2021 Health Goals: The January Update.

If you read my post on my 2021 health goals a few of weeks back, you'll know that this year I'll be adding a couple of new practices or habits into my routine each month to try to improve my overall health by 2022. January is always a pretty tough month - it's dark, cold and I'm usually feeling a bit sluggish after over-indulging at Christmas. Throw in a global pandemic and January 2021 was destined to be one of the hardest yet. But, I was determined to avoid the January blues this year. I have an anxious mind even at the best of times, and everything going on in the world right now doesn't exactly help. 

We all know that being healthy isn't just about eating well and keeping fit - your mental health is equally as important. That's why I chose to focus on a variety of health goals that promote all-round wellness this month. The four (yes, four!) habits I wanted to incorporate into my routine this month were taking a daily vitamin, drinking a daily smoothie, clocking 10,000 steps a day and sticking to a sleep routine. I've been tracking these habits in my bullet journal as a way to keep myself accountable, and as of January 30th I'm running at a success rate of about 75%. There is one particular habit on the list that I have been sleeping on massively (guess which one it is). Read on to find out how I got on with each goal, and which habits I'll be throwing into the mix for February!

10,000 Steps:
January weather is not conducive to getting out and exercising, but I've had a little extra help with this goal in the form of a free month of Pret coffee. I signed up to the monthly subscription because the first month is free, and there are three branches within walking distance from home. The promise of free coffee has meant I am far more motivated to get out and walk. I always feel SO much better for getting outside but rain really isn't my vibe. I'm not going to be too hard on myself for not hitting this every day because I've been working from home/doing online lectures so much, and I know it'll get easier as the weather improves.

Sleep Routine:
If my pun didn't make it obvious, this is the goal I've been the least consistent with so far (like, less than 50% of the time). My ideal routine is: bed at 9PM, asleep by 9:30PM, up at 5:30AM. This way, I get my 8 hours in and can enjoy a slow yet productive morning before I even have to think about going to work.

However, regardless of how much I love my slow mornings, actually getting out of bed is ROUGH. I also fall into the "one more episode" trap and end up going to bed later than planned and then the whole routine ends up topsy-turvy. If I go to bed later than 9, I set my alarm for whatever time will mean I get 8 hours sleep. I am a much nicer, more engaged and more productive person if I get enough sleep. This habit is definitely a work in progress, and putting a morning routine in place (reading one chapter of a book, and doing a 10 minute workout) is helping. I'm going to try some sleep spray/essential oils, to get me to sleep more easily, and continue to try to drag myself out of bed when my first alarm goes off. Watch this space; I will be a morning person.

Daily Vitamin:
Easy peasy, this one. I will definitely be switching up which vitamin I take, as I mentioned in the original health goals post, but I feel better knowing that I am staying topped up with all the important things (especially as vegans are more at risk of missing out on some nutrients, such as vitamin D). I managed to remember to take my tablet 30 of of 31 days so I'm calling that a success.

Smoothies:
I try to make these the night before so I can enjoy them as part of my morning routine. Sometimes I forget/only remember right before bed time and then can't be bothered (and sometimes I just run out of bananas). Anyway, I drank 26 smoothies in January. Not perfect, but close. It definitely takes the pressure off trying to remember to eat fruit throughout the day (which I'm rubbish at) and means I can just focus on getting the rest of my 5-a-day through my meals. My favourite smoothie recipe is super simple:
1 banana
1 apple
Handful of frozen strawberries and raspberries
Half a cup of oat milk (with a splash of water if the smoothie is too thick).

I do try to make a few green smoothies a week, too, for the calcium boost!

And now for the big reveal - my health goals for February! (I'm sure you're dying to know).

Here is the full list for 2021, if you need a reminder: 

- Drink a daily smoothie
- 10k steps minimum each day
- Start taking a multivitamin
- Stick to a sleep routine
- Drink more water (a classic)
- Do a 30 day beginners yoga challenge
- Start taking a hair, skin and nails supplement
- Revamp my skincare routine
- And give the skin on my body some care, too
- Makeup bag detox
- Absolutely no caffeine
- Limit my alcohol intake to once a week
- MYO sweet treats
- MYO savoury snacks
- No crisps (eesh)
- Only eat junk/convenience food once a week
- Fresh veg/fruit with/after every meal
- No bread on weekdays
- Try one new food each week
- Workout 3 times per week
- Research gut health and probiotics.

This month I'll be tackling my skincare routine and my over-reliance on crisps.

Skincare is something I have been so lazy with for pretty much my whole adult life. I've really taken the fact that I have unproblematic skin for granted, and as I head towards 30, I can see that I no longer have that glow that used to come so naturally. I don't drink enough water, I regularly drink alcohol and eat sugar, and I haven't put much thought into the products I use for quite a while. Not exactly a cocktail for perfect skin. In terms of the products I use, I sort of go through the motions and then wonder why my skin is dull. SO, this month I'll be researching all-natural, vegan and cruelty free products, and figuring out a routine that is right for me. I don't want to buy a load of new products and start using them all at once, because I can't possibly know which ones are actually working that way. My plan is to introduce one every couple of weeks to ease my skin in gently. The first thing I'll be trying is the Caudelie Make-up Removing Cleansing Oil, which arrived this morning and smells divine. I'm very excited to wash my face before bed tonight!

The second goal might seem overly specific, but crisps are my achilles heel. I simply cannot resist them and I'll regularly buy a sharer bag of Frazzles and eat the entire bag to myself on the way home like it's no big thing. So, I'm hitting reset on my obsession with those delicious, savoury bites of heaven. I'm not going to be giving them up forever, obviously, but for this month at least I am going to try to avoid them. I think crisps might be the hardest thing I could ask myself to give up so I'll need plenty of willpower for this one. (Currently on the lookout for the best savoury snacks to replace the crisps with!).

And there it is, the January round-up. I'm pretty pleased with the progress I've made in January, and will continue to work on the sleep/smoothie/steps/multi-vitamin habits alongside my February goals! If you set any goals for yourself this year, I hope they're working out for you and would love to hear all about them in the comments or over on Instagram!

Have a wonderful day,
Jen xo