In this article, we explore the 10 wellness habits to adopt for 2025, as well as 10 behaviors to phase out in favor of a healthier, more balanced, and genuinely fulfilling life.
To make these new habits stick and transform your wellness practices into true daily reflexes, it’s crucial to work on both your mindset and your discipline. We asked two experts to share their tips for integrating these changes smoothly and successfully: psychologist Hiba Samawi and life coach Valeria Sassoon. They offer practical advice and strategies to help you transition more easily and effectively.
I had the pleasure of meeting Hiba Samawi, a Lausanne-based psychologist, to discuss her perspectives on well-being and personal growth. Of Swiss-Jordanian origin, Hiba is a member of the Swiss Federation of Psychologists and practices at her clinic, Wiser Humans, in Lausanne. Her diverse background spans international communications and professional therapist training. Today, she guides individuals on their personal development journey. Fascinated by the connection between body, mind, and soul, Hiba blends her psychological expertise with holistic practices like yoga, tarot reading, and astrology, offering a well-rounded, in-depth approach to well-being.
Sofia Zinai: Why is it so difficult to maintain new habits, even when we’re convinced they’re beneficial? What are the underlying causes of this struggle, and how can we overcome them to anchor these changes in the long run?
Hiba Samawi
Hiba Samawi:
It’s hard to maintain new habits because we often treat ourselves like machines, rather than recognizing our complexity as human beings. We function like an “internal village,” made up of various parts that sometimes conflict with each other: some parts want the new habit, while others feel discomfort. To successfully anchor a habit, it’s essential to understand this resistance.
Imagine a scale: on one side, you have the reasons and values that make the habit important; on the other, the discomfort it causes. If the discomfort outweighs the motivation, change becomes difficult. To balance the scale, you can add an emotional dimension by asking yourself what the habit brings you, or you can try to minimize discomfort—for instance, by being a bit less ambitious at the outset.
Discomfort can be physical, but it can also be emotional, such as fear or doubt. One solution is to make your goal more attainable, like starting with brief sessions before gradually increasing the time. Another approach is called “sandwiching,” where you incorporate the new habit into an existing one. For example, meditating for five minutes right after brushing your teeth leverages a stable routine and makes it easier to adopt this new practice.
Begin with a simple action and increase gradually. The key is to be realistic and to build a habit slowly and sustainably.
SZ: When we set wellness goals (like a digital detox or going to bed earlier), we often lose motivation along the way. What psychological mechanisms explain this loss of motivation, and how can we address them to stay committed?
HS: Losing motivation when pursuing wellness goals often stems from seeing ourselves too rationally, while in reality, we’re far more complex. When we encounter resistance, it’s important to adopt a curious stance to understand why we’re stuck. Take “revenge bedtime procrastination,” for example we delay going to bed because we feel we haven’t had enough time for ourselves. This isn’t just a simple lack of motivation; it’s an unmet need.
Certain behaviours, like spending too much time on our phones, are designed to capture our attention. Instead of blaming ourselves, we should practice compassion—these tools are built to be addictive, much like fast food. To reconnect with motivation, it helps to link the new habit to a reward. For going to bed earlier, you could introduce a pleasant ritual, like reading or listening to relaxing music, so the habit becomes sustainable.
SZ: Habits often form through repetition, but some people get discouraged if results don’t appear immediately. How can we cultivate patience and stay motivated to persevere even when we don’t see benefits right away?
HS: Habits take shape with repetition, and it can take anywhere from two months to two years for them to fully root. Although we assume a habit requires no effort once it’s set, even automatic gestures—like brushing our teeth—still need a certain level of effort.
To stay motivated, it’s vital to understand why you’re adopting a new habit and to derive enjoyment from it. For example, listening to a podcast at the gym pairs effort with pleasure, making the activity more enjoyable. It’s also important to accept that you may need to adjust your approach if the first one isn’t working. Stay flexible and experiment with different methods until you find what suits you best.
Patience is key because results take time. Focus on the process rather than on immediate results, since small daily actions lead to long-term success. Finally, if you feel your motivation slipping, ask yourself how important the goal really is to you, and whether the effort is worthwhile. The essential point is to respect your limits and to accept your choices without guilt.
