Dietary changes

The most important habit, as what we eat has a monumental affect on our gut microbiome. Find ways to get more dietary fiber in your diet, up the number of vegetables and fruits, limit sugars, fast foods, processed foods, and alcohol.

Stress Relief

Find something you can do every day that helps alleviate stress. Stress can significantly impact our gut health, which in turn impacts our overall health. Whether it’s a daily walk (put your phone on mute) or relaxing bath, or whether you incorporate some form of daily meditation into your schedule, finding ways to lower stress is a great way to keep your gut healthy.

Regular sleep

Establish a sleeping routine that will help you get 8 hours of sleep each day. It’s harder than it sounds, but medical issues aside, with some experimentation, you will likely find things you can do to tell your brain and body to prepare for sleep. Things like stopping use of electronic devices by a certain time, cessation of eating and drinking, etc. are all things you can try. It’s also important to set up a regular sleep pattern, and stick to it. Our bodies do best when they wake and sleep at the same time – yes, even on weekends.

Relaxation

Organize more activities in your life that will let you relax. As with stress relief, this is a personal thing. What relaxes one person might make someone else tense and irritated. This might be a physical activity, or it might be reading a book, watching a movie, or coloring with crayons. Never feel silly about engaging in activities that make you feel happy and relaxed.

Light Exercise

If you’re already actively exercising, you’ve got this one covered (though be aware, there is such a thing as too much exercise – exercising to extremes can actually damage your gut). If you’re mostly sedentary, introducing light activities such as walking, gentle swimming, and easy cycling are a great way to bring exercise into your daily life.