7 Daily Healthy Habits that help me feel calm, grounded, and ready to take on another day of motherhood! These 7 Daily Healthy Habits have changed my life and allowed me to be more productive, while also honouring my body and self-care needs.

As a new Mom, I have realized that it is so important to have a consistent self-care routine that keeps me feeling my best – so that I can care for everyone else to the best of my ability as well! And you know what they say… you can’t pour from an empty cup! You have to fill up your own cup so that you can love on everyone else. I think this is lesson #1 of motherhood – and it’s really taught me to be more mindful of how I spend my spare time in the day. 

Sure, I might not have as much free time as I once did for a long morning routine, but I can still squeeze in these self care habits that make me feel my best – even if I just have 5 or 10 minutes to myself! Here are 7 Daily  Healthy Habits that have been essential over the past few months to helping me feel calm, grounded, energized and productive throughout the day.

1. Plan Your Day

Let’s take things back to the basics! Remember in elementary school or high school when you used to write in a daily planner? Maybe you had a list of homework that you needed to get done, or projects to be completed.

I like to use a notebook to write down three personal goals and three work related goals that I want to accomplish everyday. Together, these are your top six must-do priorities for the day. I find this helps me to prioritize my day and make good use of my time.  A lot of times you might be going from task to task, and not really finishing anything during the day. Or, you might even find yourself avoiding the main thing that you need to get done that day! If you write it down, it’s a non-negotiable. Not to mention – how satisfying is it to check off those to-do lists at the end of the day?! The best feeling.

2. Five Minute Oral Care Routine

Treat your teeth just as good as you do your skin! You HealthNuts know I’m obsessed with my natural skincare routine. As a new Mom, I hardly have any time to myself – I’m always on the go between breastfeeding, diaper changes, diaper explosions, working from home, and making the next meal. These days, having 5 minutes to myself to do my oral care routine is a real treat.  Your teeth and oral health are so important to your overall health. Take 5 minutes to love on those teeth and gums, give them a good brush, floss, tongue scrape, and oil pull. Oil pulling is my secret to healthy teeth and gums – I’ve been using this ayurvedic practice daily for a few years now to help get rid of toxins, freshen my breath, and keep my teeth and gums feeling their best. Check out my Minty Clean Oil Pull from BeautyNut Skincare now! You can see the directions for how to oil pull right here.  

3. Stay Hydrated

I know you’ve heard it a million times, but it’s truly so important. And if you’re rolling your eyes, I’m guessing you need to hear this! Staying hydrated is so important for your digestion, detoxification, and healthy skin! I know some people don’t like to drink water, but I’m here to remind you that there’s more ways to stay hydrated than just drinking water! You can make it fun with herbal teas, flavoured water, and even smoothies! I like to stash citrus slices in a silicone reusable storage bag like this one, and enjoy them like flavoured ice cubes in my water.

If you don’t know how much water you need in a day: take your body weight in lbs and divide it by 2. That number is how many ounces of water you need per day! Are you getting enough?⁠!

One of my favourite ways to stay hydrated in the morning is with a delicious green smoothie! You may have heard me say this before… as i’m kind of well known around here as the Green Smoothie Queen! I love green smoothies now more than ever, because they are such an easy snack for a busy breastfeeding Mama. You can make and drink it with one hand – multitasking at its finest! Blend up some fruits and vegetables, throw in some water and you’ve got a delicious breakfast that’s going to help you stay hydrated and nourish your entire body.

Try my Kale Mango Ginger Smoothie, or and read all about How to Make the Perfect Green Smoothie here. I also recommend downloading my FREE Perfect Green Smoothie Guide and get blending today!

4. Digital Detox

Digital Detoxing is a habit that I started a few years ago that has helped me gain more time in the morning, and be more mindful! Every night, I put my phone on airplane mode – and I don’t take it off airplane mode until an hour after I wake up. This simple habit helps me focus on my morning self-care routine and is a good reminder to prioritize myself and my own mental health. You can really do this at any time in the day that you’re noticing you are spending too much time on your phone or technology. Maybe you notice that when you’re waiting for an appointment or waiting in line at the grocery store, you pull out your phone and start scrolling instead of smiling at others around you. Or maybe you’re scrolling while breastfeeding (guilty!) or while laying in bed at night! 

I’d like to invite you to swap out this habit with something more mindful – like reading a book. Disconnect from your phone and re-connect to simple pleasures that make you feel more mindful! Maybe it’s listening to a podcast, some music, or taking a few moments for some deep breaths. Take that 20 minutes you’d spend laying in bed scrolling on social media, and instead do your morning meditation, drink your lemon water, practice yoga, or pamper yourself with a relaxing skincare routine!

Speaking of morning routines, have you joined the Mindful Morning Challenge yet?! We’re currently part way through the third annual Mindful Morning Challenge, and it’s not too late to join! You will get access to my new Mindful Morning Challenge eBook, as well as our exclusive facebook group, where I’m doing daily livestreams every morning. And did I mention, it’s totally free! Sign up here and get into the HealthNut Community, we can’t wait to see you there!

5. Stay Active 

Whether it’s a quick stretch, a walk outside with Cashew, or a 15-30 minute yoga flow – I try to find time every day to move my body in some way. Not only for my physical health, but also for my mental health! Staying active helps to release stress and tension, and in my case reduces anxiety as well.

Being active doesn’t have to look the same for everyone – choose what works best for you and make it a priority every day! Home workouts are where it’s at right now (with so many of us at home and no access to gyms) – so I thought I’d share a few of my favourite free workout videos you can do on YouTube:

6. Make Time For Rest

It’s time to hit the reset button! As a new (sleep deprived) Mama, I try to make time everyday to rest with a mini nap, meditation, or a 10 – 15 minute acupressure session! 

If you’ve never tried acupressure before, it helps to increase blood flow and circulation, while also increasing relaxation. This mat has thousands of rounded spikes on it, which press against the skin to stimulate energy pathways in the body. For the first few minutes it will feel like a tingling prickly sensation, and as you settle in you feel your muscles begin to relax and restoration begins. Acupressure triggers the body to release endorphins, the body’s very own “happiness drug” which provides a sense of joy, energy and pain relief, and oxytocin. 

I love this acupressure mat because it is made from sustainable, eco-friendly materials. Use code: BON15NIKOLE for 15% off your order!

7. Meal Plan + Double Batch Cook

Matt and I have been meal planning our entire week for the past month now, and it’s been so amazing! Not only have we been eating healthier and saving money, but we’ve also reduced trips to the grocery store and generally made life easier. I like to plan out what we’ll be having for the week on Sunday, and place a grocery order to be delivered right to our house. This weekly meal planner and grocery list guide comes in super handy, and is key for meal planning! I’ve even included a sample meal plan for you as part of the guide. 

Whenever I am meal prepping, I like to double batch things. For example, these Everyday Gluten-Free Pancakes from the HealthNut Cookbook (which are so delicious) are the perfect thing to double batch.  If I have a second to make pancakes, you BET I’m going to make double and freeze some for later! Prepare the pancakes as normal, then freeze them in a jumbo silicone reusable storage bag Your future self will thank you! Pancakes make a delicious breakfast or easy snack – all you have to do to reheat them is pop them in the toaster, and enjoy!

I hope that you enjoy these 7 Daily Healthy Habits, and if you incorporate any of these habits into your daily routine, be sure to let me know in the comments below! I would also love to know what your Daily Healthy Habits are. Be sure to follow me @healthnutnutrition on Instagram – I share daily about motherhood, healthy food, and wellness tips on my stories!