Many of us are kicking off the New Year wanting to make changes to our health and immediately feel the results. But good health begins with how you think - and believing you can achieve it. So take it one day at a time and try these seven steps to start your journey in health for 2017.

Monday
When the week is fresh, write down your purpose and set an intention. Your purpose will not be your goals in fitness, health or otherwise, but why you get up each day and do what you do. Once you have reminded yourself of this purpose, write down your intentions for the day or week. It may be as simple as ‘I will let things flow’.

Tuesday
Tweak your routine. Just one thing, perhaps one extra stretch after your morning workout, speaking to someone at the cafe instead of scrolling emails while you wait, adding a new ingredient to your breakfast. Why? It’s the little tweaks that change the way the way we think and make our minds more creative. Routine can be great, but we must be careful not to get too comfortable there. Small changes inevitably manifest bigger ones: this is a reminder that it can happen that way.

"Getting in touch with our inner child is so important to remind ourselves that in fact our energy is limitless."

Wednesday
Learn something new. Don’t just ponder and leave it there; take knowledge and learning a step further. With this you offer yourself a chance to grow.

Thursday
Be a human being, not a human doing. Check in with how your week has flowed so far. If that to-do list is getting too long, trim it and make space. Space allows us to be, rather than constantly do. And being is a wonderful thing.

Friday
Remember this: “You are as young as your mind is open and your spine is flexible.” To end the week, stretch your body and let your mind follow. Too few of us make the time to stretch on our own and yet when we do so much can be gained from it, physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally.

Saturday
Touch base with how you breathe. We can easily take for granted how powerful our breath can be. Set aside time - just five minutes twice a day - to breathe deep into your belly. The change to your state when you try it will be magical.

Sunday
Time to play … but let’s approach play as though we are children. Play as adults is a different game and often draining. Getting in touch with our inner child is so important to remind ourselves that in fact our energy is limitless.

Jacqueline Alwill is a qualified, practicing nutritionist, whole foods cook and director at The Brown Paper Bag.