21 small steps that will change your health forever

Words by Judy Cogan

Feeling unmotivated, lacking in energy and just a little bit overwhelmed? It’s never too late to make positive changes, but often putting this into action can feel like a gargantuan task. 

‘When we decide we’re going to take control of our mental or physical health, people assume they’ve got to make momentous life changes all at once,’ says Dee Johnson, a senior accredited MBACP psychotherapist. Instead, it’s about making smaller, manageable tweaks.

‘Adapting new positive habits is about showing yourself care and respect,’ she continues. ‘The more you build self-respect, the more inclined you are to want to take the next positive step forward.’ Here, Dee and a range of other health and wellness experts share tips on how, by starting small, you can change your life for the better. 

Step outside each day

Even in the summer months, it’s so easy to hop from house to car, to office and back again, without deviating much or spending any time outside in daylight. 

Dr Gemma Newman (gemmanewman.com} – aka The Plant Power Doctor – has worked as an NHS GP for over 20 years, is qualified in nutrition and psychotherapy and is an author and podcast host. She says stepping outside into nature for a few moments a day is vital. 

‘Time spent in nature is healing for our mind and body,’ she says. ‘I encourage my patients to spend 20 to 30 minutes outside in daylight, four or five times a week to invite more peace and connection into their lives. Try gardening or taking a stroll around a park.’  

Getting outside within an hour of waking is best, says Dr Farah Ahmed (drfarahwomenshealth}, a Women's Health GP. ‘Research suggests that 5 to 15 minutes of outdoor light on a clear day shortly after waking up is enough to trigger the biological processes that regulate your circadian rhythm,’ she says. ‘This helps you feel more awake and fall asleep easily later.’  

Switch to luke-warm showers

Dr. Mahwish Dildar Abbasi, a dermatologist and aesthetics professional at Era Organics (dr.mahwishskincare} says dialling down the heat in the bathroom (just a tad) is good for you. 

‘Lukewarm showers will improve skin health,’ she says. ‘The skin barrier loses its protective oils when exposed to hot water, which makes it susceptible to dryness along with irritation and eczema outbreaks.’ 

The American Academy of Dermatology says “warm” is what feels closest to body temperature, about 37 °C to 40 °C, with no benefits above 41 °C. But you don’t have to go full Wim Hoff. 

‘Keeping your shower water just below this point preserves the natural moisture in the skin. It allows our skin to build up resilience and sustain its overall wellness.’ 

Roll before bed

Health coach and fitness expert Kevin Rail (fastingforfitness.health/kevin-rail/} suggests we try ten minutes of foam rolling before bed. ‘This gentle movement can help reduce cortisol levels and ease muscle tightness that builds up from daily stress,’ he says.  

‘Using a dense foam cylinder (available in most sports shops) to gently roll out tight muscles is like giving yourself a deep tissue massage. You don’t even need to push hard – just stick to a slow, steady pressure along your back, glutes or calves. It also gets your blood flowing and makes you feel more relaxed. My clients sleep better and wake up feeling more refreshed just by adding this to their nightly routine.’ 

Eat fibre first

Steve Bennett, a qualified health coach (stevebennettmhp} and author of Fibre First, says a fibre first diet will improve blood sugar control, weight management, enhanced digestion and reduced risk of chronic disease. While our ancestors consumed around 100g of fibre daily, fewer than 5% of UK adults now reach the basic 30g target, according to a 2022 BMJ study. 

‘Start each meal with fibre-rich foods: a small leafy kale salad, sliced raw vegetables, a handful of hazelnuts or chia seeds or half an avocado then move on to eating your main meal,’ says Steve. ‘This creates a protective gel in your digestive tract that slows sugar absorption in your stomach and reduces insulin spikes that cause energy crashes.’ 

Make a playlist with a 120-bpm beat

Want to feel more motivated to get up and exercise? Well, Penny Weston, fitness, wellness and nutrition expert (pennyweston.com} reveals the secret lies in the right playlist. 

‘Music can really change the tone of your workout and your mood,’ she says. ‘Creating a playlist with a beat of around 120 bpm helps activate your parasympathetic nervous system while still gently stimulating your brain and body.’ 

Many music channels such as Spotify and Apple Music offer ready-made playlists with songs at 120 BPM with a range of upbeat tracks across artists from Kylie Minogue to Nirvana. 

‘It’s a clever trick and you’ll find yourself feeling more motivated, less anxious and less sluggish. Better still, press play before you put on your trainers to help shift your mindset to a more positive outlook going into your workout.’ 

Stand on one leg

By now we all know sticking to a new and improved lifestyle can be tricky. Psychotherapist Dee Johnson (mindsouptherapy} recommends we start on one leg. 

‘What we repeat will become automatic,’ she says. ‘To improve balance and the strength in your core, stand on one leg. It is really good for your brain, core and muscles. When I clean my teeth in the morning, as part of my routine, I stand on one leg.

