It’s hard to be healthy. So hard. Most of the time, it feels like everything and everyone is working against you, constantly tempting you to nosh on junk food or skip your workout. So what if I told you there was a simple way to help counteract those unhealthy influences? What if there were healthy home hacks…tiny tweaks…you could make to your home to help your healthy lifestyle stick?
These hacks seem so small you might doubt they could make a difference. But experience and scientific studies show they do! And most of them could be knocked out in a day.
So what are these magical healthy home hacks? Allow me to elaborate!
Incorporate healthy living into your decor.
Display beautiful, healthy foods front and center.
I once read a fantastic tip to determine your snack weakness (ice cream) and where it lives (the freezer), then place an eye-catching, healthy decoy along the path to that snack. So I bought a new, more open fruit bowl (that better displayed the contents) and placed it on my kitchen island. That means every time I walk into my kitchen, fresh fruit is the first food to catch my eye.
And I’ve gotta tell ya, it works! It keeps healthy eating at the forefront of my mind and causes me to think twice before opening the freezer.
(I keep my fruit bowl full with zero effort thanks to the weekly box of produce delivered to my front door via Imperfect Foods. Bonus points for supporting their mission to reduce food waste!)
Have favorite healthy snacks, like nuts, seeds, or protein bars? Try displaying them in decorative jars or on a rustic hostess tray to elicit the same response.
(This is also a great hack for eating healthy when your family doesn’t – making healthy snacks look more appetizing and readily available than the Oreos you know are hidden in the pantry. Be sure to check out How to Eat Healthy When Your Family Doesn’t | 11 Keys to Success for more tips in this area!)
Display healthy beverages in eye-catching dispensers.
Similar to displaying healthy foods, keeping healthy beverage options front and center will encourage you to drink them more often. After all, who wouldn’t be tempted to pour a drink from a carafe filled with water and fresh fruit? Or a farmhouse-style glass water dispenser?
Friends, I don’t even keep water near my bed at night. But I would if I had this gorgeous bedside carafe!
Don’t have the counter space to display a dispenser? Then choose a water bottle or water infusion bottle that’s beautiful and unique to keep on your desk or coffee table.
Keep exercise equipment within your line of sight.
Running shoes next to the door or barbells near the tv (ready for your next video workout) will act as visual cues to keep your health at the forefront of your mind. Are you beginning to notice them a little less where you’ve placed them? Try setting them somewhere different (like moving your running shoes from the front door to the back door) to keep the trigger fresh and effective.
Display photos of yourself and your family participating in healthy activities.
Even though it’s far from Instagram-worthy, I framed a picture my parents snapped of me after I completed my second half-marathon. I sat it on a shelf right next to a picture of my daughter riding in her Little Tikes Cozy Coupe on one of our daily walks.
These photos remind me of times I felt active and healthy, and encourage me to create more of those moments. Plus they add more life and character to our home!
Set your home up in a way that encourages screen-free activities.
If you’re anything like me, your entire living room, dining room, and kitchen are all centered around a TV. And while screen time never hurt anyone in moderation, I think we could all agree we’re better off pursuing healthier activities.
Why not make your dining table a gathering place? Make it look cozy and inviting with candles, succulents, or fresh fruit. I even set up a few shelves of art supplies in the corner of our dining room so that our five-year-old is drawn to draw or paint at the table as much as she’s drawn to the TV.
Try creating a seating area where you can chat with guests away from the TV, or make your outdoor space a destination. And how much would you love a cozy reading nook, complete with comfy chair, an extra warm throw, and perfect lighting? All of these spaces will encourage physical, mental, and emotional health by simply existing in your home.
Embrace nature.
Make your outdoor space a healthy destination.
Study after study have found that time spent outdoors is time invested in your health thanks to the sunshine, fresh air, greenery, and overall mental/emotional boost it provides. So make your outdoor space one that calls you…well…outdoors.
Set up a few comfy chairs, string up lights or other decor, or make a cozy firepit. (I’ve always wanted a firepit. Please allow me to live vicariously through you!)
I’ve started planting vegetables in planters and pots on my back porch for the past several years and it’s been a health win in so many ways. First, I’m encouraged to eat more vegetables (because who’s gonna waste a tomato that’s taken weeks to grow?!).
Secondly, watering the plants every morning, watching the birds visit them from inside the house, and sitting next to them in my favorite patio chair at night? It’s all incredibly therapeutic and makes me long for more time outdoors.
Bring the outdoors inside.
Who says the health benefits of the great outdoors have to stay outdoors? I’ve found that by opening up windows (or at least the blinds/curtains) whenever possible, the fresh air and sunlight can provide me nearly the same inspiration while indoors. Bonus: studies have found that bright lighting also reduces depression and anxiety!
And why not bring some greenery inside? A few strategically-placed succulents or other house plants can help to inspire a healthier lifestyle.
Make healthy living convenient.
Make sure healthy foods are 110% ready to eat.
Imagine this: You’re next-level hangry (hungry + angry)! You throw open your fridge and see (a) leftover pizza and (b) vegetables that need to be washed and cut before you can nosh. Which option will you choose?!
If you’re being honest with yourself (and you’re truly very hangry), you’re going for the pizza every time. Because who wants to take a bunch of extra steps before they can eat?
Here’s the better option: As soon as you bring healthy foods into your home, wash, cut, and portion them out so that you can grab them and eat them without thinking twice. This could mean cutting vegetables or even portioning out that family-size bag of almonds from Costco into smaller baggies you can take on the run. A little bit of work when you’re in a healthy state of mind will go a long way to help you out when hanger takes over.
Keep healthy snacks conveniently located.
Where are you when hunger usually strikes? Paying bills at the dining room table? Cuddled up on the couch? Sitting in your home office?
Wherever you are, you want to make sure that the closest snack to you is a healthy snack. That might mean keeping the fruit bowl at the dining room table or stocking the coffee table jar with almonds instead of M&Ms.
It could look like setting an apple on your desk or stashing a few granola bars in your desk drawer. Make healthy foods so conveniently located that you would feel silly traveling all the way to the pantry for that box of cookies.
Just a few strategic healthy home hacks have the potential to make a significant and lasting impact on your health. By incorporating healthy living into your decor, embracing nature, and making healthy choices convenient, you’ll be well on your way to counteracting unhealthy influences for good.
Which healthy home hacks will you incorporate first? Have any hacks of your own? Be sure to share with us in the comments!
P.S. Want to improve your fitness without ever leaving your home? Then be sure to download our free no-equipment home workout here!
Disclosure: While all opinions are our own, we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other affiliate advertising programs, designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites, at no additional cost to you.
