Little Changes for a Healthier 2026

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I’m sure I’m not the only one that always tries to start the year with good intentions, lifestyle changes and maybe even a few resolutions. And this year is no different, except this year I’m making changes that I know I’ll be able to see through to the end of the year and beyond, changes for a true healthier lifestyle.

This is probably something that many people can relate to. Thinking about the shiny new year and wanting to make the best of it. But, for me I am not just looking at the new year spreading ahead but looking at my life and seeing what simple tweaks I can make to ensure each day is as stress-free and positive as it can be from the minute I wake up.

Little Changes for a Healthier Year

Here are some of the changes I’ll be making through 2026 to feel as good as I can, whilst living life the best way that I can. I’ve chosen sustainable changes, ones that don’t require a huge amount of effort and that will make a tangible difference to my mind, body and lifestyle as the months go by.

Slow down

The first change is to slow down. Before the pandemic we lived a really busy life – every weekend was full and each school holiday we were away, with plenty of work in between. And although things slowed right down after covid, the busy days and weeks have crept back in again.

Over Christmas I realised that I get a lot from having a slower pace. A less busy life for me means that, as a family, we can make more decisions on the spur of the moment or even just the night before. It leads to more quality family time, less stress but also a nice balance of time at home, days out, time to do our own things and time together. 2026 is all about a slower pace.

Start the day the right way

I have never been good at eating breakfast regularly. So this year I’m going to start adding a healthy breakfast to my day, every day. This will feature a lot of fresh fruit and I’m sure a lot of smoothies – either that I make myself from scratch or buy in those handy kits where I’ll just put everything in our Ninja Blender, add some juice, blitz and enjoy!

Other days I might have porridge or overnight oats and some days I might just have yogurt, granola and some berries. I’m excited to add breakfasts into our meal plan and looking forward to giving each day a healthier start.

Drink more water

Just like with breakfast, I have never been great at drinking enough water. I drink so much tea and often forget about the real health benefits of drinking water. I’ve made a pact with myself that I will start each day with a glass or bottle of water and will drink from it regularly – sometimes alongside my trusty cup of tea!

Get outside more

There’s been a lot of talk in the media recently about the benefits of getting outside more and feeling sunlight on your skin early in the day. I know that I always feel better when I get outside, hear the birds, breathe in the fresh air and appreciate the great outdoors – even if it is just by walking around the block.

Daily movement will feature strongly in my life this year and I’m looking forward to exploring new places and just appreciating the local area a little more too.

Be more active

Going hand in hand with getting outside, I’m also aiming to be more active. This could be simple local walks to start the day or to break up my workload, but it could also be starting Couch to 5k again, working out alongside YouTube exercise videos or having a session on Ring Fit on the Nintendo Switch.

I know how important exercise is and I got into a great routine last year of going to the gym most weekdays. However, my gym has closed down now and so I’ll be getting outside and exercising more without going to the gym! I’m looking forward to seeing how many steps I can do and how good I feel for it too.

Sleep better

Sleep should really have been top of my list for aims for 2026 as my sleep has not been the best for years and so it’s really a priority at the moment. Over the years smart watches have confirmed how bad my sleep has been but I’m hoping my Fitbit will start to show better sleep quality this year.

The plan is to go to bed earlier, to limit screen use before bed and read or have a bath instead. I’m hoping that relaxing before bed, and creating a really nice sleep environment will mean I sleep better, have less disturbed sleep and feel the benefits of it throughout each day and the year ahead.

So there are all the changes I’m going to be implementing this year. Small changes that will hopefully make a world of difference. I’ll be here, eating my healthy breakfast after a great nights sleep, getting outside, moving more and drinking lots of water throughout! If you’re looking to make healthier changes in 2026 I would love to know what you have planned too.