People often underestimate the value of small habits, and yet it is these small habits that often lead to big changes. With a determined mindset, clear goals, and a vision, you can develop small yet impactful habits both in the short term and the long term.
Making big changes to improve your life is important and admirable, but big changes are often overestimated, complicated, and require a lot of resources. Though small changes in your daily life or lifestyle may seem unimportant, when tended to, they can have big impacts on your life. In Alvin Toffler’s words,
“You’ve got to think about big things while you’re doing small things so that all the small things go in the right direction.”
Thus, introducing small habits into your life might just put you on the right track to making a positive and consequential change in your physical state, your mental health, your future career, or your current relationships. I’ve broken down this list into Lifestyle and Health habits all of which are great for you
Lifestyle Habits:
Create a Routine
Whether that includes getting up early, having a morning coffee at 9:00 AM, or going for a run at sunset, a routine offers you stability and time management skills without even having to think about it! Giving yourself some structure can give you more time to yourself and can reduce stress in your busy day!
Save Your Income
Even if you barely have an income or you think you don’t make enough to save, it is a habit that can financially benefit you in the future. Putting aside 20-25% of each paycheck in a savings account will increase the likelihood that you can partake in future investments and will allow you the savings to take a dream vacation! If you are not a great saver, automate the process so that you don’t get accustomed to large amounts of money in your checking account.
Network
Get to know people in and outside of your circle. This doesn’t mean networking solely for business purposes, but rather socializing and expanding your circle based on all interests, from leisure to sports, to music. We become the people we surround ourselves with, so it’s important we surround ourselves with people that strive to become something great.
Learn Something New
Making an effort to learn something new every day will strengthen your mind and stimulate creativity. By picking up a book, clicking an online article, or engaging in a conversation, you are opening your mind to new ideas and knowledge. Reading a book before bedtime is even scientifically proven to help you sleep!
Reflect
Whether you prefer to reflect through meditation or journaling, taking a moment to assess and evaluate your day is important in building self-awareness, in developing your decision-making skills, and in simply learning to appreciate your surroundings.
Healthy Living Habits:
Drink Water
Water provides your body the hydrating energy it needs to get things done in a productive, efficient, and effective manner. Notice the difference your body will feel when you enrich it with the generally recommended 64 ounces.
Self-care Time
Giving yourself an hour a day to walk in the park, take a bubble bath, or go to a yoga class nourishes your physical and mental health. It is difficult to problem solve and manage stress when we are physically and emotionally drained, which is why dedicating time to self-care is so important.
Eat Greens
Eating greens doesn’t necessarily mean altering everything you put into your body but rather implies incorporating greens into your diet. Plants provide your body the nutrients, energy, and minerals it needs. If you aren’t a greens lover, get the meal over with in the morning by making a healthy smoothie and try drowning out the taste of spinach with lemon juice or blackberries.
Get Your Steps In
According to the World Health Organization, humans should be getting 150 minutes of physical activity a week. For people with office jobs and sedentary lifestyles, 150 hours of physical activity is a huge leap. This means out-of-the-box efforts need to be taken to achieve the goal. Try replacing your traditional chair with a standing desk, replacing your office chair with an exercise ball, or to walking or biking to work.
Turn of Screens Before Bed
When you disengage with technology at night, your sleep is improved, thereby bettering your mood and productivity the following day. Rather than going to bed to the sound of the television, try falling asleep with a book or newspaper. The television is relaxing, and it may feel that it takes very minimal brain activity, but that assumption is not entirely accurate. The light and sound of the television are proven to disrupt your sleep, rather than enhance it.
This curated list of small habits that can improve your life is just that, small. There are a million small habits you can make to improve your life. Take some of our ideas and make your own personally tailored list!
Grab a pen and jot down things, moments, or situations that cause stress in your daily life, and try and brainstorm small habits that could solve some of those problems in the long-term!
What small habits have you picked up lately?
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