13 Habits To Adopt In The New Year For A Long, Happy, Healthy Life

Doable resolutions, reachable goals.

Ah, New Year’s Resolutions. Those things you embark upon with such gusto on January 1, determined that this. Will. Be. The. Year. And then…life gets in the way. Late nights at work laugh in the face of decision to clock a 10K each A.M. Friends, still throwing parties to soften the holidays-are-over sting, turn your Drynuary into Drown(in wine)uary. The list goes on, but you get the point: Changing your habits, no matter how well-meaning, is hard. And quick-hit resolutions often don’t cut it.

But sustainable resolutions do exist, and even better, they can help you build the foundation for a long, healthy, happy life. Here, 13 habits you can actually stick to for good.

1. Make—and actually go to—annual primary care appointments.

A lot of women skip seeing their primary care doctor once a year, especially if they’re on top of things like visiting their ob/gyn as often as necessary for preventive screenings, women’s health expert Jennifer Wider, M.D., tells SELF. But seeing a doctor to monitor things like your blood pressure, cholesterol, weight, and more, should be a non-negotiable, she explains—it gives you a big-picture view of how your health is doing and any potential areas of improvement.

2. While you’re at it, keep a file about your family’s health history.

“Knowing your family’s health history is probably one of the best tips I could give women,” Wider says. Keeping tabs on which conditions and diseases show up in your family will help inform your own risk factors for certain illnesses and guide you toward the healthiest lifestyle for you.

3. Get at least seven hours of sleep a night. Seriously.

The National Sleep Foundation recommends seven to nine hours of shut-eye a night for adults, but according to the most recent data available, Americans aren’t hitting the mark. Over a third of adults aren’t getting at least seven hours of sleep on a regular basis, says a 2016 Centers of Disease Control and Prevention report based on data from 2014 .

Skimping on Zs can screw with you in a variety of ways, like priming you for issues with anxiety and depression, causing cognitive impairment, slowing motor functions, and creating pretty monstrous mood swings. It also has a clear connection with your weight.

For most people, getting more sleep is a welcome, lovely assignment.

4. Meal prep every Sunday.

A lack of preparation has led to many a woman’s healthy-eating downfall. Batch cooking at home is the perfect way to crush the siren song of takeout during a hectic week and make sure you’re getting your fill of the different macronutrients (protein, carbs, fats), Abby Langer, R.D., owner of Abby Langer Nutrition in Toronto, tells SELF. Plus, it’s guaranteed to help you feel like an actual adult (and potentially help you save money, too).

5. Eat every two to three hours hours.

Skipping meals is not a good idea, whether it’s on purpose to “save calories” for a big dinner or because you had some last-minute meeting prep that made the idea of lunch laughable. “Skipping meals won’t make you lose weight—it’s just going to make you hungrier,” Langer says. Instead, pepper healthy meals and snacks throughout your day at the appropriate intervals. Your reward: long-lasting energy and fullness, plus no hanger in sight.

6. Wear sunscreen every single time you go outside.

Skin cancer is the most common cancer, affecting around 3.3 million Americans each year. So, while sun exposure is great for vitamin D purposes, getting too much is a classic, avoidable way to put your health at risk. “Even in the winter months, make sure you’re using SPF every day,” Wider says. Also be sure to protect your eye health with quality sunglasses, whether it’s cloudy outside or not.

7. Find an outlet for your stress, and when you’re freaking out, use it.

This is especially important for women, who are more affected by conditions like anxiety and depression, and whose hormonal fluctuations due to things like menstrual cycles, childbirth, and menopause, can exacerbate mental health issues, Wider says.

She recommends seeking an outlet for your stress that you can rely upon when things are spiraling out of control, like talking things out with a trusted friend or unfurling that yoga mat for some meditation. But you should also know the signs of conditions like anxiety and depression and not be afraid to get help from a professional if you’re struggling with mental health issues. “So many women suffer in silence,” Wider says. They don’t need to.

8. Have sex often enough to get a happiness boost.

The exact amount will vary based on your preferences, but frequent sex hits a home run for your health. “Sex has so many physical and mental benefits, from lowering your blood pressure to improving your sleep to reducing stress,” Wider says.

9. Exercise, of course, but do it in ways that feel good to you (even if you don’t think they “count”).

It sounds so simple, but missing that nuance leads many people to fall off the exercise wagon, Michelle Segar, Ph.D., director of the Sport, Health, and Activity Research and Policy Center at the University of Michigan and author of No Sweat! How The Simple Science of Motivation Can Bring You A Lifetime of Fitness, tells SELF. People sometimes choose exercises like a spinning class they loathe over walking, which they might love but not see as a true workout. “Once you give yourself permission to stop punishing yourself and seek out pleasure [in your workouts], you’re more likely to stick with it,” Segar says.

10. And when you don’t feel like working out, think of the short-term results, not the long-term ones.

When embarking on a new goal, it’s all too easy to keep your eye on the far-away prize, like fitting into your clothes better. But long-term rewards just aren’t enough to motivate most humans to maintain new habits, Segar says. That’s why knowing that exercise is good for your health usually isn’t much of a push—it’s too nebulous a payoff. Instead, Segar suggests focusing on the right here, right now benefits, like a morning workout giving you the energy to sail through the day to happy hour with some buzz to spare.

11. Schedule your workouts in your calendar.

“Even if they’re motivated, people often don’t feel comfortable taking time out of their hectic lives to nurture their sense of wellbeing,” Segar says. “Once that initial bubble of motivation bursts, this is the derailer of behavior change.” Instead of trying to hold yourself to a mental promise to work out, put it in your calendar as a way to stay accountable. “It is an appointment—with yourself,” Segar says.

12. Drink enough water.

Although that 8 cups a day thing isn’t true for everyone, staying hydrated is essential. Not only does it keep all your physical functions, like digestion, running optimally, it makes you less likely to mistake thirst for hunger, a common mix-up that can lead to overeating, Langer says.


13. Give yourself mini-checkups every month or so to see if anything’s changed.

“Nowadays, people have such limited time with their doctors,” Wider says. That means that a lot of your health is in your own hands, literally. Monitor things like your skin, your breasts, and your vulva and vagina for anything that seems off, then don’t hesitate to make an appointment with your doctor and bring it up. “If something deviates from your ‘normal,’ you need to see a doctor,” Wider says. “Often times, proactive patients who take charge are the healthiest.”

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