20 Simple Habits to Start 2025 Off On The Right Foot
Follow these habits to improve your life in 2025
This is a special New Year post, and I’m working on more articles about AI that will be coming in the next few weeks
Happy New Year!
My 2024 started with a lot of anxiety about the future, and I felt almost broken.
I had moved to a new country to study and was also looking for ways to earn money. I started on Medium, and over time, my followers and income grew. In 2023, I earned more than ever before. But at the end of 2023, things changed. My income dropped, my stress increased, and my health got worse. I realized something had to change.
I started building small, healthy habits at the beginning of 2024, and now, at the end of the year, I can’t believe how far I’ve come. These habits didn’t just help me feel better physically—they also gave me more energy and focus.
Here are 21 simple habits to help you start 2025 feeling healthy and motivated.
#1-#2 Do one or two exercises every hour and take regular breaks
After telling my story, it’s no surprise that the first and second habits in this list have to do with physical well-being at work.
If you work with a computer for hours you could experience different types of problems. You could suffer from eye strain, neck pain, shoulder pain, etc.
How to easily avoid them? Just stand up and take breaks when you feel tired.
These habits are very simple to follow once you realize that after a break you become more productive because your brain has had a chance to rest and recharge.
#3 Learn to say “no”
In school, college, and work, we tend to get into the habit of saying “yes” to our boss’s or teachers’ questions and requests (even when we shouldn’t)
“Yes, I can have the report ready for tomorrow”
“Yes, I know the answer to that question”
This is why it can be hard for us to say “no” to invitations, requests, or demands from others. We become people pleaser but the only person not being pleased is ourselves.
Setting boundaries and priorities are important for a balanced life. By learning to say “no,” we can better protect our well-being.
#4 Prepare for the next day
When you wake up you can either be full of energy or feel like a truck just ran over you.
This is why we need to prepare the essential things for the next day. Every evening I choose the clothes for the next day and what I’ll have for breakfast next morning.
Those few minutes of planning in the evening would save you a lot of time of uncertainty and stress in the morning.
#5 Buy tools that make your life easier
Some things in the modern world can save you precious time. I would’ve saved a lot of time if I had bought some of them earlier.
Here are some purchases that made my life easier:
Robot vacuum cleaner or cordless vacuum cleaner: I no longer have to do the cleaning myself, but let the robot do it for me. I save an average of 2 hours a week. That’s a lot, isn’t it?
Dishwasher: It saves a lot of time and keeps those who don’t like to wash the dishes in good mood.
There are many things that will help you save a few hours a week. You only need to find what you need and buy it.
#6 Stay up to date with technology trends
Some people either ignore or are scared of new technology trends.
Why? Some don’t want to learn new things, while others might be worried about new tech like AI taking their job.
But, the thing is, technology makes possible the development of tools that make our life easier. Let’s consider one of the most popular tools that were released in 2022 — ChatGPT.
ChatGPT can write articles, code, and more. However, this tool won’t replace writers or programmers. Actually, it can be a helpful assistant for both, but if you don’t learn how to use it and ignore it, others will make the most of it and have an advantage over you.
Watch tech videos on YouTube, or join tech newsletter to see what’s new in technology at least once a week.
#7 Don’t try to win someone’s love
It took me a while to learn this lesson. You shouldn’t compromise with yourself and pretend to be another person in order to please someone.
You are wasting precious energy and time to “transform” yourself into another person.
Relationships that start like this don’t end well. Leave a place in your life for people who want to be with you as you are.
#8 Watch the news less and start listening to good news podcasts
Unless you like to hear bad news every morning, you should consider watching the news less.
It’s good to know what’s going on in your country and the world, but if it affects your mood and mental health, you should think twice before watching the news … at least bad news.
Nowadays, there are podcasts that help you start your day feeling positive. Here is a list of the 15 best good news podcasts.
#9 Control your emotions
Don’t make decisions or make promises when you’re upset, angry, or very happy.
At such moments, your emotions control you.
Usually, we don’t think about what we do when we’re emotional and that can be really harmful.
When you are angry, you probably could say too much to another person.
When you are happy, you might make a promise you wouldn’t normally make.
Before you say or do something, check how you’re feeling and take a minute to think about it.
#10 Have alone time more often
In our society, being alone is often seen as a bad thing.
Eating alone at school wasn’t so popular and traveling alone as adults isn’t what most people do. But the truth is, there’s nothing wrong with having some alone time once in a while.
