31 Ways to Up Your Wellness in January 2025
There are so many ways to up your wellness…
Your 5 Pillars of Health will take you FAR and are truly the basis of any person’s wellness routine. This being said, sometimes it can feel like where do we start? I’ve compiled a list of 31 easy, low time, effort, and cost ways to up your 5 pillars throughout the month of January.
If you’re reading this and aren’t even sure what the 5 pillars of health are, here you go:
Exercise
Nutrition
Sleep
Stress management
Community
Keep reading for more and be sure to follow me on Instagram @AshleyPattenPilates for more details and insight!
Commit to pilates daily - 5 minutes or more. Consistency over intensity is truly the key to results and a fitness routine that actually lasts.
Swap out your black plastic in the kitchen for wood, stainless, or silicone. I love the silicone sets from Get it Right. If you want to read more about what the black plastic is made of and why it’s a good idea to cut it out, check out this article from The Atlantic.
Set a “no phone in bed” boundary - at the beginning and the end of the day.
Pass on paper receipts when you can. Not only can they be absorbed into your skin (even more so if you’ve just used hand sanitizer or lotion) they can also leech PFAS into our water once thrown away. Opt for a digital receipt when possible!
End your day with your legs up the wall - I do this in bed with my legs up my headboard. This is amazing for your circulation, swelling, and your nervous system.
Add lemon, cucumber, etc to your water to help up your water intake. Check out this blog for some inspiring combos to make your water taste better!
Swap afternoon caffeine with electrolytes or a cup of tea with lemon.
Make your night cap one with tea and/or magnesium instead of alcohol. I love the combo of Sakara’s Detox Tea with lemon and Sarah Wragge’s Restore - my sleep has been amazing since I started taking it!
Shoot for getting into natural sunlight as first thing in the morning as often as you can.
Go for red lens glasses after 5pm when looking at devices.
Start tongue scraping first thing in the morning and after you brush your teeth.
Swap out your leggings for PFAS free options like Losano
Ditch single use plastic ziplocs for reusable options like Stasher bags
Upgrade your plastic leftover storage to glass locking containers
Read for 15 minutes before bed - check out my book edit for inspiration!
Commit to a sustained amount of time with no alcohol to reset habits. I put this mocktail guide
Go for a 10 minute walk after meals to help mitigate extreme blood sugar spikes/drops
Pick up the phone and call someone you care about instead of a text message
Journal your thoughts instead of ruminating on them
Commit to an afternoon breathing break or mini meditation to combat stress. Even in a busy place you can sit, set a timer and focus on your breathing. One of my favorite simple ways to hone in on my breath is to do box breathing - breathe in for 4 counts, hold it for 4 counts, exhale for 4 counts, hold it out for 4 counts, and repeat.
Give someone a compliment - studies show that both the giver and receiver feel benefits.
Change to cotton underwear like Pact instead brands that use synthetics.
Bring your home made breakfast and lunch to work every day of the week - take out containers are bad for your health, the environment and take out is typically made with poor/excessive ingredients. Now that you’ve upgraded your kitchen storage you can put it to good use bringing your meals every day to work!
Stock your freezer with protein, riced cauliflower, and homemade soups so you always have something healthy available to eat. I’ll take a frozen soup out of the freezer at breakfast time and by lunch it’s ready to go! I love bulking rice with cauliflower rice to up the veggie content of a meal, and having frozen shrimp in the freezer is great for a quick defrost (soak them in room temp water for 10-15 minutes) for dinner.
Prioritize protein at every meal - the current recommendation is .8-1g of protein for every pound of appropriate body weight for your height
Incorporate heavy weights into your workout routine
Get rid of artificial scents in your life - perfumes, cleaning supplies, laundry detergents, candles etc. If you want to scent your home go for essential oils (I love Vitruvi diffusers and humidifiers) or open a window for fresh air.
Try to have 30 different plants a week
Make your feet part of your wellness routine, roll them out on a ball at the end of the day, use toe separators, massage them, balance on one foot, heel lifts, etc. Strong healthy feet will effect the rest of your body. I love a lacrosse ball, the Melt foot kit and toe separators.
Consistently sleep 7-8 hours a night as often as you can.
Take a minute to reflect on your month, what were you successful at? What didn’t work for you? No one does every possible wellness recommendation every day. Find what fills your cup and works for you - prioritize those and go from there. Instead of beating yourself up, cheer yourself on with your wins and see where you can take yourself in February!
I hope you find this inspiring! If you take the time to incorporate any of these into your wellness routine be sure to tag me on Instagram @AshleyPattenPilates and/or comment below!
xx, Ashley