10 Tiny Habits for 2021

Habit 1: Wash your Face

 

If you don't already do this, you really should start. I get it, it’s the last thing you want to do to at the end of the day, but it can make the biggest difference! It can also be an overwhelming task with all of these 12-step routines and gadgets out there - where do you even start? If washing your face is new to you, start with just water and a SKINCHIE in the morning and at night. You’ll notice how something so simple will feel so refreshing. The microfibers in our products work together to pull out impurities from the skin and wash the grime away. If you are already a seasoned skin care expert or face washing connoisseur, head on over to my instagram @skinchies and check out the highlight button titled “Allison’s Faves” for some of my favorite cleansers. Send me a message with some of your favorites! In his book Tiny Habits, BJ Fogg suggests finding an action you already do and setting that as the “trigger” for your next habit. Example: Brushing teeth is the action you already do. Immediately after brushing teeth, wash your face! Boom….new habit created!

Habit 2: Drink warm lemon water in the morning

It is good for just about everything except the enamel on your teeth, but even my dentist says it is worth it, and so does Anthony Williams, author of Cleanse to Heal (another one of my favorite books).

Habit 3: Don’t look at your phone as the first thing you do in the morning

This is a hard one since most of us use our phones as an alarm clock these days. As tempting as the instagram or email scrolling can be, try your best to get up, put your feet on the floor and say “Today is going to be a good day!” What I like to do next is called, my “Miracle Morning”, -another favorite book by Hal Elrod that goes further in depth with morning routines and one I strongly suggest reading. I then grab a journal and write down three things I am grateful for, 3 ways I can make today great, and 3 positive affirmations. It takes less than 5 minutes and puts me as the priority, not the news, not my social media, and not work! This habit has transformed my days, and I hope you find some joy in it as well. Start with you! The Five Minute Journal and The 6 Minute Diary are two great guided journals I have found. If you prefer a more free-flow style of journaling, try the Fringe Divided Workbooks.

Habit 4: Make your bed

As simple as this seems, there are many different benefits of making your bed everyday. After doing it over and over for about a year, the one day that I did not make my bed, my whole mood changed. It has now been over 10 years, and I will NOT go a day without making my bed. After making it, I feel like I accomplished something which adds to my positive habits for the day. It also gives me the opportunity to swap out my pillow cases (I LOVE the SILK ones by SLIP). I try to change those every 3 days to prevent bacteria build up on my skin.

Habit 5: Drink H2O

There are so many positive benefits from water including radiant and healthy skin! They say to drink half your weight in ounces of water daily. Start small if you are not used to drinking lots of water. I love my 24oz hydro flask. I fill it up twice, have my 12 oz warm lemon water in the morning, and if you want some flavor or fizz like me, I typically have some Bubly (mango), Spindrift (raspberry/lime), or Zevia Pro tip - Dr. Zevia has caffeine and tastes like Dr. Pepper. This helped me get off Diet Coke several years ago. It is amazing. When I don’t want or need the caffeine I go with their non-caffeinated cola or ginger-ale flavor in the late afternoon/ evening. One of these plus my morning lemon water, and hydroflask (times 2) equates to about 64oz+ a day. The more water I drink, the more water I crave, and the more my skin glows!

Habit 6: Moisturize and SPF

This goes hand in hand with the H2O. No amount of moisturizer can take the place of actual H2O, but it sure can help supplement (especially in the winter months). Even if your skincare routine is brief, I would suggest to moisturize and use SPF over everything! Always consult your dermatologist for the best skin regime based on your needs. If you want some more recommendations that have helped me tremendously, check them out on my IG @skinchies under the highlight icon “Allison’s Faves.” I am classic combo skin now, but I battled acne for several years. Thanks to hormone changes, H2O, and green smoothies, I have overcome those skin issues. Often times we think because we have oily skin, that we do not need moisture. This is FALSE! In fact, there were specific moisturizers that DID help with my acne. My dermatologist told me that because I was depriving my skin of moisture, it was over producing oil causing more acne - what I thought was helping my skin was actually hurting my skin. I was also fearful that SPF would cause more breakouts so I avoided it. Insert skin cancer and MOHS surgery, hyperpigmentation, and melasma! Now, you’ll never see me go one day without SPF or moisturizer. Also, don’t forgot about the rest of your body too! Be sure to get an annual skin cancer check up at the dermatologist. Stay hydrated friends!

Habit 7: Meditate

The goal of meditation is to be in the present moment. During this time, you can clear your mind and reduce stress (reducing stress is good for your overall health and SKIN!). I often do this in the shower, after my Peloton workout while I am stretching, or before bed. Sometimes I do breathing activities, and sometimes I use apps like headspace, simple habit, and plain old YouTube! Stick to a small goal of 5 minutes a day. Gift yourself these 5 minutes of "you time" - you deserve it! If you don’t have 5 minutes a day to yourself, you don’t have a life.

Habit 8: Move

Get an Apple Watch, Fitbit, or whatever fitness watch that can track your fitness goals. I find myself at 9pm throwing air punches and haymakers, running in place, or dancing to get my last few “active calories” in for the day. It is super motivating to see all my fitness rings close for the day and EVEN more motivating to see them close for 30 days in a row. If you don’t have a fitness watch, set an alarm on your phone to remind yourself to get up and move every so often. If the weather permits, go for a walk! You don’t even have to get into exercise clothes or sweat for it to count! You do get extra credit for sweating though.

This was my least favorite to write, but had one of the biggest impacts on my body. This is one of those “Tiny Habits” I need to start doing again. I do JJ Smith’s 10 Day Green Smoothie Cleans 2-3 times per year and it resets my entire body. The first three days are hell, but after that, it's amazing what my body does. My energy is up, my mood improves, I have so much more clarity, and I find that my eyes are whiter and brighter. We don’t realize how many toxins we take in each day and doing a hard reset has really changed my overall health. JJ Smith has a book called Green Smoothies for Life, and that is my New Years Goal this year not only to do my annual “hard resets” but to have a yummy green smoothie everyday to ensure I am fueling my body with good. My skin thanks me too!

Habit 10: Reflect

Starting your morning off right sets the tone for the rest of the day, but ending your evening sets the tone for your night, and sleep is very important! It can be hard to fall asleep, especially when we have a lot on our minds. I end my day by journaling or writing down my good deeds for the day, how I can improve tomorrow, and great things that happened that day. I call this my “empowering evening”. I also take time to write down what I ate during the day, and journal my mood patterns. This allows me to see what I can improve upon the next day. The last thing I do is my “To-Do Review..” I love my custom Plum Planner and I review the to-do’s I did and did not do and set my plan for the next day. This is a great “Brain Dump”. When I forget to do this before bed, I often find myself waking up in the middle of the night wondering how I am going to remember something I said I would do for the next day. When I journal it all the night before, I am worry free and sleep much better!

Habit 11: (extra credit) Read!

I try to take 20 minutes a day to read 1-2 chapters of a book. I personally prefer self-development books, but any book you choose is a good book. This helps improve your brain connectivity, reduces stress, and also prepares you for sleep!