

Take a class you’ve never taken before, or try a video on YouTube. Sign up for a new sport by joining a rec team in your local area. Check out events or competitions. You could try the 30-Day Squat Challenge with a friend or family member. Run a 5K. Give yourself permission to be new at something and have fun in the learning process!

7. Get Outside

There’s nothing quite like fresh air, time in nature, and vitamin D from plenty of sunshine. Getting outside every day, even if only for a 10 minute walk, can do wonders to boost your mood and help you increase circulation and energy in the body.

8. Cook at Home

There are many benefits from cooking from scratch. You can choose nutritious options, save money, and create meals that satisfy you and meet your dietary needs. Cooking from home and taking time to meal prep can also help with time management if you have a busy schedule.

9. Hydrate

Hydration is a key to health and most of us need to drink more water than we are. Great hydration helps your sleep, digestion, athletic performance, and energy levels.

10. Take Breaks

It can greatly reduce stress and improve mental focus if you choose to switch off a bit more. Take a break from screens, give yourself a moment to breathe, take a short walk. You’ll come back to your work and be able to complete the rest of your day feeling refreshed.

11. Meditate

Start small—maybe 5 or 10 minutes a day. There are a lot of great meditation apps and YouTube videos that can help you launch your meditation practice. Two very simple techniques: body scanning (notice sensation in the body) or count the breath (inhale for 4, exhale for 4). Keep it simple.

12. Do Things You Love

What things do you love to do most in life? Whether it’s cooking, reading, playing a certain game, spending time with family or friends, or doing any certain hobby, make time for it. You deserve it! Do the things that bring you calm and joy and see how this boosts your spirit and helps with your mental health.

13. Laugh

We’ve all heard the saying, laughter is good medicine. As it turns out, this is quite true! There are proven health benefits of laughter. Having fun and making time to laugh, play, kick back and enjoy ourselves can bring a great deal of joy to life. Make time for laughter.

14. Be Mindful of Your Energy and How You Share It

Notice the energy those around you bring to your experience. Do you leave certain conversations or situations feeling drained? Are you saying “yes” to things you don’t really want to do? Do you dread looking at what’s on your calendar? Consider creating structured boundaries so that you can be mindful of your own energy and where it’s going.

15. Embrace the Growth Process

Becoming your best self is a lifelong process, one that has no true end destination if we embrace a growth mindset. Stepping outside our comfort zones, being willing to sit with our weak areas and insecurities, choosing to reflect on our past experiences and what has led us to this moment in life… all of these practices help us grow. Are you ready to level up? Be willing to take radical ownership for all areas of your life. Physical health, emotional wellbeing, mental health, spiritual vitality— it’s all up to you. You get to choose how you feel and your choices determine how successful and balanced you become.

Keep showing up. Be you!

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