Hello lovely readers! As 2023 is coming to a close, this is a great time to start examining our health habits and honing in on the areas we can improve on. I find that starting this process early makes it more likely that we will stick to our new habits throughout the new year. I love to learn what tips and tricks others are doing to maximize their health, so I’m hoping I can offer you all some wellness inspiration that you can incorporate into your own lives. Each of these tips are straightforward and very simple to get started on. Read on for the 7 simple wellness hacks that I’m obsessed with right now that will create a healthier, happier you in 2024 (and the best part– most of them are completely free!)
1. Cold showers
Don’t underestimate the power of a cold shower! If this sounds like pure torture for you, don’t worry– it’s not as bad as it seems once you get used to it and the good news is, the whole duration of your shower doesn’t have to be cold in order for you to reap the benefits. I like to take my usual hot shower and then finish with freezing cold water at the end. I try to do between 30 seconds and 3 minutes of cold depending on how brave I’m feeling that day. The temporary discomfort is absolutely worth the myriad of powerful benefits that a cold shower will bring you. The benefits of a cold shower may include a boosted immune system, faster metabolism, improved symptoms of depression, reduced inflammation, pain relief, increased energy, stronger willpower, and more. This sounds like a pretty great trade-off for just a minute of being cold!
2. Facial massage
I recently discovered the facial massage trend and I’m obsessed. If you’re unfamiliar with facial massages, it’s simply using your hands or a tool to massage your face and neck to stimulate blood circulation, create a sculpting effect, decrease puffiness, and improve the skin’s overall appearance. Not only does it feel great, but after just a few sessions, my skin looked noticeably more glowy, dewey, and youthful. Facial massage has quickly become one of my favorite parts of my routine and is a great way to spruce up your skincare without spending any extra money.
3. Ice facial
Another skincare hack I’ve been loving is an ice facial. I practice ice facials by submerging my face into a bowl of ice water for 30-60 seconds. Similarly to the cold shower, an ice facial can offer incredible benefits for your skin, such as tightening, reducing redness and inflammation, and lymphatic drainage. It is a great way to depuff your face in the mornings and is also a lovely ritual to do before bed. I’ve also noticed that my makeup sets better after a quick lil facial icebath!
4. Walking after a meal
I absolutely love the ritual of walking after a meal, especially after eating a huge dinner. It’s such a nice way to slow down and spend some quality time with your family, or go solo and practice a moving meditation or prayer! One of the best parts of this routine is that it adds some extra time outside into your day, and in a culture where we spend 90% of our time inside, we need all the extra outdoor time that we can get. And of course, there are many benefits of walking after a meal, including improved digestion, reduced risk of heart disease, regulated blood sugar, weight loss, and better sleep. Plus it’s a great way to get you closer to your daily step goal.
5. Infrared sauna
This is the only potentially pricey item on this list, but trust me, the infrared sauna is worth the expense! I started utilizing an infrared sauna almost 2 years ago, and I’m such a big advocate for it that I’ve gotten all of my family and friends on board! Saunas are huge in other cultures and I’m hoping they will become more mainstream in the US because the health benefits are incredible. Benefits may include providing a detox for the body and flushing out toxins, weight loss, improved skin tone, improved cardiovascular health, pain relief, healing, boosted circulation, increased energy, and many more. There are many wellness spas now that offer infrared sauna sessions which is the best way to try them out, but my end goal is to build one in my house one day!
6. Drinking fresh-squeezed orange juice every morning
Drinking fresh orange juice every morning has become such an unexpected but lovely addition to my wellness routine. My local healthy grocery store has a juicer and it just squeezes the juice right out of the orange juice and voila– it produces some of the best orange juice I’ve ever had, free from any added sugar and junk. Orange juice in its pure form is an incredibly healthy drink and provides you with a nice healthy dose of vitamin C. Orange juice is rich in antioxidants and the benefits of drinking it may include improved heart health, boosted cognitive health, a stronger immune system, and decreased inflammation. I’ve noticed that it also gives my skin a healthy, youthful glow.
7. Practice gratitude
While this doesn’t directly contribute to your appearance, practicing gratitude is the most essential wellness tip I could ever give you. Not only does gratitude help you live longer, it also reduces depression, increases life satisfaction, lessens anxiety, relieves stress, and improves your sleep. I like to start each morning with gratitude and set an intention for the day, and then count my blessings as I fall asleep at night. Gratitude is a truly powerful practice and is an essential component to living a happy, well rounded life. If you only take away one key point from this list, take this one and I promise you, gratitude has the power to completely transform your life and the way you see the world. The benefits are endless.
Takeaways
Well there ya have 7 simple hacks for a healthier, happier you in 2024! These are just a few of my current favorite wellness tips and tricks that contribute to me living a healthy and happy life (and they help me look good while doing it. 😉 Most of the items on this list are free and are something that you can start doing today to live a healthier, happier life going into 2024. I hope you gained some inspiration from this post and walk away with some tangible ideas to add to your routine! Let me know in the comments what your wellness obsessions are right now, I would love to hear them! As always, thank you for reading and I’ll talk to you all again soon.
Xoxo Jensen