Your Best Year Yet Starts Here: 10 Simple, Proven Wellness Upgrades

What if feeling and looking your best this year didn’t require a complete life overhaul? 

These 10 simple, evidence-backed wellness practices can help improve everything from your energy and mood to your sleep quality and complexion– without adding stress to your daily routine.

The benefits of keeping house plants go far beyond aesthetics. Numerous studies have found that in addition to adding a calming natural element to your space, a bit of greenery can help lower blood pressure, reduce stress levels, enhance cognitive and academic performance, boost mood and productivity, positively impact brain function, and contribute to better overall wellbeing.¹

Additionally, indoor plants have been shown to help improve health by improving air quality, working to purify environments of airborne pollutants and microbes.²

Not a green thumb? That's okay! Try adding a low-maintenance Zamioculcas to your work or living area. Commonly known as the ZZ Plant, botanical beauties require very little water, light, or care, making them ideal for beginners or busy lifestyles.

Stepping out into the light of day first thing in the morning, studies show, can improve sleep by helping to regulate your circadian rhythm, or natural body clock.³

This practice can also help to improve mood, memory, and overall cognitive function. However, the light exposure we experience prior to bedtime can have significant impacts on circadian rhythm and sleep quality as well.⁴

Try dimming the lights and limiting exposure to blue light from devices like cell phones and laptops at least one to two hours before bed for an optimal night’s rest. Adding adaptogens like l-theanine into your routine, found in green tea (daytime only; contains caffeine) and certain mushrooms, can also help naturally promote evening relaxation.

In addition to reducing overall thirst levels and boosting hydration, research shows that drinking 10 ounces of water before you eat can help you feel fuller faster and reduce calorie intake, while increasing energy intake. Drinking water after eating showed no positive effects on energy levels.⁵

If you’re looking to support hydration, lose weight, or simply maintain the current number on your scale, try sipping a tall drink of water prior to digging into your favorite dish. 

Your favorite playlist might do more than set the tone for your day. While you probably know that the power of music is universally recognized across cultures, you might be surprised to learn that its benefits have been widely observed in scientific research as well. 

In addition to activating neurotransmitters that help improve stress levels and reduce anxiety and depression, music has demonstrated countless other positive outcomes. Reduced pain, improved physical rehabilitation, reduced muscle tension and blood pressure, enhanced mother-infant bonding, more positive social interactions, and healthy child development can all be supported by the profound experience of music.⁶

Additionally, according to John Hopkins Medicine, music is one of the best ways to keep your brain young. “If you want to firm up your body, head to the gym,” states a recent article. “If you want to exercise your brain, listen to music.”⁷

Bonus: Listening to your favorite upbeat music during a workout can help increase your endurance, motivation, and the perceived difficulty of exercise.⁸

Serums, cleansers, makeup, and styling choices can certainly play a role in helping you create the appearance you desire. But when it comes to the foundations of healthy hair, skin, and nails, the most effective routine begins within: a balanced skin-supporting diet and healthy gut microbiome.  

Like all organs, your skin requires key nutrients to thrive. Reach for foods rich in zinc (think lean proteins), vitamin A (like carrots and leafy greens), and vitamin C (look for citrus fruits) to help reduce acne and keep skin clear and healthy-looking. 

A healthy gut is vital for balanced digestion, but it also impacts skin health. An imbalanced gut can trigger inflammation, lead to poor nutrient absorption, spike oil production and breakouts, and lead to dull, unhealthy-looking skin. Eating fermented foods like yogurt and kimchi or adding a quality probiotic supplement to your regimen can help balance your skin and support a hydrated, glowing complexion from the inside out. 

The best part? These skin-balancing practices will also promote healthy immune defenses and stronger, longer hair and nails.

While limited research finds that energy drinks may temporarily boost focus and physical performance, numerous studies show they could pose significant risks for heart, gut, neurological, emotional, kidney, and dental health, among other drawbacks like spiking insulin and potentially contributing to the development of diabetes.⁹

Caffeinated drinks like coffee have been observed to elevate mood and may have some antioxidant properties, but are also known to spike cortisol, contribute to higher long-term stress levels, and negatively impact memory, digestion, blood pressure sleep, and hydration.¹⁰

Plus, both can be habit-forming and cause irritability.  

Skip the jitters, midday crash, and unwanted extra calories by fueling your day with nutrients that provide sustained natural energy. Evidence shows that eating smaller, more frequent meals, and packing your diet with essential nutrients like B-complex vitamins can provide the desired benefits of sugary, caffeinated drinks, without the negative side effects.¹¹ 

Recent research has shown that experiencing or expressing gratitude can lead to better eating habits, including increased intake of fruits and vegetables and a lower intake of unhealthy, processed foods. 

Over the course of one month, study participants who practiced gratitude prior to meals showed gradual, consistent long-lasting changes in their dietary choices and habits and reduced emotion- or stress-driven eating habits.¹²

Try keeping a pre-meal gratitude journal: write down at least one thing you’re grateful for before each snack or meal, and see how your diet and eating habits improve with time.

Truly! The evidence says so. 

Even when laughter was self-induced, research study participants saw improvements in stress levels and psychological, immune system, heart, brain, bone and hormonal health with just one intense, 20-60 minutes of belly laughing per week.¹³ 

Even the most esteemed institutions, like Harvard University, are recognizing the positive health impacts of a quality chuckle, adding courses like Laughter Yoga to their ivy league academic offerings.¹⁴  

So each week this year, find time to pop on your favorite comedy movie, spend time with your funniest friends, or binge your favorite raucous video series and soak in the vast benefits of laughter this year.

Aerobic exercise and strength training are vital to physical health and fitness, but exercises that encourage mobility, balance, and flexibility are crucial for supporting long-term joint health, range of motion, and quality of life. 

When you’re planning your fitness goals, don’t forget to include sessions that support your ability to move and function. 

Incorporating flexibility exercises, like yoga, pilates, tai chi, or stretching, into your routine two to three times each week can help prevent injury, improve range of motion in your joints, relieve stress, enhance circulation, and release muscle stiffness and tension.¹⁵ 

Plus, says the National Institute of Healthy Aging, maintaining mobility is key to living independently and maintaining a high quality of life in our later years.¹⁶ 

Starting today is key to supporting a happier, healthier tomorrow. 

10. Prioritize IRL connection over social media. 

The mental and physical health hazards of excessive screen time are now widely studied, demonstrating that spending too much time on our phones and devices can lead to depression, anxiety, and strained social relationships,as well as negative impacts on cognitive development and physical health.¹⁷

Add to this list the toll social media can take on well-being, from sleep disturbances and depression to headaches, digestive issues, and cyberbullying, and logging on to mindlessly scroll can start to spell trouble for our health.¹⁸ 

In contrast, in-person socializing has shown vast benefits for mental and physical wellness. Making real connections and fostering strong relationships can lead to not only healthier, happier lives, but to longer, more meaningful ones.¹⁹

Whenever you can in the year ahead, do your best to limit your screen time and be intentional about scheduling social interaction as often as you can. The sweet spot, most experts agree, falls between one and three hours daily, or between 7 and 21 hours each week. 

How will you make this your best year yet? 

Wishing you a 2026 of peace, good health, fulfillment, and joy, from all of us at VitaMedica.