It gets your brain active, it’s teaching it balance, it’s making sure your core is tight and it helps with posture. And on a conscious and an unconscious level, you will just start to feel better.’ 

Embrace silence daily for a week and you’ll notice how much calmer you feel

Silence speaks volumes

Rick Parcell, The Body Camp’s head programme coordinator (thebodycamp.com} says the secret to feeling calmer is simple: embrace silence each day. 

‘Anyone who wants to improve their mental health, practice silence for five to 10 minutes a day,’ he says. ‘Nowadays, people are always filling silence with technology. Instead seek out silence and ask yourself, ‘Who Am I? What does my body need? What does my mind need?

Instead of loading the brain with information, reduce the noise. Let the mind clear and regain some clarity. Embrace silence daily for a week and you’ll notice how much calmer you feel.’ 

Drink a glass of water

Start the day strong by drinking a glass of water with a squeeze of lemon juice in place of coffee, says Dr Farah Ahmed. ‘After a night’s sleep, your body wakes up slightly dehydrated,’ she says.

‘Drinking water before anything else helps rehydrate you and gives your system a gentle wake-up without relying on caffeine. It supports digestion by helping to stimulate stomach acid and bile production, which can improve how your body breaks down food. It also provides a small boost of vitamin C, which supports your immune system and skin health.’ 

Pay someone a compliment

Taking the time to compliment someone increases your self-esteem as well as theirs – a win-win for everyone, says Dee Johnson. ‘Research shows paying someone a compliment has a really positive impact on your mood and the other persons,’ she says.

‘It encourages a sense of wellbeing and helps build self-confidence. By paying a compliment you are gaining evidence that you do have the ability to connect with someone else and show your real worth as a kind and genuine person. It's free, takes less than a minute and the good feelings can last all day.’ 

Eat something sour after lunch

If you’re often left feeling tired or bloated after lunch Penny Weston has the solution. ‘Eating something naturally sour after a meal such as a slice of lemon in warm water, or even a few spoonful’s of natural yoghurt is a real game changer,’ she says.

‘Sour foods support your digestion by encouraging stomach acid production, which helps break down food more effectively. I’ve found it keeps that mid-afternoon fog at bay and helps me feel lighter and more focused, even on full-on days.’ 

Lift for longevity

The image of pumped up Arnie-types can make the weights feel intimidating. But Francesca Lyon, Director of Nutrition at Future Woman (future-woman.com} says it’s time midlife women embrace strength training as a simple, but significant health boost. 

‘Strength training helps with blood sugar management, reduces insomnia and weight gain, and boosts mental health and it is vital for women's health,’ she says. ‘As we move into our 40's and 50's it becomes much harder to build muscle as our androgens like testosterone decline and eventually, when our estrogen declines too. Lifting weights not only builds muscle but also strengthens joints and bones. It also supports insulin sensitivity which supports a healthy weight, mood and stabilises our energy levels.’ 

Rick Parcell says you don’t even need a gym membership to lift. ‘Charging our muscles even just for five minutes 10 minutes, is powerful and creates longevity,’ he says. ‘If you can’t lift weights, use your body as resistance. Every 30 seconds, for 10 minutes, do some squats, press ups or sit ups. It impacts mental health too – when you gain confidence you feel really good.’  

Take deep belly breaths

We all need to remember to breathe, and Francesca Lyon says deep belly breaths are important each day. ‘Try taking four counts of breath on the inhale and five counts of breath on the exhale,’ she says. ‘Expanding the exhale by 1-2 counts can bring your body into the parasympathetic nervous system state.

We need to be in this state in order to regulate our hormone production and detoxification. Practice this (NHS approved} diaphragmatic breathing regularly to calm your nervous system and bring you back into a more relaxed state.’ 

Go barefoot

Grounding, or earthing, is the idea of walking barefoot on grass, dirt, or sand to reconnect with the earth and, as a result feel calmer, clearer and more centred. Kevin Rail says spending five minutes a day barefoot outside can work wonders on our overall health.  

‘It might sound a little out there, but grounding has been a part of how humans live for thousands of years,’ he says. ‘Only five minutes a day barefoot outside, preferably on grass or dirt, helps recalibrate your body's natural electrical balance.

I encourage my clients to do this while sipping their morning coffee before starting the workday. It is a simple way to lower inflammation, and you get a natural mood boost with a calming effect on the body and mind.’ 

Eat half an avocado each day

Avocados aren’t just a weekend brunch treat. Sunil Kumar, a lifestyle medicine physician and master health coach (drsunilkumar.co.uk} urges us to eat them daily and reap the benefits. 

