9 Daily Habits That Will Make A Real Difference To Your Health

"Sound is one of the easiest ways to support yourself every day. I like to think of sound as a supplement to your day; it can energise, relax and restore you. Sound healing sessions are perfect for this because they can shift you from beta waves to alpha and theta frequencies. At home, you can do this with crystal bowl playlists, binaural beats and more. It's an easily accessible way to regulate yourself after a meeting or stressful journey home." – Yulia Kovaleva, founder of healing studio Re:Mind, reiki master, sound & breath practitioner

“Step outdoors as soon as you can after waking up. Sunlight exposure in the morning helps regulate your circadian rhythm, signalling to your body that it's time to wake up. This exposure can also boost serotonin levels, improving mood and alertness. Also, focus on power foods and try to bring more fibre into your daily meals. Switch from sweet to savoury breakfasts, eat more fruit with the skin on, add more green vegetables to your meals. Want something sweet? Berries can satisfy sweet cravings while offering great health benefits” – Claudia Dumond, holistic health coach & founder of Minimondo

"Tracking your cycle is always my first recommendation, but the key is to look beyond just dates and include your emotional and physical symptoms too, as these are all signs. Your cycle is reflective of your overall health; it’s thought of as the 'fifth vital sign' along with blood pressure, body temperature, heart rate and respiratory rate. Day to day it also helps you understand why you might be feeling more anxious or creative, and working with this can be incredibly empowering and tracking alone has been known to help ease symptoms like PMS." – Natasha Richardson, menstrual health expert, medical herbalist & founder of Forage Botanicals

“Gratitude is the fastest route to peace and, ultimately, happiness. There’s always something to be grateful for. It’s one of the highest frequencies there is besides unconditional love. Finding something – anything – to be grateful for when you’re feeling low is a life-changing practice. Make it part of your routine. Gratitude isn’t about dulling your emotions or forcing yourself to be positive. It’s about appreciating the gift of life and finding some light in the dark when things are tough.” – Sarah Jones St John, energy healer & founder of Grey Wolfe

“I make sure I get up at 5am (which might sound crazy to some), but I have a four and a six-year-old and it’s literally the only time I get to myself. I use this time to read. I usually have two books on the go – one novel and one self-development book. It gives me time to reflect and feel like I’m achieving something that’s just for me. When I make the simple act of getting up earlier a priority, I feel more like me again and everything just fall into place.” – Leila Martyn, founder of MyOva 

“Every morning, I dedicate 15 minutes to body brushing followed by a warm shower. It activates my whole system and gives me that time in the morning to check in with myself. It leaves you feeling grounded and re-energised, while your skin feels revitalised, radiant and nourished.” – Maeve O'Sullivan, TCM practitioner & co-founder of Escapada Health

“A daily ritual that I never miss is allocating 10-15-minutes to breathwork. Its power comes partly from its effects on the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Lengthening the exhalation relative to the inhalation activates the calming parasympathetic branch of the ANS. For those who suffer from anxiety or anxious depression, the practice can begin to quiet the mind within a few breaths and is a beautiful daily ritual for selfcare.” – Emilia Herting, TCM practitioner & co-founder of Escapada Health  

“After work, and once my kids are asleep, I take time out for me to remove any negativity and stress from the day, allowing myself to be fully present with my husband and really unwind. I make my own herbal tea blend using nettle, alfalfa, and red raspberry leaf with oat straw which I drink every night after a hot bath or shower with candles and palo santo incense.” – Anna Ayers, environmentalist & co-founder of Rahua  

“Sometimes life pulls you along, days roll into weeks and weeks roll into months, leading to underachieving in the key areas you tried to create goals: going to the gym, getting a better night’s sleep, being more productive etc. Planning and scheduling rest is important so you don’t sell yourself short or set yourself up to fail. Taking that rest, even just 20 minutes to breathe, not look at emails and refocus yourself is what enables the rest of the day to go to plan.” – Victoria Anderson, clinical exercise physiologist & founder of Longevity Health and Fitness