1. Stay Hydrated 💧
   Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Start your morning with a big glass and have one with every meal.

The foundation of a healthy lifestyle consists of lasting habits like eating right 🥗, watching your weight ⚖️, exercising regularly 🏃‍♂️, managing your mental health 🧘‍♀️, and getting routine medical exams 🩺. But even daily, small steps toward these goals can have a significant impact 🌱.

Here are some practices that can help support your ongoing health journey 🌿. While you might find it unrealistic to follow them all the time, try to include them in your daily life as much as possible 💪.

Stretching before getting out of bed wakes up the body 🌞, improves circulation 💓, and promotes relaxation 🧘‍♀️, helping to set the day’s tone. While you’re still lying in bed 🛏️, move the covers aside, then flex and release your lower limbs 🦵 several times. Bend your knees and lift your legs into the air 🦶. With your legs still elevated, flex your feet up and down and rotate them side to side 🔄. Next, sit up and slowly look left and then right 👀. Roll your shoulders several times 💪. Flex your wrists up and down, and open and close your hands repeatedly ✋🤚.

Proper hydration 💧 supports digestion 🍽️, improves brain performance 🧠, and increases energy ⚡, among other health benefits. Drink a big glass of water after you wake up 🌅 and a glass with every meal 🥤🍴.

Maintaining good oral health 🦷✨ includes daily flossing 🧵, but make sure you do it right. First, wrap the floss around your middle fingers ☝️, which helps you reach the back teeth. Then loop the floss around one side of a tooth 🪥, so it makes a C shape 🔄. Beginning at the gum line 😁, slide it up and down ⬆️⬇️ the tooth several times. (🚫 Don’t move the floss back and forth in a sawing motion — you’ll miss cleaning the entire tooth, and the friction can irritate the gum.) Repeat on the other side of the tooth 🔁, and then the other teeth for a clean, healthy smile 😄.

Sunscreen 🧴☀️ is the best defense against skin-damaging rays 🌤️. After washing your face 🧼 in the morning 🌅, apply a facial moisturizer 💧 that contains sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 🛡️. Or blend equal parts sunscreen and a regular moisturizer. Use one or two nickel-sized dollops 🤏 to cover your entire face, neck, ears 👂, and any bald or thinning spots on your head 🧑‍🦲 for full protection.

When you crave a snack 😋, reach for unsalted nuts and seeds 🥜🌰 like almonds, walnuts, peanuts, and cashews 🧺. They contain many beneficial nutrients 💪 and help prevent cravings for highly processed foods 🚫🍪. Nuts are high in calories ⚖️, so keep to a palm-sized portion ✋ for a healthy, satisfying snack.

Afternoon naps 😴🌤️ can recharge a weary body 💪 and may boost cognitive function 🧠. A study published on Jan 25, 2021 📚 by General Psychiatry found that nappers scored higher on cognitive tests 📈 than non-nappers. Researchers discovered that shorter and less frequent naps ⏱️ — lasting less than 30 minutes 💤, no more than four times a week 📅 — were linked to the most benefit. Schedule naps for the early afternoon 🕑, and use a timer ⏰ so you don’t oversleep.

Break up bouts of sitting 🪑🚶‍♂️ with small bursts of movement ⚡. For example, dance across a room 💃🕺 instead of walking. When you brush your teeth 🪥, suck in your lower gut for 30 seconds ⏱️, which activates your abdominal muscles 💪. Do 10 air squats or push-ups 🏋️‍♀️ (on the ground or against the kitchen counter 🍽️). Make it a habit to stand up “twice” 🔁 each time you stand up — that is, get up, sit back down, and then get back up 🙌.

Alternate-nostril breathing 🌬️🧘‍♀️ — in which you breathe through one nostril at a time — is believed to help reduce stress 😌 by slowing your breathing rhythm 🕊️ and encouraging deep, full breaths 💨. Using a finger or thumb ☝️👍, close one nostril and slowly breathe in and out through the open nostril 🌿. After about five to ten breaths 🔟, switch and close the other nostril, repeating the breathing pattern 🔁.

For a variation, inhale through one nostril 👃, switch finger/thumb positions, and exhale through the other nostril 🌸. Then, inhale through that one 🌼, close it, and exhale through the opposite nostril 🌻. Continue going back and forth like this for a few minutes ⏳ to calm your mind and body 🧘‍♂️💖.

A study published online Sept. 11, 2023 🗓️, by Nature Medicine suggests that having a hobby 🎨🎸 is good for people’s overall health and mood 😊💪. Hobbies involve creativity ✨, sensory engagement 👀👂, self-expression 💬, relaxation 🧘‍♀️, and cognitive stimulation 🧠.

One way to pick up a new hobby is with a project kit 📦 designed to teach you a skill like gardening 🌱, building a model 🏗️, carving wood 🪵, or making beer 🍺, soap 🧼, hot sauce 🌶️, or jewelry 💍. The kits come with instructions 📖 and all the materials you need to start 🧰.

You can find kits at local bookstores 📚 or hobby stores 🏬, or go online 🌐 — just type “how-to kits” or “project kits” into a search engine 🔍.

Social interactions 🤝💬 can stave off loneliness 💞 and protect against depression 😌 and cognitive decline 🧠. Strive to have some kind of social engagement every day 🌞 — make a phone call 📞, send an email 💌, or chat with a neighbor 🏡.

Another option is to create your own social pod 👥 — a small, intimate group that you interact with regularly, like meeting for coffee ☕ or conversing over a Zoom call 💻.

Casual conversations 🗣️ are also helpful; for example, chat with a grocery store employee 🛒 or interact with a stranger on the street 🚶‍♂️😊 to brighten your day and boost connection.