We need some alone time to focus on ourselves, reflect on our thoughts and feelings, come up with new ideas, evaluate what we’ve done, etc. We’re not being selfish. If we don’t take care of ourselves who else would do?
#11 Get a weekly menu planning service
I’ve already listed habits that can save you time, but something that can not only save you time, but help you become healthier, and be in good mood is letting an accredited practicing dietitian plan your weekly menu.
You no longer have to think about what to cook today or tomorrow and you can feel confident that what you’re eating is healthy, nutritious, and delicious.
Thanks to this now I eat better and save time.
#12 Do physical activity
When I mention the word “physical activity” some people automatically think of activities with intense workouts.
But did you know that walking counts as doing physical activity?
I won’t force you to do intense workouts every day if you don’t want to, but you probably have half an hour 5 times a week to do moderate physical activity.
It’s recommended to do 150–300 minutes of moderate exercise per week (which isn’t that much if you walk regularly). Here’s how I started adding physical activity to my routine.
Get off the bus one or two stops before your destination
I squat or stretch myself while I cook. To stir the soup and cut the tomatoes, I manage to do 10 squats.
I run intervals. It takes much less time than regular running but is much more effective. I devote only 20 minutes a day and after a week I see progress.
You don’t need to do physical activity for half an hour without a break. You can do all this during the day.
#13 Drink more water
Our body consists of 50–70% of water and we need a sufficient amount of water per day to dissolve vitamins, carbohydrates, and proteins and remove toxins from the body.
Studies show that a healthy adult needs about 35 ml of water per day per kilogram of body weight. The good news is that drinking water isn’t something difficult to do if you:
Start every day with a glass of water
Keep a bottle on the table or carry it with you
Drink a glass of water with every meal
#14 Consume more vitamins
Vitamins are vital for the normal functioning of the body and maintaining health. Without enough vitamins, we get sick more often, and feel worse.
For example, food rich in antioxidants can protect your body from free radicals (which can damage your cells, causing illness and aging). To prevent the action of free radicals, it is recommended to consume fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, nuts, dried fruits, and last but not least the most delightful coffee and red wine.
This is why we should get into the habit of eating foods or supplements rich in vitamins and minerals every day.
Many people I know began to feel much better and stopped getting sick as soon as they started taking vitamins. You can always ask a professional to guide you in choosing the best vitamins for you if you feel unsure about them.
#15 Escape from your everyday life by reading fiction
As someone who is always looking to learn something new, I can say that non-fiction books have helped me learn new subjects and come up with good ideas for many years.
But, believe it or not, fiction books have also helped me with both.
Sometimes our daily routine doesn’t help us see things from a different angle. Here’s when we need an escape from our everyday life. Going out and traveling can help us with that, but if you can’t leave home, a good fiction book can help you experience new places and situations.
Whenever you need to escape from your daily routine, consider reading a fiction book. You’ll immerse yourself in a new world and develop your imagination and creativity.
#16 Make time for your hobbies at least once a week
Your hobbies are something that brings pleasure, reduces stress, and makes you feel proud.
Many people underestimate the importance of hobbies in their lives.
Do what you always wanted to do and get better at things you already know. Whether it’s rope jumping, skiing, diving, or painting, try to spend time on activities you enjoy and that challenge you.
Your hobbies will bring a sense of happiness and well-being into your life.
#17–#18 Unplug from technology and turn off notifications
Technology is part of our everyday life, but it also keeps us away from the real world.
Nowadays our phones can help us mentally escape from a boring presentation or lunch and, in a near future, we might not even have the need to go outside if the Metaverse becomes a thing.
That’s why we should unplug from technology whenever possible.
How? By going out to places like parks, libraries, and restaurants. Just remember to turn off notifications; otherwise, they’ll distract you no matter where you are.
#19 Learn something new each week
We should never stop learning.
No matter how young or old you’re, the are many new things we can learn. The only thing we have to do is let our curiosity run free and explore things we like.
In 2024, I learned to cook, dance, and many more things. You don’t have to stick with each new activity you try each week, but it’s a good idea to try as many things as you can to find what you like.
#20 Manage your money
One way to manage financial stress is to manage your money.
Nowadays there are many apps that help you track your expenses automatically. This means that you don’t have to write down each transaction you make, but they’re all tracked by an app.
The app that helps me with this is “Money Pro.” You only need to link your bank account and then the app will track all your expenses. You can then generate reports, create budgets, and more.
Personal finance apps will help you see where your money is going and make informed decisions about how to manage it.
Amen!
Exercise and healthy eating habits I would rate as no. 1 priority. I took up Yoga. Life changing!