5 Ways to Practice Daily Wellness

Quick Health Scoop:

• Simple wellness routines can have a big impact on adopting a healthier lifestyle.
• Think of wellness as a collection of daily routines and small choices, rather than drastic lifestyle changes.
• 5 simple ways to practice wellness daily include: sleep, eating more plants, spending time outdoors, moving your body, and practicing gratitude.
• Wellness habits are interrelated and can support each other. One healthy habit can trigger a desire to implement others.

When we are trying to follow a healthier lifestyle, many of us believe we have to make drastic changes to our routine to see any results in our health. Social media and a $4 trillion wellness industry can lead us to believe that optimal health requires eating the perfect thing, exercising for hours on end, or drastic (and likely unsustainable) lifestyle changes.[1]

Wellness is the active practice of a healthy lifestyle. Rather than thinking of wellness as a destination, think of it as a collection of simple routines and habits that help you stay mentally and physically healthy.

It’s easy to underestimate how much small habits add up. True wellness is actually quite simple. It is found in the small choices we make every day that support our physical and mental well-being.

5 simple ways to practice wellness daily

These five simple routines can help you create a daily wellness practice that supports your health and well-being today and throughout your life.

1.   Sleep.

A good night’s sleep is one of the most underrated health habits. When you don’t sleep well, it can impact your health in significant and long-lasting ways.[2]

But a poor night’s sleep can have immediate effects on your wellness routine as well. When you are tired, and lacking energy from a poor nights sleep  you may not feel like exercising, you may then crave sugary foods, and you may find it difficult to focus. feeling less productive by the end of your day may lead to having a negative outlook. This can be a vicious cycle and not one that supports overall wellness.

Aim to get 7-9 hours of sleep per night.[3] The best way to get a good night’s rest is to stick to a routine. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, so your body begins to learn the daily patterns of activity and rest. If you need a little extra help, our Nature Made® Wellblends™ can support key areas of sleep for a more restful night.^†

Learn more: 4 Tips for Better Sleep Tonight

2.   Eat more plants.

A well-balanced and nutritious diet is the foundation of good health. Food provides us with essential macro- and micronutrients our bodies need to thrive. Micronutrients are the nutrients we need in smaller quantities, such as vitamins and minerals. Fruits and vegetables are an excellent source of many of the essential micronutrients our bodies need for optimal health.

Many of us have been led to believe that being healthy means eliminating all “unhealthy” foods from our diets. A better and more balanced approach is to think about what nutritious foods you can add to your diet.

A good place to start is to aim to eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily.[4] You may find that once you eat all of your servings, you are not that hungry for other foods. When you focus on adding the foods that nourish you, rather than taking foods you like away, you can enjoy an eating pattern that works for your body and makes you feel your best.

Learn more: Get Ready for Summer: Lighter Meals

3.   Spend time outdoors.

Spending time outdoors can help relieve stress, improve mental well-being, and give us a great opportunity for physical activity.[5] Not to mention, spending time outside is the best way to get Vitamin D, which our skin makes when exposed to the sun without sunscreen. Aim for at least fifteen minutes of sun exposure per day!†

Try to find opportunities to step outdoors, even if your day is busy. Take a brisk walk around the block during your lunch break. Stop at a local park and enjoy the scenery on your way home from work. On the weekend, consider visiting a local park or scenic area for a picnic or hike. Finding ways to connect with nature as part of your wellness routine is a simple way to manage stress and help you feel your best.To get the most from these outdoor experiences, try to stay present; take in the scenery, smell the flowers and take deep breaths along the way can help to enhance your outdoor wellness experience.

4.   Move your body.

Our bodies were meant to move, but sometimes exercise can seem tedious, boring, or difficult. Rather than looking at physical activity as something that needs to be structured, like a workout class, think of it as just adding more movement into your day naturally.

If your work involves hours of sitting at a desk, set a timer to get up and move every hour. During your off hours, spend a bit of time after dinner outdoors going for a walk or playing catch with your kid or dog. When running errands on weekends, park further away from your destination, so you are forced to take a few more steps.

Adding more movement into your routine, in a more natural way, can help you meet the goal of 150 minutes of activity per week for optimal wellness.[6]

Learn more: Answer the Call to Exercise!

5.   Practice gratitude.

With many aspects of life being overwhelming sometimes, it can be easy to get caught up in negativity. But always seeing the glass half empty can impact our mental wellness, which in turn influences our physical well-being. When we are feeling hopeless, do we really want to exercise or eat healthily?

One way to shift your mindset is to focus on gratitude. Spend just a few minutes thinking about the things you are grateful for every day. Try to name as many things as you can and consider writing them down in a gratitude journal. When you start the day on a positive note, you are more likely to keep the positivity flowing into other parts of your life.

Learn more: 5 Mental Wellness Habits to Add to Your Routine

Your Daily Wellness Routine

When you start implementing just a few of these simple wellness tips, you may find that they begin to support each other. A good night’s sleep helps with motivation to exercise in the morning. Exercise helps you get better rest and may motivate you to improve your diet to fuel your workouts.

One healthy habit can be the trigger for many others. Keeping things simple, focusing on one small change at a time, is the most sustainable to way create a daily wellness routine you can stick with long-term.

Learn more about healthy lifestyles:

• 7 Healthy Habits for a Thriving and Healthy Life
• How to Become More of an Optimist
• What is a Self-Care Plan and Why is it Important?
• 6 Tips for a Restful Night’s Sleep

Follow @NatureMadeVitamins on Instagram for new product news, healthy tips, and more.

† These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

References

1. Statistics & Facts. (2018, April 11). Global Wellness Institute. https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/press-room/statistics-and-facts/
2. What Are Sleep Deprivation and Deficiency? (n.d.). NHLBI, NIH. Retrieved June 14, 2023, from https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep-deprivation
3. CDC. (2022, September 14). How Much Sleep Do I Need? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/how_much_sleep.html
4. Godman, H. (2021, September 1). How many fruits and vegetables do we really need? Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/nutrition/how-many-fruits-and-vegetables-do-we-really-need
5. The wellness benefits of the great outdoors. (2021, March 24). US Forest Service. https://www.fs.usda.gov/features/wellness-benefits-great-outdoors
6. CDC. (2023, March 23). How much physical activity do adults need? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/adults/index.htm