Having explored the psychological aspects of well-being with Hiba Samawi, I continued my journey into personal development by speaking with Valeria Sassoon.
Valeria Sassoon is a holistic life coach and yoga teacher who’s passionate about helping everyone find a balance between body and mind. Through her platform, Your Happy Living, she supports her clients in various life changes—personal or professional—offering tailored guidance. Whether through individual coaching sessions, yoga classes, or small-group workshops, Valeria helps people tackle challenges like work-life balance, career changes, motherhood, or physical and mental well-being. Her approach is authentic, accessible, and profoundly human, aiming to guide each person toward a more fulfilling, harmonious life.
Sofia Zinani: When we try to establish lasting changes—like a new wellness routine or a more mindful lifestyle—how can we ensure these changes truly align with our deepest selves and genuine needs, rather than imposing them artificially?
Valeria Sassoon
Valeria Sassoon: When you’re seeking to establish lasting changes—such as a wellness routine—it’s crucial to ensure they align with your essence and deeper needs, rather than forcing them artificially. According to Valeria Sassoon, any new habit takes time to settle in, requiring patience, consistency, and discipline. It’s not the amount of effort that matters but the regularity. Early on, it’s important to start small. Once you’ve integrated one goal regularly, you can gradually add more.
To make new habits easier to incorporate, Valeria recommends pairing tasks you enjoy with those that are less appealing. For instance, you might listen to a podcast while doing an activity you like less. Keeping to-do lists and playlists of things you want to listen to can help simplify daily life and introduce automatic reflexes. She also advises allowing at least three months for a habit to truly take root.
Finally, having the right mindset is crucial. Change takes time and requires effort; impatience usually arises when the goals are set too high. Staying realistic and moving forward in gradual steps is the key to integrating long-lasting habits.
SZ: When we feel exhausted or overwhelmed by daily life, maintaining new habits becomes difficult. What advice would you offer to quickly rebalance our energy and regain motivation without self-judgment or guilt?
VS: When you’re exhausted or overwhelmed, it’s tough to keep up with new habits. As I mentioned before, aiming too high can be inspiring at first, but it quickly becomes demoralizing if we can’t maintain it long-term. I suggest starting with small, easy tools that fit into your daily routine. Simple gestures—like taking a few deep breaths, drinking herbal tea, or going on a mindful walk—can have very beneficial, restorative effects on both mind and body.
To regain motivation, it’s helpful to put practical reminders in place. For example, keep an alarm clock in your room instead of using your phone if you’ve decided not to use it after 10 p.m. It’s also important to regularly remind yourself of the benefits these habits bring, to avoid self-judgment or guilt.
SZ: Embracing new wellness habits can be a challenge, especially when we feel out of sync with our natural balance. How can we reconnect with ourselves, even during intense stress or difficult transitions, so we don’t lose sight of our wellness goals?
VS: The key is to find a routine that works for you with the resources you have at the time—keep it simple and accessible, in harmony with the various factors in your life, which differ from person to person.
Adopting new wellness habits can indeed be difficult when you feel disconnected from your natural balance. It’s essential to tailor your routine to your current circumstances, maintaining simplicity and accessibility. Each of us goes through different seasons in life, and our routines should adapt to these changes. Rather than striving for an unattainable schedule, opt for simple practices that provide relief without too much effort.
During stressful periods, for example, just sitting with your feet on the floor and taking three deep breaths, going for a walk, or writing in a journal are excellent tools. These small gestures help you reconnect with yourself.
I also recommend using mantras to maintain balance, such as “Nothing is permanent” or “There’s no definitive end—everything is always retrievable.” Your thoughts and emotions don’t define you. It’s all about having a small “wellness toolkit” at your disposal to reconnect with yourself, without getting swept away by life’s ups and downs.
In 2025, cultivating lasting well-being involves adopting new habits and understanding the challenges that may arise. Drawing on expert insights from a psychologist and a life coach, you now have valuable strategies for overcoming these obstacles and integrating wellness practices authentically and sustainably. The key is to remain patient, kind to yourself, and to progress at your own pace. The journey toward lasting well-being begins today, one small step at a time.
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Image: Credit : @vinoth-ragunathan – Unplash
Sofia is an editor passionate about wellness, personal growth, and positive mindset.
