Every year, I find myself trying another wellness thing. I love habit stacking (pairing a new habit I want to create with a good one I have already established) but I like to take it easy and only add one or two new things a year and really focus on them so they can stick if I love them. And if I do end up seeing an improvement in my well-being, I’m so loyal to it! What works for me might not work for another person, but I have found a lot of my favorite tricks and tools through word of mouth. (I’m including Insta and TikTok in that.) 😉 So in the interest of a new year and new habits—from sleeping better to hydration to exercise—I’m sharing my list of wellness routines that I’ve added over the years and simply won’t quit because they made that big of a difference.
Here Are the Practices That I Tried and Loved
Mouth Tape
Last year I started mouth taping in January, and I still do it every night! It took about four nights to get used to it, and about two weeks until I was completely hooked. But now I can’t sleep without it. I was a mouth breather at night, and it was causing jaw pain and loose skin under my chin. It worsened my under-eye bags (my dermatologist told me it was because a lack of oxygenation due to mouth breathing). Not only does it make my jaw feel like it’s in a hammock all night (no pain!) and I’ve been able to completely stop getting botox in my masseter muscles due to grinding, I’ve also noticed I’m sleeping deeper (my Oura ring keeps track) and I’ve even seen changes in my facial structure.
I’ve tried several brands over the last year and settled on this one. It allows me to use all of my facial creams, serums, and lip masks, and it still holds fast. But not SO strong that it’s hard to get it off in the morning. I’ve tried other brands that left a sticky residue (ew). Also, if you’re a little iffy about feeling unable to breathe, the little slit in this one makes it so I can talk a little bit and mostly not have dreams I’m suffocating. It comes in a cute tin that I keep on my nightstand. Totally get that it’s not for everyone, but I’ve seen some health benefits! It’s worth a try if you’re a mouth breather like I was.
Gua Sha
I started gua sha two years ago, and I noticed an immediate reduction in the inflammation in my face. (I picked up this one on Amazon and I love it. It comes with the full instructions, or there’s a million videos online). I glide it over my skin and down my neck twice a day, every morning and night. In the morning I do it after I splash cold water on my face. At night, I use this cleanser and Kiehl’s midnight recovery concentrate, which is what I use as my base for gua she, and then I put on my Altreeno (a tretinoin prescription) and moisturizer.
Weightlifting
Shop The Home Gym
Lifting weights is one of the best things I have done for my body is recent years. In the Playbook app, I do Hannah Pointer’s workouts: I’m currently doing 4 Week Lean and Tone 2.0. I’ve done every one of her workouts—and they’re usually a 4-6 week program. It visually walks you through the whole workout, so it’s really easy to follow. I like someone to tell me exactly what to do step by step and these do exactly that. I had to get away from HIIT workouts because they were causing inflammation for me. Hannah was experiencing the same things, so that’s how I found her. You just need dumbbells and a bench!
Marco Polo with Friends
Connection is really important to me! I check in with my girlfriends every day. We use the Marco Polo app: it’s a video and voice chat app similar to SnapChat, but the messages don’t disappear. We talk to each other every single day. It feels like therapy. Sometimes, it feels like a comedy club! It’s so nice that I can chat with them even though we don’t live near each other. Time zones make it tricky so I love to listen to their messages while I’m getting ready, and I usually respond on the way to the gym while they are all still snoozing on the West Coast.
Focusing on Sleep
Sleep is so incredibly important. I am happier, more creative, a better wife and mother, less emotional and more productive when I get 7.5+ hours of sleep, so I schedule it. I really like the Sleep Focus schedule in the Health app on my iPhone. You can set what time you want to wake up, and it will calculate what time you need to go to bed. You’ll get a notification when it’s time to get ready to go to bed, and then it basically closes up shop for you! I’m not getting DMs or texts after that—everything’s in sleep mode. The alarm in the morning is not annoying—I have mine on the “droplets” tone. When you edit the sleep schedule, your phone will tell you to wind down. I have it set to weekdays only, and then it shows me my sleep results.
Dress for the Day
Early on, when I was a young mother, I found myself wearing loungewear and sweats every day. I was in the trenches! I didn’t feel like I had time to do much except shower and I wasn’t going anywhere, so I kept it very casual. I wasn’t doing my hair; every day, I rocked a messy bun! The first thing I remember intentionally doing for myself when I had babies was getting dressed for the day. And that’s when I realized that I’m a better person when I’m dressed for the day. That’s why I always wear shoes, even in the house. I also do a 5-minute makeup routine—even before I go to the gym (I mean, half the time you’re facing the mirror, and I need that image boost!!) I’m more productive and happier when I feel more put together. It’s a gift for your future self!!
