How to Create a Personal Wellness Routine

Step 1: Reflect on where you are

Take a few minutes to think about the main areas of everyday wellbeing:

• Food: Do most meals include vegetables, fruits, whole grains and protein foods?
• Movement: How much do you move, and how long do you sit?
• Sleep: Are you getting regular, good-quality sleep?
• Stress and downtime: Do you have ways to relax and recharge?
• Connection: Do you have regular contact with people you care about?

Notice what’s already working — and one area you’d like to improve.

Step 2: Choose one or two small changes

Pick changes that are specific and realistic. For example: “a 15-minute walk after lunch on weekdays” or “screens off 30 minutes before bed”. 10 simple habits has more ideas.

Step 3: Anchor them to your day

A simple daily structure might look like this:

Step 4: Plan your week

Add weekly anchors: two strength sessions, a meal-planning time, and something you enjoy. The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines suggest adults aim for 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity a week, strength activities twice a week, 7–9 hours of sleep, and less sitting — use these as long-term targets, not day-one requirements.

Step 5: Track and adjust

Use our weekly wellness checklist to tick off habits. At the end of each week, ask: What worked? What got in the way? What will I adjust? Habits take time to form, so be patient. How to build healthy habits.

Keep it flexible

Busy weeks, travel and illness happen. A good routine bends without breaking: have a “minimum version” for hard days, such as a 5-minute walk and a glass of water. You can return to your full routine when things settle.

References and further reading

1. Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology. Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Adults aged 18–64 years. csepguidelines.ca/guidelines/adults-18-64/
2. Health Canada. Food guide snapshot. Canada’s food guide. www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-guide/explore/snapshot.html
3. Public Health Agency of Canada. Are Canadian adults getting enough sleep? Infographic (2019). www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/healthy-living/canadian-adults-getting-enough-sleep-infographic.html
4. Lally P, van Jaarsveld CHM, Potts HWW, Wardle J. How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology. 2010;40(6):998–1009. doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.674

Links were checked on 28 October 2026. External sites may change their content.