Healthy Living Made a Little Bit Easier

Everyone on your feed is making resolutions about living healthier. And it doesn’t sound like a good time. Instead of the Captain Obvious “eat your greens” talk, we’re giving you fresh ways to start your healthy living kick...

For when New Year goals are intimidating…

Take a deep(er) breath. Shallow breathing keeps you in a stress loop, so try doing it like a baby. No, really. It's called "belly breathing" and helps control your nervous system. Take a full inhale (using your diaphragm and expanding your belly) then exhale slowly. Want something that can help you do it on the reg? Use your Apple Watch. The Breathe app guides you through a series of personalized breaths. Set up reminders so you can stay on track, and sync it with your Health app to see your progress. Ahh.

For when you want to feel the (self) love…

Get in the mood. Moodnotes is an app created by psychologists that helps you better understand your feels. You record your emotions to become more aware of what triggers you, and spot the kinds of "thinking traps" (like fortune telling or mind reading) you tend to fall into. Thanks, pocket therapist.

For when the holiday season wound you up...

Come back down. Do it with a weighted blanket. Research suggests that weighted blankets can help reduce things like insomnia or anxiety. Through a ‘grounding’ or ‘earthing’ sensation, they're supposed to simulate the kind of relaxation you feel when getting a massage. PS: don’t let stress (or hefty price tags) give you under-eye bags. Get a more affordable weighted eye mask so you can use gravity to reverse...you know, what it already did.

For when you want to stay on track...

Step up to the plate slash smart scale. Tanita’s InnerScan Body Composition Monitor sounds fancy because it is. The "I"m not a regular scale, I'm a cool scale" can measure your weight, body fat, body water, bone mass, and muscle mass. Fact: women make up 80% of Americans with osteoporosis. More on that here.

For when you don’t like to eat your veggies…

Turn your kitchen into a juice bar...and smoothie bar, and soup bar, and salsa bar. Look into immersion blenders to get your healthy meals prepped quick. The Cuisinart SmartStick blends fresh and frozen food easy. Plus, it comes with a whisk, food processor, and measuring beaker to give your kitchen a mini makeover.

For when you want more energy…

Get glowing. And stop running low on H2O. Dehydration may be the culprit if you’re not feeling your best, so try upgrading your water bottle to one that’ll help you stay hydrated. Insert: the Hidrate Spark 2.0A. Like a lot of things on this list, it's “smart.” Aka it'll track your water intake and can sync with your Fitbit or Apple Watch. Bonus: it glows if you haven’t taken a sip in a while.

For when you don’t have work-life balance…

Make the best of the work part. The Gaiam USB Essential Oil Diffuser makes your workspace a little more zen. The tiny USB releases calming oils while you plug away. Pro tip: lavender and frankincense are faves for combatting stress.

PS: These are partner products, which means if you purchase, theSkimm may get something in return. If something’s out of stock, oops, it was there when we published.