New year, new me? The start of a new year is exciting – it signals fresh starts, the chance to implement healthy habits, and an anticipation for what’s to come. But with that comes unnecessary pressure, and it can feel overwhelming.
This year, we’re inviting you to consider a more gentle approach. Rather than striving for huge, radical changes, focus on a handful of smaller habits to set yourself up for success. We’ve pulled together our top 6 healthy habits to get you started.
1. Be creative without pressure
Write, paint, get stuck into gardening or even build something, but – importantly – do it for pleasure, not perfection.
2. Cook for yourself – you deserve it
Take the time to prepare a delicious Mindful Chef dinner as a form of self-care. Our in-house chefs have done all the hard work for you. Each dish is macro balanced, meaning you’ll find protein, carbohydrates and fats in proportions that meet your needs, so you’re nourishing yourself from the inside out.
3. Go outside every day
Nature regulates the nervous system far more effectively than we realise, and it’s free! Fresh air, daylight, trees – soak it all up and enjoy the calm that follows.
4. Connect with people
If you can, sit down to enjoy dinner with a loved one. Or, strike up conversation with your local shopkeeper the next time you pop in. Even a short, meaningful chat with someone boosts wellbeing.
5. Take a break from scrolling
Whether it’s reading a book, listening to a podcast or cosying down to watch a film, try to focus on one mindful activity per day to give yourself a break. And pop your phone in another room while you do it. Let the mind soften instead of constantly absorbing noise.
6. Rest, guilt-free
Rest is not a reward, it’s a biological need. Pause, settle down and sleep. You’ll feel all the better for it.
It’s all about small changes, says our Head of Health
Implementing small, healthy habits is the key to long-term success. We spoke to our Head of Health, Sasha Watkins, to find out why.
How can creating healthy habits help us?
“Healthy habits are one of the easiest ways to look after yourself because they take the pressure off. Instead of having to think constantly about what the ‘healthy’ choice is, the routine starts doing the work for you. Once a healthy behaviour becomes a habit, it sits quietly in the background, giving you a good foundation of better health with less effort.”
How do we get started?
“The key is to keep those habits small. In habit science, we talk about ‘tiny behaviours’, because your brain thrives on quick wins. Add a handful of vegetables to your plate. Swap a sugary snack for something more wholesome. Cook just one extra healthy dinner a week. These small tweaks might not feel dramatic, but they’re the ones you’re likely to stick with, so they add up in a meaningful way.”
How can we stop slipping into old ways?
“Habit-stacking can help. It’s the simple idea of attaching a new behaviour to something you already do every day. When a new habit is linked to an existing routine, it feels far more natural and takes less mental energy to maintain.”
And if we can make only one change?
“Research shows that people who cook for themselves tend to eat more fruits, vegetables and fibre, and naturally get more key nutrients like folate and vitamin A. They also tend to consume less overall fat without trying. That’s why home cooking is now seen as one of the simplest, most effective ways to improve diet quality and support long-term health.”
Ready to start?
By subscribing to Mindful Chef, you’ll get access to 28 recipes per week, meaning there’s a whole load of dishes to get stuck into, and plenty of new skills to pick up along the way. Discover the menu and get 25% off your first four boxes.