These are the little healthy tweaks I’m taking with me into the new year

From little things, big things grow.

There’s less than a month until the new year and I know you’ve already started plotting your life-changing resolutions. Maybe you’ll train to run your first-ever marathon. Or perhaps you’ll elevate your skincare routine with something new, like hydrolyzed collagen or red light therapy. You may even tackle a complete closet cleanout. Whatever your goals are, I believe in you! 

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Me? I won’t be setting a lofty New Year’s resolution this year. Chasing a dramatic transformation has always left me burnt out. Instead, I’ll be committing to small, sustainable changes – as they say, from little things, big things grow.

Over the past few months, I’ve made a few healthy tweaks that have noticeably improved my life, and I’m taking these with me into 2025.

Make hydration a ritual

Whenever I get a headache, whoever I’m whinging to will ask if I’ve had enough water to drink that day – I usually haven’t. But for the last few months, I’ve tweaked my hydration habits by making yummy drinks and building rituals around them. I start every morning by writing my to-do list and sipping lemon water, an evergreen wellness influencer favourite. Then, I drink some plain water until it’s time for a fun afternoon bevvy. 

When the weather’s chillier, I’ll go for a herbal tea that reminds me of post-Balinese-massage bliss. This time of year, I ditch the hot tea and blitz ice, watermelon and lime to make a gorgeous, hydrating agua fresca. It takes five more minutes than refilling a water bottle and I look forward to drinking it all summer. Future rituals may involve roleplaying as a mixologist, blending protein powders, greens or collagen powder into soy milk for a double whammy of hydration and nutrition. The Collagen Co, a wellness brand that designs products to seamlessly fit into busy lives, has a range of supplements to support a healthy glow.

 

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Practise gratitude my way

Thousands of people swear by keeping a gratitude journal as a daily practice to improve their mental health. Focusing on the good in your life helps rewire your brain to think more positively. But while journaling works wonders for some, it’s just not really my thing – a bit ironic, given I write for a living. Instead, I’ve discovered I can practise gratitude more naturally and sustainably. 

You know those featured photos that pop up on your phone? I use them as little gratitude prompts. Sometimes, a picture of me and my partner on holiday reminds me how much I appreciate our relationship. Other times, a selfie of me sobbing on my bedroom floor in 2021 appears and I feel thankful to have moved past a painful chapter of my life.

Stack my habits

I adopted a cat this year and I love him to bits, but he sheds so much fur that I’m sniffly 24/7. I still want to cuddle him, so I take allergy meds every morning without fail. One day, it hit me – if I’m already doing something every day, I might as well do something else beneficial at the same time. 

When I pop my allergy pill, I now also take my vitamins. While taking minute-long rests between sets at the gym, I do a mental exercise with the New York Times crossword puzzle. Layering one small habit on top of my existing routine has become totally effortless.

The beauty of habit-stacking is it’s super flexible and your habits don’t have to look like mine. Do you drink the same smoothie for breakfast every day? That’s the perfect time to add extra nutrients, like those found in veggies, seeds, collagen supplements or The Collagen Co’s Super Beauty Greens. Waiting for your nightly shower to heat up? Just enough time to do some quick affirmations! You don’t have to start everything all over again. Just build on what you have, slow and steady.

Touch grass

For the last five years, the world has constantly felt like it’s on fire. And while it’s important to be aware of what’s going on, sometimes, you need to unplug from the news and reconnect with the physical world around you. Now that the sun stays out longer, I’ve started taking after-dinner walks without my phone as a grounding ritual.

People take their puppies out for walks and the puppies stomp around awkwardly with their big puppy paws. Friends lounge around on picnic blankets with beers to watch the sunset. Birds squabble over a chip that’s fallen out of the bin. It’s all beautiful. I know it’s tempting to watch TV or doomscroll after a long day, but heading outside to see little micro-moments like these reminds me that life goes on, even amidst chaos.

 

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Release the tension

When stress manifests physically, it can impact everything – our muscles, joints and immune systems. I carry so much stress in my body without realising it, so I tweaked my bedtime routine to let it all go before falling asleep. 

I’ve always listened to music while drifting off, so I now choose something that helps me unwind, like a meditation, ASMR or a Bob Ross video. While that’s playing, I consciously relax my body, dropping my shoulders from my ears, releasing my tongue from the roof of my mouth and softening my facial muscles. 

These mindful techniques are the ultimate lazy girl hack to health (done while you’re literally lying in bed)  but small habits like unclenching your jaw before going to sleep, meditating along with a YouTube video or exploring nutritional support like a collagen supplement may support your overall wellbeing in times of stress. 

Always read the label and follow the directions for use.

To explore The Collagen Co’s range of collagen powders, head here.