Tracking Biometrics
One of the most incredible things I got last year was the Oura ring. It takes about 3 months to truly “get to know you,” but you can start gaining insights on day 1. The data that I’ve gotten from this ring—I kid you not—has been life-changing. It tells me if I’ve gone to bed too early or too late for my sleep type based on my optimal sleep cycles (REM, sleep latency aka how long it takes you to fall asleep, etc). My chronotype is early morning. I’ve always loved getting up with the sun, and this confirmed why it works for me based on my biometrics. (Chris has a different chronotype: his is late morning!) The app tracks my heart rate and can tell when I’m stressed versus working out and how my resilience to stress is. It tells me what day of my cycle I’m on, and when my period is going to start. I love learning about myself!
One thing I learned from my Oura ring is that my resilience has gotten higher based on these life tweaks. Being in tune with stress is so important! A lot of these changes have helped, like taking recovery supplements after a workout and doing less HIIT and solving issues right away instead of letting them fester.
Drinking (a lot of) Water
I drink a gallon of water daily—you’ll always find me with my Stanley or Hydrojug (love this color)! Here’s my secret: I put drink mixes in it every time. And that still counts! I put the BetterHydration pack in my first 40 ounces of water for the day. I drink that by the time I’m home from the gym. Then I fill it up again and usually dump in Nello SuperCalm mix, which is great for cortisol levels post-workout recovery. If I need a pick-me-up, I’ll add the BetterGreens with Caffeine pack to my water refill in the afternoon otherwise I’ll do the non-caffeinated version. This one helps with digestion and bloating.
After all that water, I don’t feel bad if I need a fun drink—I love my Dr. Pepper Zero occasionally!
What I’m Adding to and Changing About My Wellness Routine
Hair Health
This is a new one for me. I’ve been taking Nutrafol and doing the satin pillowcase at night, but otherwise my hair care routine has been pretty minimal. I wash it once a week! But I’ve been getting a lot of hair inspiration on my “for you” page, and I’ve just been enthralled. I’m going to start small! I got a rosemary oil that you massage into your scalp. My hairdresser recommended this hair mask for dry, brittle, dehydrated strands, so I add that to the mid-to-ends of my hair. You let it sit as long as possible (I do about an hour, but I’ve seen some girlies put their hair into a wet-looking bun all day), and then you wash your hair normally. My current go-to shampoo and conditioner is this one. You’ll only want to do the oil and mask once a week. I add my favorite heat protectant and then just style as usual.
I feel like no one loves their hair, right? The grass is always greener. On the plus side, my hair holds a curl like no other, so I only have to style my hair once a week—just wavy curls that I brush out (I’m loyal to this curling iron). Sometimes, I wish my hair was a little more straight and smooth, so maybe this change will help!
Walking
I used to run and it was causing lots of inflammation and joint pain for me—so I’ve switched to walking over the past couple years. Last year on the weekends, I’d go for long 5-6 mile walks and love them so much. And this year, I realize I need more of that, so I’m shooting for 10,000 steps a day. Ideally, it’s all at one time and outside.
There are significant benefits to walking. When you hit 45 minutes to an hour, your mind opens up, your cortisol reduces, and the endorphins spike. My best ideas come to me when I walk, and it greatly improves digestion, so I am prioritizing this commitment! Chris got me a weighted vest for Christmas this year, and I’ve loved using that on my walks as well for additional muscle development. (I picked up this bra and leggings in the most swoon-worthy redwood color for extra “look good-feel good” motivation.) On weekdays, when I may have meetings or if it’s too cold outside, walking 10,000 steps at a time can be difficult, so if I need to break it up throughout the day, that works too!! But it has to be a dedicated walk, not a happenstance hit-10k-steps. I need that time to unwind my mind just as much.
Don’t Mix Business & Wellness
I’m adding this as a personal goal. Previously, I thought efficiency was more important. As an enneagram 3, I love to multi-task. If I’m on the treadmill, why wouldn’t I answer emails? But if I’m trying to focus on walking for wellness—including mental clarity—it defeats the purpose when checking in on work. Now, if you’re at work on a walking pad, that’s a different story. But if you’re doing something for your mental health or well-being, it’s better to skip multi-tasking.
Eating for Enjoyment
One of my goals this year is to learn to enjoy food again. I think with all of my restrictions, I’ve kind of numbed myself into eating just for optimal health and the least discomfort. But in reality, there are a lot of foods I can enjoy—even if it means having to take medications! (I did find this digestive enzyme that has helped a lot.) I’m still grain-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free, pork-free, and I eat things with no added sugars. Last year, I even took away starches when I was diagnosed with CSID. But this year, if I want to have some Siete chips, I’m going for the enzymes and I’m going to try to enjoy it! I only have one life to live! It’s worth it to me to try to enjoy food again.
What are you adding or taking away this year?? I always love getting tips from you!
