My 10 Non-Negotiable Wellness Habits
I've tried almost everything over the years. Fads, protocols, detoxes with unpronounceable names. Most of them come and go. But there are ten things I've done consistently for decades — through the rock 'n' roll years, through heartbreak, through reinvention — and they are the reason I feel genuinely well in my seventies.
No gimmicks. No expensive equipment required. Just what actually works.
1. Warm Water With Lemon, First Thing
Before coffee, before anything. Every single morning. It wakes up the digestive system, gives you a hit of vitamin C, and sets a tone of taking care of yourself right from the start of the day. I've done this for thirty years and I will not hear a word against it.
2. Moving My Body Before Checking My Phone
Even ten minutes. A walk, a stretch, some movement in the garden. The phone can wait. The world can wait. Starting the day in your body rather than in other people's noise is one of the most protective things you can do for your mental health.
3. Eating Organic Whenever Possible
I know it's more expensive. I know it's not always accessible. But wherever I can, I choose organic — particularly for the foods with the highest pesticide loads: strawberries, apples, leafy greens. Your body notices, even when your brain doesn't.
4. A Proper Sit-Down Lunch
Not at my desk. Not over my phone. An actual pause in the day, a real meal, eaten slowly. This is a habit I picked up in Europe and I've never let it go. Digestion works better. Afternoons are calmer. You arrive at dinner without being ravenous and making regrettable choices.
5. Getting Outside Every Day Without Fail
Rain, cold, tired — I don't care. Twenty minutes outside every day is not negotiable. Daylight regulates your sleep. Fresh air clears your head. And there is something about being in nature, even urban nature, that resets something deep in the nervous system. I can't explain it scientifically but I know it's true.
6. No Screens in the Bedroom
My bedroom is a sanctuary. No phone, no laptop, no television. The quality of sleep I get now versus the years of falling asleep in front of something is incomparable. The bedroom is for rest and rest only.
7. A Journal
I've kept a journal most of my adult life. Not every day, not perfectly — just whenever something needs processing. There is something remarkably clarifying about writing your thoughts down. It gets them out of the loop in your head and onto the page, where they're manageable.
8. Feeding My Skin From the Outside In
A really good facial oil, applied nightly. Drinking enough water. Wearing SPF every day even in Britain — the sun is there even when you can't see it, and cumulative UV damage is the number one cause of visible ageing. I've worn SPF daily since my forties and I believe it's one of the best investments I've ever made.
9. Real Conversations
Not WhatsApp. Not a quick like on Instagram. Actually sitting with someone, talking properly, being genuinely present. Human connection is a wellness habit. Loneliness is a genuine health risk. I make time for the people I love and I protect that time.
10. Doing Something Just For Joy Every Day
Reading, gardening, cooking something beautiful, looking at art. Something that serves no purpose other than making you happy. This sounds indulgent. It isn't. Joy is a physiological requirement. The body produces different chemistry when you're genuinely happy than when you're merely managing. Make room for it every day.
