A personal wellness program can benefit your body, mind, sleep and immune system. Here's how to get started.

Whether you have dreams about squats and burpees or nightmares of running down the block and back, adopting a personal wellness program can make you feel better (about everything), boost your immunity and help you accomplish more during your day.

Your personal plan may look different from your neighbor's across the street — and that's okay. No matter how your wellness program unfolds, setting realistic goals for yourself is a great place to start.

Kicking Off Your Wellness Program

With any long-term plan, it's tempting to set massive goals right from the start.

However, you can build a path to success through smaller steps, too — and it might be easier to stick with it.

“Consistent, smaller pieces make a big impact," says Laura Czarzasty, ERYT, and owner of Express MiE Dance and Yoga Studio. “Get out for a short walk — 15 minutes of exercise here, 15 there. Meditation often scares people, but it doesn't have to be an hour-long commitment. Take 10 mindful breaths before you start your day or before you go to bed. It sets a great precedent for the rest of the day."

Morning and nighttime routines can build a foundation for success. For example, your morning wellness program might consist of a few minutes of these stretches from your bed when you wake up and some focused breathing with your eyes closed.

“Having a morning routine sets me up for success," says Sam Saenz, founder of 333 alchemy.

At night, you can unwind with a warm nightcap drink and a good book, or write down your thoughts for the next day so your mind isn't preoccupied when your head hits the pillow.

It may take a bit of experimenting to find out what works best for you.

“I also listen to soothing music or meditation, which puts me in the right mindset for bed," said Saenz.

Make it About Personal Growth and Wellbeing

Once your morning and nighttime routines are set, you'll find it easier to build consistent wellness into other parts of your day. Focusing on wellbeing provides plenty of benefits, including to your sleep and immune system.

“I try to make sure everything I'm doing hits the positive aspects of my mind, body, and soul," says Carly Shepherd, 500-Hour Yoga and Mindfulness Teacher. “I focus on that throughout the day. To me, it's about personal growth, and what I do brings the gift of presence, which is what life is about."

You can also use sleep wellness tracking technology like the Sleep Number 360® smart bed to assist and track your wellness and sleep data or try to gamify your activities. Setting goals with friends and family and rewarding accomplishments with prizes can go a long way and open your eyes to new activities.

“My family is doing an initiative called 1,000 Hours Outside," says Shepherd. The program aims for families with kids to spend a thousand hours outside every year. “That's a priority for us. Something like that makes you realize what fills your cup, so you can be more intentional about achieving it."

Perhaps you've tried an exercise program before, but it was filled with workouts that weren't fun and didn't drive you. That impacts how you approach your plan.

“Anything you do to bring in these mind, body or soul practices — you should enjoy it," Shepherd says. “Otherwise, you're not going to keep up with it and it won't become a lifetime practice."

Allow yourself occasional missteps along the way. We've all had days that aren't perfect, and trying to reach every goal at once only adds more stress.

“If you're new to this and crafting a wellness plan, be kind to yourself," Czarzasty says. “Go slow, go small and celebrate every victory as you work your way toward those bigger goals."

Prioritizing your sleep first will trickle down and have positive effects on numerous physical and mental aspects in your life.

How Sleeping Boosts Your Immunity and Factors into Wellness

A good wellness program will set you up for a better night of sleep, which is critical for your wellbeing.

Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Averaging even 15 minutes more quality sleep per night is enough to boost your immunity. People who sleep less than seven hours are 32% more likely to catch colds, and flu shots may be 50% less effective if you have inadequate sleep.

“I need to get a good night's sleep or I am a train wreck," says Saenz. “Those morning and evening routines build consistency, which is really key."

“Sleep is your foundation for everything," adds Czarzasty. “Sometimes, when people start a wellness plan, they quickly burn themselves out because they're not factoring in rest. If you wake up and you're already exhausted, it's that much harder to feel fired up about what you want to do. You have to have a good night's sleep and expand from there. It'll behoove you in the morning."

Numerous studies have found insufficient sleep can impact everything from weight gain to mood regulation to general brain health. The right bedding and mattress can help you get more quality sleep. Sleep Number^® smart bed owners who use its features and SleepIQ^® technology get almost 100 hours more proven quality sleep per year!*

Be Mindful of Your Body's Needs

As you're building your wellness plan, pay attention to those little moments of rest, meditation or mindfulness.

Sleep Number smart sleepers who do gentle exercise, like yoga, get the most restful sleep.**

A few deep breaths in the shower or while sitting on your back porch can help center your mind and body and refocus your energy. It's good practice for improving your sleep and immune system, too.

“The more committed you are to that overall wellbeing and activity during the day and giving yourself those meditative moments, the more you're primed to get that good night's sleep," Czarzasty says. “They really go hand in hand."

Finally, be sure to listen to your body. It won't lie to you. In fact, it will let you know if it's not getting the proper attention.

“So many people walk through life without much awareness of what's going on in the body," says Shepherd. “Understanding where the stress is in your body and noticing if your mind is racing are simple ways to tune into what's going on. When we're not embodied in our feelings, it's harder to know how to bring wellness to our system."

Read about What to Know About Sleep Health, Quality and Timing.

Like diet and exercise, quality sleep is essential for optimal wellbeing and performance. Because everyone's sleep needs are different, Sleep Number^® smart beds sense your movements and automatically adjust firmness, comfort and support to keep you both sleeping comfortably. Find your Sleep Number^® setting for your best possible night's sleep.

*Based on internal analysis of sleep sessions assessing sleepers who use multiple features of Sleep Number products. Claim based on sleepers achieving over 15 more minutes of restful sleep per sleep session.

**Based on SleepIQ^® data from 1/2/20 to 1/1/21 and self-reported responses of sleepers using SleepIQ^® technology from 5/12/19 – 1/1/21.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joey Held is a writer based in Austin, TX, and host of the Good People, Cool Things podcast. He has written for Velocitize by WP Engine, Yahoo!, GOOD, Paste Magazine, and Texas Highways. When he's not writing or podcasting, you'll find him planning his next trip, jamming with his band Burning Years, or catching some Z's.

Photo by Danilo Ćalić on Unsplash