7 Areas of Healthy Habits for the New Year – (with Scriptures)

Saturday Morning Devotional

The start of a new year brings lots of talk about good habits, healthy lifestyle, New Year resolutions, and positive changes. Here is a twist on all of that as we look at 7 areas of healthy habits for the new year – with scriptures.

I don’t know if you are a planner or not, but I find that if I don’t get something planned, it never happens. This year I thought I would do a little more planning in these 7 different areas of life:

• Family
• Finances
• Physical Health
• Home
• Mental Health
• Organization/Planning
• Spiritual Health

I will say that I do not want to overwhelm myself with too much change all at once. Instead, my plan is to pick one or two new ones in each area and try to master them (small steps).

The following lists are just guides or jumping off points. Some of these I already do on a daily basis, and others are a bit of a challenge. Obviously I am picking the ones on the lists that are a challenge for me. I hope you will see if there are areas you need to work on this year as well.

7 Areas of Healthy Habits for the New Year

#1 Family

We all love our families! And, since we know that our families are important to the Lord, we might need to step back and evaluate our family time. Here are a few things that came to mind.

• Date night
• Family game night
• More time with kids and grandkids
• More time with other family members
• Be present when you are with your family – monitor screen time.

Did you notice that the most common needed element with our families is our time?

#2 Finances

I feel like there is always room for improvement on this one for most people. There are always ways to improve our finances.

• Set a budget and evaluate it each month.
• Save money – Put aside some each month into a savings account.
• Tithe
• Give to charitable organizations.
• Start a college fund for grandkids.

#3 Physical Health

This area is my biggest struggle! I have been able to eat whatever I wanted my entire life (not that it was healthy or anything), but it has caught up with me. Besides my unhealthy eating habits, I need to pretty much put all of these into practice for good health. I am going to have to pick a few simple ways I can make some changes.

• Drink more water – Carry a water bottle with you. Proper hydration is very important!
• Take a lunch instead of eating fast food everyday.
• Cook meals for a healthier diet – Keep a list of meals handy.
• Daily vitamins
• More movement, exercise, or some type of physical activity – It will help if you listen to a podcast or a favorite song while working out.
• Get better sleep – go to bed at a decent time, have a bedtime routine, and set a sleep schedule.
• Wear sunscreen.
• Regular checkups with the doctor
• Monthly chiropractic visits
• Get on an Inversion Table every morning. This is a great way to keep your back stretched. If you have had issues or surgeries, please check with your doctor first.

#4 Home

Our homes are our havens, or at least they should be. However, it is easy to let things get out of control at times. This year it is the perfect time to take them back.

• Make the bed daily.
• Get rid of unused items.
• Clean out closets, cabinets, and drawers.
• Pick up clutter each night before going to bed.
• Unload the dishwasher as soon as possible. (My downfall!)
• Keep laundry done at least every 3 days.
• Fix any needed repairs.
• Decorate according to your likes and not the newest trend.

#5 Mental Health

As a person who deals with mental health issues everyday in my profession, I cannot tell you how important this piece is in our lives. Some things are out of our control, but there are things we can do to bring peace to our lives.

• Find time to do something you enjoy at least once a week.
• Take a short walk when feeling stressed.
• Take a hot bubble bath and relax.
• Enjoy different spa services.
• Read a good book.
• Limit social media and screen time.
• Say no to some things.
• Go outside and get some fresh air and sunshine.
• Listen to calming music with a good message.
• Pet therapy is always good!
• Start a new hobby.
• Try deep breathing exercises when stressed.
• If needed, see a professional counselor.

#6 Organization/Planning

Having things organized and planned makes things run so much soother. I am not super organized or anything, but this is an area that I actually enjoy. Who else is with me on this?

• Have a morning routine. For ideas on this, read 8 Tips on How to Have a More Productive Year.
• Use a good planner.
• Keep a calendar – Digital, paper, or within your planner.
• Weekly or Monthly meal planning – January’s Monthly Menu is here.
• Online grocery shopping – pickup or delivery with Walmart+ or other programs.
• Set aside a designated time to check email. Since email accounts are on our phones now, checking it all the time can be a time waster.

#7 Spiritual Health

This is the area that holds all of the others together! Working on your spiritual health and relationship with the Lord is the best way to to have the others fall into place.

• Daily Bible time – Set aside a specific time for this, or the things of life will prevent it from happening.
• Journal
• Memorize scripture.
• Daily prayer time
• Listen to uplifting Christian music, and sing praises to the Lord.
• Join a Bible study or have your own private one.
• Connect with a local body of believers for fellowship with one another.
• Attend church services to grow your faith and fellowship.
• Serve the Lord with your gifts and talents.

Other Options for New Year Planning

You have probably heard about Jon Gordon’s book, One Word that Will Change Your Life. It is a very good book, and I think most people find that this works very well for them. However, when I did it, I kind of forgot about it after a few months.

CoCo with The Crowned Goat has a unique approach to this. She chooses a different word to focus on each month. She shared exactly how to do this, along with ideas for the monthly words and actions to go along with them. I will probably incorporate some of her monthly ideas into my 2024. Here is her post – Word of the Month Ideas.

I would love for you to join us each week if you don’t already. Here is a sign up to receive the messages directly to your inbox. You will also receive 5 of the EASIEST candy recipes I have ever found.

I hope you found something you could use and apply to your life in these 7 areas of healthy habits for the new year – with scriptures. Although they are all worth doing, let’s just pick a few to work on at a time. Once these become new habits, we can choose new goals.

I would love to hear what your goals are for 2024. Please share if you feel comfortable doing so.

May you and your family have a prosperous and Happy New Year!

Related Post

How to Declutter Your Mind and Your Home

Until next week…

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“When I am filled with cares, Your comfort brings me joy.” Psalms 94:19