If you’ve ever taken on a big goal, you know that progress doesn’t happen over night. If we want to see big changes in our lives, we must start with small steps and reach a little closer to our goals with each passing day. Below is a list of tiny habits you could add into your daily routine in order to completely revitalize your well being. You will be amazed at what these simple steps can do to improve your health, your relationships, and your environment.
Physical Health
Water
Drink a glass of water right when you wake up. This will help you to feel more awake by rehydrating your system and giving you a quick goal to accomplish first thing in the morning. With all the soda, caffeine, and other liquids we drink daily, it is easy to dehydrate ourselves or to let too many sugars into our bloodstream. By starting your day with water you can sweep away those toxins and prepare your body for a fresh start. Add some lemon to your water for an extra flavor kick and immune system boost.
Fruits & Veggies
Add raw fruit and vegetables to each of your meals, or even include them as snacks between meals. Add as many natural colors to your daily food intake as possible. The more colorful your plate is, the more full of nutrients! Greens are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber to help our bodies work at their optimum levels. Whenever you are not sure what to eat, go for a piece of fruit.
Walk
Try to fit as much walking into your day as you can. Simple choices like parking farther away from the entrance or taking the stairs instead of the elevator will help you lead a more active lifestyle. Since walking promotes healthy circulation, your body will thank you for taking the extra steps.
Stretch
Stretching is a natural medicine for the body. Even a short hourly stretch will work to counteract the negative effects of sitting for long periods of time. When you sit for too long your circulation is hindered and your muscles are more likely to cramp up. Stretching for just a few moments each hour will provide you with the physical and mental break you need to keep working your best throughout the day.
Mental Health
Listen
Active listening is a valuable skill to have, so you should practice it whenever possible. When you engage in a conversation, try listening intently and building on the other person’s ideas – instead of simply waiting until it is your turn to speak. By practicing active listening you will open your mind to new ideas and build stronger connections to those around you. Exploring new thoughts and expanding your perspective will help you to become a more insightful person.
Sit in Silence
Spend a few minutes in silence each day. Take some time to acknowledge the present, without looking at your phone or worrying about what you will do next. Set aside time each day to be present and aware. Breathe deeply, and focus on your senses. Deep breathing is naturally calming to our minds and can help us to regain control of our chaotic thoughts.
Write
Take a few minutes at the end of the day to write down everything on your mind. It doesn’t have to make perfect sense – you can draw, or write only in words or phrases. The idea is to get everything down in a completely unfiltered way. This sort of brain dump can help you feel inner peace and may even reduce anxiety.
Set Intentions
When you wake up in the morning, set an intention for your day. Define your goals, and establish what you want to accomplish that day. Make a mental note of the things that will bring you happiness that day. This exercise not only helps you to define your goals, but it will help you to manage your frustration when other things don’t go your way. Once you have determined what matters to you, you won’t have to worry about anything else.
Productivity
Self Review
Take time at the end of your work day to review yourself. Write down a list of all the things you accomplished that day, and make another list of what you had hoped to accomplish but didn’t. In this list, think about why you didn’t get each of those tasks done. Evaluating your progress at the end of the day will help you to focus on the positive when you think about your workday. It will also make you more aware of areas where you could improve.
Notification-Free Time
Humans are not natural multi-taskers. We would all like to be able to check our phones throughout the day as we work, but the truth is even small distractions like your phone can destroy your productivity. In order to get the most out of your work day, try turning off the notifications for a while. Choose a long block of time, and silence your phone for that duration. Your productivity will fly through the roof!
Slower Invitation Responses
Stop feeling the need to respond to invitations right away. Whether you are spreading yourself too thin by saying yes to everything or destroying your social life by rejecting any invitation that comes your way, you are not doing yourself any favors by blurting out a response right away. Instead, respond to invitations by saying, “Let me check my calendar.” That way, you will have time to decide if an event fits in with your schedule.
Visualize Your Goals
Take a moment each day to think about what paths you will take in order to accomplish your goals. Imagine yourself doing each of the steps necessary to reach success. By visualizing the steps you need to take to reach your goals, you can increase the likelihood that you will actually follow through with those steps.
Relationships
Stay in Touch
Modern technology makes it so easy to connect with people who are far away, but not many of us set aside the time to actually reconnect with distant friends. Reach out to the people who are no longer a part of your everyday life. Reconnecting with people will help you to build up a strong network of support.
Be Grateful
Practice gratitude whenever you can. Write thank you notes to people, or journal about something that you are grateful for. Focusing on the positives can go a long way in improving your mental health, and it will help you to more strongly connect to others.
Think Before You Speak
This one sounds simple, but it is so valuable in keeping healthy relationships alive. Pause before you respond to what someone is saying. This will let them know that you heard them and are thinking about what they are saying. The pause will also give you time to reflect on what was said and to evaluate your response. Pausing in a conversation can be an effective tool for strong communication.
Take Time
Life can be overwhelming. Sometimes we are not prepared for the things that come at us. The best thing we can do in those situations is to take time to ourselves. Take a break from the situation and spend a few minutes with your self. Whether you are driving in the car, listening to music, or just sitting and breathing, your you time is valuable.
Environment
Sort Your Trash
Sorting out your trash – especially separating the plastic from the rest of the trash – is a great way to do something for the environment. Recycling helps to cut down on waste, but separating your recyclables will do something else too: it will give you a new perspective on how you use your resources. This new awareness may even alter your spending and recycling habits.
Take 3
As you walk around the neighborhood, pick up three pieces of litter. This will make your neighborhood cleaner and more beautiful, and it will make you feel more apart of your community. Perhaps you will even inspire someone else to take better care of your community.
Give to Charity
If you are reading this article from a technological device, you have a lot to be grateful for. Why not give back? Even if you only have a little to give, it can make a huge difference in someone else’s life. Donate to your favorite charity or even buy something from your favorite non-profit. Knowing that you made an impact will make you feel better, too.
Ride Your Bike
Maybe you have to commute too far to ride your bike to work, but there is always something you can do to cut down on car use. Try switching out one car ride a week for a stroll on your bike. You will feel better, your body will be healthier, and you will be doing a favor for the environment.
It can be hard to turn our lives around, but no one has to change over night. Incorporating small but smart habits into your day can help you make a big change in the long run. Add a few of these habits into your daily routine and watch your health, productivity, and relationships improve.
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