Healthy Habits

Healthy Habits List: 50 Small Habits to Start Today

Big health goals are easier to reach through small daily habits. Here are 50 simple ideas, sorted into movement, food, water, sleep, mind and home. Each one is small enough to start today. Pick two or three, not all fifty.

By Uday Chandra · Last reviewed October 24, 2026 · 8-minute read

Key takeaways

Start with two or three habits from this list, not ten.
Choose habits you want to do, and that are something to do rather than something to stop.
Link each new habit to something you already do every day.
Expect it to take around two months or more before a habit feels automatic.

Movement habits

The CDC recommends that adults get 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, such as brisk walking, plus muscle-strengthening activity on at least two days. These small habits add up towards that.

Take a 10-minute walk after one meal each day.
Take the stairs instead of the lift for one or two floors.
Stand up and move for a couple of minutes every hour you’re sitting.
Walk while you take phone calls.
Park farther away, or get off the bus one stop early.
Do 10 squats while the kettle boils.
Stretch for five minutes when you get up.
Do a short strength routine (squats, wall push-ups, lunges) twice a week.
Plan one longer walk or active outing each weekend.
Put your walking shoes by the door the night before.

Food habits

Add a portion of vegetables to dinner.
Eat a piece of fruit with breakfast.
Keep a bowl of fruit where you can see it.
Plan the week’s dinners on the weekend.
Shop with a list. Our healthy grocery list is a good place to start.
Cook one extra portion and keep it for lunch the next day.
Eat at the table, without a screen.
Swap one refined grain each day for a whole grain, such as brown rice or wholemeal bread.
Keep healthy snacks ready, such as nuts, yogurt or chopped vegetables.
Check the label on one food you buy often.

A portion of fruit or vegetables is about 80g, for example one medium apple or three heaped tablespoons of vegetables, according to the British Dietetic Association. Fresh, frozen, tinned and dried all count.

Water habits

Drink a glass of water when you get up.
Have a glass of water with every meal.
Carry a refillable water bottle.
Swap one sugary drink a day for water.
Add sliced fruit, cucumber or mint to water if you find it plain.

Not sure how much you need? See how much water you should drink a day.

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Sleep habits

Adults need at least seven hours of sleep a night, according to the CDC, which also recommends a regular schedule and keeping devices out of the bedroom.

Go to bed and get up at about the same time every day, weekends included.
Set a “wind-down” alarm 30 to 60 minutes before bed.
Charge your phone outside the bedroom.
Get some daylight within an hour of waking.
Have your last coffee or tea with caffeine by early afternoon.
Keep your bedroom cool, dark and quiet.
Read a paper book for 10 minutes before sleep.
Write tomorrow’s to-do list before bed, so it’s out of your head.

Mind and mood habits

Several of these come from the self-care tips of the National Institute of Mental Health.

Write down three things you’re grateful for each evening.
Take five slow breaths before you start work.
Spend 10 minutes outdoors each day.
Choose your top three tasks each morning.
Notice what you got done at the end of the day, not just what you didn’t.
Keep the first 15 minutes of your day phone-free.
Turn off notifications for apps you don’t need.
Do something just for fun for 15 minutes.
Say no to one thing you don’t have time for.

Connection and home habits

Message one friend or family member each day.
Eat one meal a day with someone else, when you can.
Make one phone or video call a week to someone you miss.
Make your bed each morning.
Tidy for 10 minutes before bed.
Prepare tomorrow’s bag, clothes or lunch the night before.
Plan one thing to look forward to each week.
Do a 10-minute weekly wellness check-in.

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Small daily steps compound into lasting lifestyle changes.

How to pick your first habits

Choose two or three. More than that is hard to keep up at the start.
Pick ones you want to do. Habits you choose yourself are easier to keep than ones you think you “should” do.
Choose doing, not stopping. UCL researchers note that habits form by repeating an action, so “drink water with meals” works better than “stop drinking fizzy drinks” (Gardner, Lally and Wardle, 2012).
Start with one easy habit. An early success makes the next habit easier.
Mix areas. One movement habit, one sleep habit and one food habit is a good, balanced start.

How to make them stick

Habits form when you repeat a simple action in the same situation. Over time, the situation starts to trigger the action automatically. To help that happen:

Use a cue. Link each habit to something you already do: “After I have breakfast, I’ll take a 10-minute walk.” This is sometimes called habit stacking.
Keep it the same. Same time, same place, same action, at least for the first few weeks.
Track it. Tick it off each day so you can see your progress. Read how to track habits without giving up.
Be patient. In a UCL study, new habits took an average of 66 days to become automatic, with a wide range between people. Simpler habits became automatic faster.
Don’t worry about one missed day. The same research found that missing a single day didn’t significantly affect habit forming.

Common questions

What are some examples of healthy habits?

Simple examples include a 10-minute walk after a meal, a glass of water with every meal, vegetables at dinner, a regular bedtime, charging your phone outside the bedroom and writing down three things you’re grateful for each evening.

How many new habits should I start at once?

Two or three. Starting too many at once makes it hard to keep any of them. Add more once the first ones feel automatic.

How long does it take to form a healthy habit?

In a UCL study, it took an average of 66 days for a new daily habit to become automatic, with a wide range between people. Simpler habits form faster than complex ones.

What is the easiest healthy habit to start with?

Something that takes a minute or less and links to a daily routine, such as drinking a glass of water when you get up or eating a piece of fruit with breakfast.

Sources

Related tools and guides

This guide is for general education and is not medical advice. See our Health Disclaimer and Editorial Policy.