‘Avocados are packed with nutrients that support your heart,’ he says. ‘Adding half an avocado to your lunch each day is a brilliant, effortless way to boost your potassium intake. Potassium plays a crucial role in balancing sodium levels and maintaining healthy blood pressure and studies show it is linked to lower rates of heart disease and stroke. Plus the fibre and healthy fats in avocados help stabilise blood sugar and steady your energy levels.’  

Listen to Binaural Beats

Do stress headaches, racing thoughts and low energy sound familiar? Sunil Kumar recommends listening to music to reboot a frazzled brain and with zero effort needed. 

‘Taking 10 minutes daily to listen to low-frequency sounds like binaural beats can soothe your brain and body,’ he says. ‘Binaural beats use two slightly different sound frequencies played in each ear, encouraging your brain to settle into calmer patterns, like a shortcut to relaxation. 

‘Research shows that this music can reduce cortisol levels (your body’s main stress hormone) and ease tension, making it a helpful tool for stress-related headaches and anxiety. Some people also find that they help them transition into deeper sleep. Grab a free track online, pop on your headphones, and listen while lying down, commuting, or even during a lunch break.’ 

Eat a frog

Not literally, of course. Often attributed to Mark Twain this metaphor is used for tackling the most challenging task of your day first. If it's your job to eat a frog, do it first thing in the morning. 

It’s a motto that Caroline Gowing is an organisation and time management expert and co-founder of Pink Spaghetti, lives and works by. ‘As someone who supports small business owners with their overflowing to-do lists, I see every day how procrastination fuels anxiety,’ she says.

‘When we delay important tasks, they don’t go away — they sit around creating mental clutter. There’s that one task nagging at you and it drains energy just by being unfinished. Acting today by eating the frog clears space in your mind, boosts confidence and builds momentum.’ 

Chew your food

Most of us gallop through our meals often glued to our phones. Eating quickly can disrupt digestion, cause bloating and lead to overeating. The solution? Chew your food. 

‘Healthy choices and nutrition are key to a healthy mind and body, as well as self-compassion and awareness of how our food choices make us feel,’ says Dr Gemma Newman. ‘But it’s important to give mindful eating a go. Eat at a table with your food on a plate and your phone out of sight. Set your fork down while you chew. Attempt more than 10 chews each bite and think about how it feels to chew rather than just swallow down food quickly.’   

Kevin Rail agrees: ‘Taking your time and actually chewing your food properly brings you back into the moment. You feel more satisfied; your body has time to send the right hunger and fullness signals and you just feel better afterwards.’

Regulate your temperature

‘Temperature is one of the most overlooked factors when it comes to quality sleep,’ says Martin Seeley, CEO and sleep expert at mattressnextday.co.uk. ‘Our bodies are naturally programmed to cool down at night, so if your environment is too warm you’ll wake up unexpectedly.’ 

Martin recommends keeping your bedroom between 16–18°C and opting for breathable, natural fabrics like cotton or linen. ‘Also try lightly mist a cotton sheet with cool water before bed using a spray bottle. This helps create a gentle evaporative cooling effect that is effective on hot nights.

Better still, pair it with an electric fan. Most people notice they fall asleep faster and wake up feeling genuinely refreshed within just a few nights of getting their sleep temperature right.”

Create a negative self-talk jar

Negative self-talk can be very destructive, but Dee Johnson has a simple method to help us be kinder to ourselves day-to-day. ‘When we are always putting ourselves down, we stay in a low self-worth and shame-based mindset,’ she says.

‘Try a ‘negative self-talk ‘jar – like a swear jar – every time you catch yourself doing it (and get trusted friends to make you aware you do it), put some money in the jar (or digital savings pot). At the end of each month, use the money to treat yourself or give to a charity – either was,y it’s a feel-good factor bonus.’  

Eat leftovers for breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It sets your blood sugar stability and eating lunch or dinner leftovers for breakfast can instantly help focus the meal on protein, says nutritionist Francesca Lyon, Director of Nutrition at Future Woman. 

‘If there is one change you can make, make sure it’s to include lean proteins in your diet to support hormone production and regulation,’ she says. ‘Increasing protein, especially at breakfast, helps balance blood sugar, reduce insulin resistance, and in turn, may help with weight management, mood, and energy, particularly during menopause.

High protein foods include meats, sardines and oily fish, legumes and tofu. Aim for 20g per meal to support blood sugar, level out appetite, support brain function and support hormone production (and detox) as well as supporting a healthy weight, energy and even sleep.’  

Add apple cider vinegar

‘Adding apple cider vinegar to your diet can help curb glucose spikes after a meal and therefore reduce insulin,’ says Francesca. ‘It contains something called acetic acid which encourages a slower release of glucose into the bloodstream and an increase in glucose uptake in the muscle, which can improve insulin sensitivity and in turn support mood, weight and energy.

It is super easy to start including it into your morning routine, try and take a teaspoon in warm water about 15 mins before your breakfast, and over time build it up to a tablespoon in warm water if that feels good.’