In short: There’s no hidden secret to feeling happy and fulfilled. A great deal of it comes from ordinary habits, repeated: eating well, drinking enough, sleeping, moving and taking a quiet moment for yourself. They give you more energy, a stronger body and a calmer mind, and that in turn leaves you with more of yourself for the things and the people you love.
Think of a day when you felt really well. You’d slept properly. You’d eaten something that kept you going. Perhaps you’d been outside for a while. Small annoyances stayed small, you had patience left for the people around you, and in the evening you still felt like doing something you enjoy. Now think of a day after a short night, on coffee and whatever was to hand. Same life, same job, same family, and yet everything felt heavier.
The difference between those two days is rarely luck. It’s mostly habits. If you’re looking for a way to feel better in your body, your mind and your heart, the answer may be closer than you think. Here are five things healthy habits give you, and how they build on one another.
What counts as a healthy habit?
Nothing spectacular. A glass of water when you get up. Vegetables on your plate at lunch and dinner. A walk most days. A regular bedtime. A few slow breaths before you answer a difficult email. A healthy habit is any small thing that’s good for you and that you do so regularly that you no longer have to think about it.
That last part is what makes habits so valuable. A decision costs effort every time. A habit carries you. Once your walk is simply what you do after lunch, you no longer argue with yourself about it.
More energy for your day
The first thing most people notice is energy. When you eat nourishing food, drink enough and sleep well, you have fuel for the whole day, and the middle of the afternoon stops being a wall you hit. Regular movement adds to it. It seems odd that spending energy should give you more, yet that’s what a walk or a few stretches do, and they clear your head as well.
With more energy, your tasks take less out of you. You concentrate better, you finish things, and there’s something left over at six o’clock. If tiredness is your main complaint, you’ll find plenty of practical ideas in ten simple ways to boost your energy naturally, and staying hydrated is one of the easiest places to begin.
A body that serves you well
Healthy habits look after your body over the years. A varied, balanced way of eating and regular movement support your heart, keep your muscles and bones strong, and help you stay supple and steady on your feet. They’re among the best things you can do to stay well as you get older.
You feel it in everyday life long before any check-up tells you so. The stairs get easier. You carry the shopping without thinking about it. You get down on the floor to play with a child, and you get up again. Your digestion settles. You catch fewer of the bugs that go round. A body that works well is a quiet kind of freedom.
Movement doesn’t have to mean a gym. In let’s talk about exercise I describe gentle ways to move every day.
What do healthy habits do for your mind?
Body and mind aren’t separate. When you move regularly, your mood lifts and worries loosen their grip. When you sleep enough, the same problem looks more manageable the next morning. When you eat regular, nourishing meals, your mood stays steadier through the day.
Then there are the habits that speak to the mind directly: a few minutes of meditation, slow deep breathing, a pause to notice where you are and how you feel. They help you handle stress and find some inner peace in the middle of a full life. If you’d like to try, my five simple breathing practices are a good first step. Making your mental wellbeing a priority isn’t an extra. It’s part of looking after your health.
Room for happiness and fulfilment
Here is where it all comes together. When you care for your body and your mind, you don’t only feel better physically. You have the energy and the clear head to turn towards what matters to you: a hobby you’d set aside, a trip you’ve been dreaming of, work that means something, a project of your own.
Happiness and fulfilment come from those things. Healthy habits don’t replace them, they make room for them. When you’re exhausted, even the things you love feel like effort. When you feel well, you say yes to them. That’s why habits are the ground on which a joyful life can grow, and I describe the wider picture in the three pillars of joy and fulfilment.
How can healthy habits make your relationships stronger?
This is the benefit people expect least. When you look after yourself, you have more to give. You listen better when you aren’t worn out. You’re more patient, more present, and more fun to be with. The people you love get the best of you, not what’s left at the end of the day.
And many healthy habits are better shared: a walk with a friend, cooking a meal together, an evening at the table with the phones put away, encouraging each other in what you’re each trying to do. Time spent like this brings you closer, and it makes the habits easier to keep. I’ve written more about this side of health in having happy relationships.
Why does one good habit lead to another?
You may have noticed that these five benefits feed each other. Better sleep gives you energy. With energy you move more. Movement lifts your mood and helps you sleep. In a good mood you’re kinder to yourself and to others, and you make better choices about food. So you don’t need to change everything. One habit, well chosen, sets the others in motion.
Try this: one small habit, starting today
There’s no need to wait for Monday or for the new year. Choose one of these and begin now:
Drink a glass of water before your first coffee.
Add one more vegetable to your evening meal.
Walk for ten minutes after lunch.
Go to bed a quarter of an hour earlier than usual.
Before you get up, take five slow breaths.
Keep it going until you no longer have to think about it, and then choose the next. If you’d like more guidance on building habits, I’ve answered the most common questions in 18 FAQs on developing healthy habits. And for the days when your good intentions meet resistance, there’s why change is hard, and how to make healthy habits stick.
Frequently asked questions
Which healthy habit should I start with?
The one that feels easiest and most appealing to you, because success with a first small habit gives you the confidence for the next. If you really can’t choose, start with sleep or with a daily walk: both make every other habit easier.
How soon will I feel a difference?
Some benefits come quickly. Drinking enough water, going to bed a little earlier or walking after lunch can change how you feel within days. Others, such as strength, a steadier mood or closer relationships, build quietly over weeks and months.
Do I have to change everything at once?
No, and it’s better if you don’t. Changing everything at once is tiring and rarely lasts. One small habit, kept until it feels natural, then another, will take you much further.
What if I keep falling back into old habits?
That’s part of how change works, and it says nothing bad about you. Look kindly at what got in the way: the habit may have been too big, or placed at the wrong moment of the day. Make it smaller, attach it to something you already do, and begin again.
When should I talk to my doctor?
See your doctor before making big changes to how you eat or exercise if you have a health condition, take medication, or haven’t been active for a long time. And if you feel persistently exhausted, low or anxious in spite of looking after yourself, ask for medical advice.
Would you like some help?
Choosing the habits that fit your life, and keeping them going when the first enthusiasm fades, is at the heart of my group programmes in nutrition and health, such as Six Tuesdays in Montignac. It’s easier and more cheerful with others beside you. If you’d like to hear when the next group opens, write to me at hello@catherinepolet.coach.
Would you rather work one to one? I also coach online. Book a free 20-minute call, and we’ll talk about the one habit that would make the biggest difference for you right now.
About Catherine
I’m Catherine Polet, a holistic nutrition health coach, yoga and autogenic training teacher for more than 30 years, author and speaker. I help people find a way of eating and living that suits their own body, online in English, French, Spanish and German, and in person in Southwest France.
