Cook in a cast-iron skillet, have a 'yes' day and wear socks to bed — plus 6 more wellness tips to have a great week

Hello, Yahoo Life readers! Welcome to the first wellness round-up of 2025. I’m Kaitlin Reilly and I’m sharing some health tips to get your week (and the new year) off to a great start.

Want to do more good this year? Consider donating blood. January is National Blood Donor Month, and given that someone in the United States needs blood every two seconds, it’s well worth rolling up your sleeve if you’re able.

In addition to helping others, donating blood can be good for your health. Just make sure to drink plenty of water before donating and, if you’re low in iron, eat plenty of iron-rich foods (like eggs, leafy greens, beans) the week leading up to your appointment.

In the meantime, take a peek at the weather in your area and, if you are seeking astrological guidance, your horoscope. Then read these tips.

?? Cook in a cast-iron skillet

We know that adding certain things to our diet, like spinach and eggs, can up our iron intake. What you might not know is that how you cook your food can also help. As The Grio recommended, cooking in a cast-iron skillet can significantly increase the iron content of your food, which is particularly important if you struggle with low-iron symptoms like fatigue, weakness or frequently cold hands and feet. Plus, there’s so much you can make in these versatile pans, from pizza to enchiladas to pasta.

?? Have a ‘yes’ day

Remember the 2021 movie Yes Day, in which Jennifer Garner’s mom character allows herself to say “yes” to everything that her family wants for the day? It’s not just for family-friendly films: Hemisha Patel Urgola, a licensed clinical psychologist, told HuffPost that saying “yes” is a great way to bond with loved ones in the new year. “Allow everyone to pick one activity they would like to engage in that day with the entire family,” Urgola said. “Not only will you be doing something joyful, but you will be spending time with loved ones, which will inherently create moments of happiness.” Dessert for dinner? An impromptu game night? Just say yes!

?? Wear socks to bed

It’s a hot debate: Is wearing socks to bed cozy … or constricting? There’s a good reason to put on a pair before you sleep, Dr. Alex Dimitriu, a psychiatrist and sleep medicine doctor, told Yahoo Life. Socks warm your feet at night, leading the blood vessels in your feet to expand. This allows more heat to leave your body through your skin, helping to lower your overall core body temperature. This in turn signals to your brain that it’s time to doze off, allowing you to fall asleep faster, and potentially get deeper, more restorative sleep throughout the night.

?? Stop chewing ice

Do you regularly chomp on ice? It could be causing unwanted dental problems, experts told the Washington Post. Chewing ice can create tiny cracks in the tooth enamel, which may spread and lead to tooth fractures. It can also chip or break vulnerable teeth — and really, why go to the dentist more than you have to?!

If you’re searching for a comforting crunch, you can try snacking on foods like celery or baby carrots, which are safer for your teeth. For people who love the cold sensation, go for frozen grapes, which might even trigger a dopamine release.

??? Go for gut-friendly foods

If you’re looking to level up your diet in 2025, think about what’s good for your gut, dietitian Dawn Menning told HuffPost. This means eating more foods that feature probiotics, which Menning said “may improve the gut microbiome by stimulating growth and activity of healthy bacteria in the gut.” Foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, tempeh and miso are all rich in probiotics, and research says that eating more of them may even lead to better immune function.

?? Shift out of a scarcity mindset

A scarcity mindset is when you believe there aren’t enough resources to go around, which can lead you to hyperfocus on what you don’t have, whether that’s money, time or even something more emotional, like meaningful friendships. You can train your brain to overcome this mindset, though, and move yourself into an “abundance mentality,” therapist Larissa House told Women’s Health.

One way to do this is by practicing gratitude, which science says can help boost your mood, improve your resilience and give you a more optimistic outlook on life. Do so by keeping a gratitude journal of the daily things you’re thankful for in your life, whether that’s a phone call with a loved one or a really delicious meal. (Not into journaling? You can also say these affirmations out loud for the same effect.)

??? Rot responsibly

The term “brain rot” was named Oxford University Press’s word of 2024. If you’ve ever mindlessly scrolled on social media for an hour or binged a show until your brain felt numb, you’ve engaged in some of this so-called rotting — but is it a bad thing, as the name suggests? Therapist Brittany Cilento Kopycienski told Yahoo Life that “rotting” in moderation can be a chance to “mentally reset,” while allowing for a “break from constant stimulation where emotional recovery can occur.”

That doesn’t mean you should stare at your phone for hours on end when you need to decompress, though — especially if you find yourself constantly doomscrolling, which can be terrible for your mental health. Try to redirect that energy toward a nondigital activity — like, say, taking a phone-free walk, or calling a friend instead of looking at their feed.

?? Keep a streak

One way to keep up with a healthy habit? Start a streak, researcher Danny Weathers of Clemson University told the Conversation. Weathers found that staying consistent with a habit can motivate you to keep going, as it both adds structure to your practice and gamifies it — you don’t want to “lose” by getting knocked off track! One way to start a streak effectively is to keep it simple. You may not have time to go for a daily 5-mile run, for example, but you can easily floss on the regular or start the day with a quick crossword.

????♂? Make exercise playful

Do you consider working out a slog? Jah Washington, owner of Harlem Kettlebell Club, tells Yahoo Life that incorporating play into your exercise routine can bring you joy, rather than dread. Join a kickball league, grab a jump rope for some double Dutch or even join your kids' game of tag to try it out.

More wellness tips:

• Read a book: It can help lower your blood pressure.

• Wear sunscreen on a plane to protect yourself from harmful UV rays.

• Exercise in the morning — you’ll be more likely to stick to the routine.

• Strength train — it may help you fight dementia.