To Make Healthy Living More Fun & Luxurious

’Tis the season to...spoil everyone else! Where are YOU on that list? Here’s a great way to keep your winter wellness plan going at a time when it’s notoriously difficult to do so: Treat yourself! When you invest in a few wellness goodies for yourself, you make the process way more enjoyable. And what better excuse than good health for splurging a little?

Here are 40 suggestions for making your healthy living pursuits more luxurious and fun (plus a few remarks from this peanut gallery of one). If workouts, food prep, sleep & some attempt at mindfulness have morphed into pure drudgery during this holiday-hyped time of year, try indulging yourself a bit in ways that will also help you to stay mainly on track.

Workouts

• Jump into a show or some videos you’d never watch otherwise; maybe even buy a series just to watch on the treadmill.

• Or, along the same vein, get lost in some podcasts. ("Family Ghosts," which is not about ghosts but about true, fascinating family stories, is a current fave of mine.)

• Invest in some really good earbuds (‘nuff said).

• Subscribe to a music streaming service for endless jams.

• Slide your hands into some high quality lifting gloves (to keep them callous-free while improving grip).

• Get yourself a great water bottle that you only use for workouts (maybe even one that filters out impurities).

• Buy some workout wear that reflects your real exercise vibe. (Mine’s “tougher-than-most-expect-me-to-be.”)

• Try some new gear that’s intrigued you, maybe TRX straps or a BOSU balance ball.

• Sign on with a fun personal trainer! (Ahem, was that a shameless plug?)

• Plan a physically active getaway—hiking, skiing, cycling.

• Return to a childhood amusement you can now do in the name of fitness—roller/ice skates, skateboard, hula hoop, jump rope.

• Or learn a new sport via professional lessons. (I still plan, in this lifetime, to learn to row on one of our Pittsburgh rivers!)

Food Prep & Planning

• Splurge on a helpful appliance you’ve been mooning over, such as a top-notch blender, slow cooker, instapot.

• Find a beautiful bowl to eat your daily salad out of. (I’ll never forget Eric, a client who savored a big salad religiously every day because he loved using his gorgeous, treasured wooden bowl.)

• Broadcast daily meals on a cool kitchen chalk or wipe-off board.

• And/or sketch out a weekly food plan in an aesthetically pleasing journal.

• Paired with a high quality pen or set of markers, of course.

• Display the day’s pre-planned treats under the glass of a regal cake stand.

• Subscribe to a meal-creation service that sends all you need to whip up a healthy dinner.

• Order groceries for delivery, if you rarely do.

• Invest in chef-quality knives, because food prep is already energy consuming enough without using crummy ones.

Sleep

• Snag some sumptuous, high thread-count sheets.

• And a super comfy, light blocking eye mask (because lack of light is key for triggering sleep).

• Get a good mattress. (Hubby & I kept our last one way too long—It literally resembled rolling hills! A mattress truly makes or breaks sleep, and our new one improved our rest immediately.)

• And a great pillow. (Cervical pillows, the funky curved ones, align your spine and are worth a few extra dollars. Since an upper back injury ages ago, I never sleep without mine!)

• Assemble the ultimate bath kit—delicious smelling bodywash, bath bombs, lotion; a fluffy bath pouf; a luxuriant bath sheet.

• Slip into the PJ style that makes you happiest. (Just be aware that overdoing layers at night can lead to sleep disruptions because our bodies wake when we’re too warm.)

• Spritz your sheets with a lavender spray or essential oil. (Some research actually does suggest that lavender can promote sleep.)

• Slipper socks, slipper socks, slipper socks (Who can fall asleep with cold feet? Save your partner the shock of warming them up for you!)

Mindfulness

• Subscribe to an excellent meditation/mindfulness app. (I’m totally sold on “10% Happier,” which features the most reputable teachers and researchers in the field.)

• And/or a highly regarded yoga program or class.

• While you’re at it, snag an adorable yoga mat. (Honestly, I always find great ones for under $10 at TJ Maxx—and I’m getting no kickback to say so, LOL!)

• Borrow or buy some inspiring books. (Pre-Christmas I plan to post some of my all-time favorites.)

• Pursue a silent retreat (which can range from costly nationally known ones to local ones offered by churches).

• Set a relaxing mood with an essential oil diffuser or a luscious candle.

• Reserve a corner of your home as a “quiet space” for reading, prayer, meditation, yoga and add plenty of comfy touches.

• Stock up on yummy things to savor rather than gobble, such as high quality teas or a bar of excellent chocolate. (Drinking & eating slowly not only brings you into the moment but serves as a great practice for building intuitive eating.)

• Grab an extra journal, something really rich-looking to write reflections in. (Gratitude journaling, by the way, has been shown to heighten feelings of wellbeing. See the recent post "Gratitude: Surprising Health Benefits.")

• Bulk up your stash of hobby supplies—from painting to knitting to genealogy, anything that consumes your mind in the moment and leads to that amazingly relaxing sense of flow.

• Equip yourself with things that lead you outdoors despite cold weather—a fire pit, down jacket, winter hiking gear, etc. (Spending time in nature & smaller green spaces has also been linked with feelings of wellbeing & connectedness. Check out the post, "Why You Should Work Out Outdoors.")
  

And while you’re at it, you might just do double duty, grabbing any extras of these items for the wellness minded family & friends on your list. After all, isn’t health (in all aspects) the number one gift we wish ourselves & others? May you be well this season & always!

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