I Don’t Follow a Health Plan… I Just Do These 3 Things a Lot
You don’t need to start from scratch to feel better.
And you don’t need to follow a perfect health plan.
I don’t use strict rules or track everything I do. I focus on small habits and try to get a little better every day. That is what has worked for me.
These are not the only habits I follow, but they are three that I return to often. Each one is backed by science, easy to use, and helps me feel better when life is stressful or busy. If you want a place to start, this is it.
1. Take a walk after you eat
Why this helps:
Moving your body after a meal helps with digestion and keeps your energy more stable. It can also lower blood sugar, which helps prevent crashes and cravings.
What the research says:
A 2022 review in Sports Medicine found that walking for just 2 to 5 minutes after eating lowered blood sugar more than sitting or standing still.
What I do:
I do not always take a long walk. Sometimes I clean up the kitchen, pace around while checking texts, or stretch for a few minutes. What matters is that I move. It helps my body reset.
2. Breathe in for 4 seconds, out for 6
Why this helps:
Slow breathing tells your brain that you are safe. It helps you calm down, focus, and feel more in control when life feels too fast.
What the research says:
A 2017 review in Frontiers in Psychology showed that slow breathing, especially with longer exhales, helps lower heart rate and reduce anxiety.
👉 Read the study (Frontiers, 2017)
What I do:
If I feel tense or overwhelmed, I breathe in for four seconds and out for six. I do it a few times until I feel more clear. This takes less than two minutes and works almost every time.
3. Cut caffeine at least 2 hours before bed
Why this helps:
Caffeine can stay in your system for hours. Even if you fall asleep, it can block deep rest and leave you feeling tired the next day.
What the research says:
A 2013 study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that caffeine taken six hours before bedtime reduced total sleep time by more than an hour. Many people in the study did not notice a difference, but their sleep quality still went down.
What I do:
I still drink coffee, but I stop in the early afternoon. I did not have to give it up. I just adjusted the timing. It has made my sleep better and my mornings easier.
Final Thought
These are not the only things I do, but they help. They are simple. They are useful. And they are easy to return to when everything else feels like too much.
If you want to take care of your health, you do not need to be perfect. You just need to find one habit that helps and do it today.
Then do it again tomorrow.