5 Lifestyle Changes I Made in 2024 That Positively Impacted My Life

and why I've kept them in 2025

In 2024, I made a commitment to myself: to finally stop ignoring the little nudges, the signs my body had been giving me for years, and make real lifestyle changes. At first, they felt like experiments — things I wasn’t sure I’d stick with. But as the months went on, I realized each one was reshaping my health, my energy, and the way I show up in my life.

Now, in 2025, they’re no longer experiments or new habits — they’re part of who I am. These choices have moved me forward, shifted my perspective, and given me a stronger foundation to keep building on. 

Here are the five shifts I started in 2024 and continue to live by today:

Quit Drinking Alcohol

Since 2019, my journal has had the same question written over and over every year: “Quit alcohol?” I knew it wasn’t serving me, but I pushed that truth away.

My body eventually made the decision clear: one glass of wine left me foggy and inflamed, and even just a few sips stole away my energy and clarity.

I finally had my last drink on Dec. 31, 2023. Now, almost 2 years later, I don’t miss it at all. I sleep better, I have fewer headaches, more energy, and my weekends feel spacious and alive. I’ve discovered adaptogen drinks like De Soi and Moment, which give me the ritual of winding down without the consequences.

Letting go of alcohol wasn’t about restriction — it was about reclaiming my time, my energy, and my clarity. If you’ve been questioning something in your life that no longer feels aligned, trust that listening to yourself might open a door you didn’t even know was waiting.

Took Charge of My Injuries

Chronic pain used to feel like my identity. Injury after injury, imbalance after imbalance, I kept ignoring the signals until my body forced me to stop. As a yoga teacher, this was especially hard— I attached so many stories to what my body should be able to do.

In 2024, I finally shifted that story. I modified and adjusted my yoga practice instead of pushing into pain. I added strength training — kettlebells, bands, and weights — to balance my body. And for the first time, I committed to daily physical therapy instead of leaving my healing entirely in someone else’s hands.

Today, I feel stronger, steadier, and more in partnership with my body than I ever have. My pain doesn’t define me anymore. What I’ve learned is this: your body wants to heal — it’s just waiting for you to give it the right conditions and care.

Vegetarian to Pescatarian

I gave up red meat at 8, all meat at 18, and for years I wore those choices as a badge of discipline. But over time, I realized discipline and alignment aren’t always the same thing. My body started craving salmon, especially while traveling, and I finally gave myself permission to listen.

As someone managing inflammation and chronic pain, introducing high-quality fish into my diet was a turning point. It gave my body the omega-3s and nutrients it had been asking for, and I could feel the difference almost immediately.

Now, being a pescatarian feels supportive and freeing. I no longer eat from a place of labels or rules — I eat from a place of deep listening. If you’re stuck in old patterns because they once worked for you, let this be your reminder: your body changes, and it’s okay to change with it.

Stopped Taking Ibuprofen

At 14, I started taking ibuprofen daily for headaches. By college, it had become a cycle—numbing pain, creating rebound headaches, and quietly damaging my digestion and energy. For years, I reached for it automatically, even when I didn’t truly need it.

Breaking that pattern in 2024 was both scary and liberating. Instead of numbing the pain, I started addressing its roots: with rest, hydration, physical therapy, movement, and lifestyle shifts.

Now, I no longer rely on a pill bottle to get through the day. I’ve learned that quick fixes often carry hidden costs, but true healing asks for patience and consistency. And it’s worth it.

Midday Wellness Breaks

For so long, I crammed my practices into the early morning, and if I missed them, I felt like the day was already lost. Last year, I started taking intentional midday breaks, and it changed everything.

Now, I step away from the busyness of my day to recharge. Sometimes that looks like a walk, a meditation, or a quiet meal without screens. Other times it’s reading, learning a language on Duolingo, or simply breathing deeply in silence.

These breaks remind me that my health isn’t secondary to my work — it’s the foundation for all of it. In 2025, this practice continues to anchor me, keeping my energy aligned and my mind clear.

So Here's The Deal

These changes didn’t just happen — they were a result of my yoga practice.

Through its tools and techniques, I have learned to listen to my body and deepest desires, and to get honest about what I truly needed to thrive in this world.

Yoga, Ayurveda, and Tantra gave me not only the clarity, but also the courage and inner strength to make these shifts — and more importantly, to sustain them.

Change can feel scary. Familiar patterns feel safe. But growth doesn’t come from comfort — it comes from choosing differently, and trusting the practices that guide you back to yourself,and enable you to live more fully.

Looking for support?

I have 2 openings for 1:1 coaching to help you create a path that feels aligned, sustainable, and uniquely yours. Together, we’ll uncover what’s been holding you back, build practices and routines that actually fit your life, and help you feel more energized, balanced, and confident in how you show up every day.

Welcome to your personal revolution— where you take up space, claim your vision, and lead from within.  And it all starts now.

Learn more: www.freespiritedwanderer.com/coaching

Contact me w/ questions: carole@freespiritedwanderer.com