Despite Not Being Big, These 36 Habits Can Significantly Improve Your Life, As Shared Online
Interview With Expert
Small things in our lives usually matter a lot more than they seem to. After all, that is what big things are most often made of.
As we found out through this Reddit thread, a great example of that is small habits that, if practiced regularly, are a lot more significant than they appear and have the power to really lift up one’s quality of life. Scroll down to check them out!
More info: Reddit
This post may include affiliate links.
Helping others without expecting anything in return. Hard. Yet, worth it.
This is actually hard-wired into homo sapiens' brains. Modern "culture" suppresses it.
Sleep
The effect of these habits sometimes tends to be passed off as anecdotal and is not taken seriously when it really should be. So, to better understand how all of this works, Bored Panda reached out to a couple of life coaches who are experts in this field.
We first talked to Eva Centeno, a woman who wears many hats, now best known for being a Certified Life and Retirement Coach, guiding her clients with the help of Positive Psychology tools that she acquired by studying under the renowned professor Tai Ben Shahar.
Stop comparing your life to someone else's. The fact that they have a nicer car doesn't mean you have a worse life. The things they post online are only part of their reality. Their life isn't perfect either.
I get it, I'm the guy with the ugly 10 year old car in the apartment complex whose parking lot is filled with Mercedes and muscle cars.Would I like to own a better car? Sure. But not because all my neighbors have one. I know I have reliable transportation, which makes my life easier than the guy who takes two buses to get to work. It doesn't mean that I don't want more. it just means that what my neighbor has is irrelevant to my happiness.
This times 1000. Like the old church hymn says, "Count your blessings, name them one by one."
Live by the rule: if something takes 2 minutes or less to accomplish, just do it.
You’ll notice how many things are really not that bad, but also how much accomplishing things is just a mental block.
The expert explained to us that building a strong foundation by pursuing these small habits is very important, yet not that difficult, only requiring us to pay attention and be mindful. “Eating well, sleeping well, and paying attention to our relationships with self and others forms a strong foundation for a person that increases their quality of life.”
“I like looking at the whole person,” said Eva when talking about giving life advice and emphasizing the importance of balance. “I do this by reviewing their SPICE FOR LIFE to begin. How are they functioning in all these areas of life: S - Spiritually, P - Physical well-being, I - Intellectual well-being, C - Connection with others, and E - Emotional well-being.”
Daily practice of not reading the comments in political threads. Instantly improves mental health and saves countless hours of pointless arguments!
The expert also added that there are multiple ways to form new habits. “Dr. BJ Fogg did a lot of research on habit formation. He created "Tiny Habits," which can lead to big changes,” said Eva, giving an example that if you want to exercise more, you could connect that to a habit you already have, like continuously adding a pushup onto pushup every time you brush your teeth.
Other examples that the life coach provided included writing a gratitude journal, going for awe walks, and doing acts of kindness. “Becoming more mindful of how you speak to yourself and others is life-changing!"
Morning Exercise. Just 10 minutes of exercise each morning can boost energy, improve mood, and promote better health, leading to a more productive and positive day
Consistently drinking enough water throughout the day can improve skin health, aid digestion, and increase energy levels
This post reminds me to drink a big glass of water right now! :-)
Next, we talked to Jacqueline Hurst, who is a Certified Life Coach, Master NLP Practitioner, a Certified Health and Weight Coach, and an author. Having gone through an interesting life journey battling various addictions since a young age, she has later found inspiration to transform her experiences into her purpose. “It bestowed upon me a wealth of valuable lessons, ones that I now share with others on a daily basis.”
Shower. Or, if that’s too hard some days, at the very least wash your face and brush your teeth.
I have to shower every evening before I go to bed. Relaxes and refreshes me, I sleep better, and the bedding stays cleaner, longer.
Jacqueline provided us with a similar and, at the same time, slightly different perspective on the same topic when compared to the answers of our previous expert. According to her, the principles serving as a roadmap to a healthier and more fulfilling life are:
- Prioritize mental well-being.
- Be conscious of your thoughts and recognize your control over them.
- Connect with nature for rejuvenation.
- Surround yourself with positive influences.
- Fearlessly cut ties that hinder your growth.
- Establish strong boundaries.
- Uphold a profound sense of self-respect.
Cleaning and tidying up your living space, even if it's just getting rid of the dust on some shelf or putting one book in your bookshelf, after sole times, your living space is much more cleaner than it used to be and it's better for your health and mental health.
I find simply making the bed makes me feel better about things. There's something about a messy bed that stresses me.
Making tomorrow better the night before. Lay out clothes, pack lunches, pack the bags going to work or school, and figure out what is for dinner so you can thaw it/put it in the slow cooker/etc. when you get up. That makes the morning a lot less stressed and that makes the day go better.
When talking about having a good routine in one’s life, the expert agreed that it is imperative for paving the way for meaningful personal growth and achievement. “Embrace the importance of your mindset, stay committed to consistency, uphold self-respect, and exercise self-discipline.”
Jacqueline also added that forming habits is as difficult as you believe it to be. “If you change how you think and see the power within your own mind, you will see it as an exciting opportunity for changes,” said the life coach, emphasizing that the best approach for starting is starting.
Spending a small amount of time each day learning something new, like a language or a hobby, can enhance cognitive abilities and personal satisfaction
Stop drinking sugary drinks. It's a small change really. Just replace your coke with water. Man... the weight loss was more than expected.
No! Lies! Well, maybe for some people, but not with me. I used to drink a 12pk of cans of coke cola every other day, plus whatever outside of home. Stopped cold turkey. Drank diet only, or water. Didn't change or add anything else. Didn't loose more than 4# in 90days. I still drink diet Pepsi or Dr pepper, it's been years since I had a regular soda. The only reason I didn't go back to Coke, or any other regular soda, is because it tasted way too sweet after being on the diet stuff. I switched physicians because my former one called me a liar, that I didn't quit the regular or increased sugar intake to replace what had been in the regular soda. I was ocd about it because I had a great grandmother loose her legs from the knee down because of diabetes and she wouldn't stop eating sweets and drinking pop. I was deathly afraid it would happen to me if I didn't make the change.
To add a few more pieces of advice to this already life-changing list, we looked into an article by The Everygirl. This is what they had to say:
- Start your day with a purpose by identifying your most important tasks the night before.
- Take on high-value tasks before noon.
- Read at least 15 minutes a day.
- Invest your money, little by little.
- Spend some time exploring your curiosities.
- Learn to question common sense by asking ‘why?’.
- Design your pre-workout ritual and make yourself a motivational playlist.
- Don’t skim everything that you read.
Moderate exercise.
You don't need to go from 0 to 100 by becoming some full-on gym bro. Some exercise is better than no exercise.
Try to do exercises like pushups, sit-ups, squats, pull-ups and stretches on most days of the week. Just do a like 3 sets of a few of these, in a mini workout that takes less than 20 mins in total. You can also buy some small adjustable dumbells for home workouts. Try to also sometimes do cardio by running, swimming or cycling, once in a while.
This will make you stronger, healthier and happier. You will look better, have improved sleep and mental health, as well as much lower risk for certain diseases.
Not necessarily a daily habit, more monthly habit but putting money into savings. Even if it’s a small amount.
Getting used to putting money away each month is a good habit. Even if it’s £25 each month at first to get used to it and then increasing it over time as and when you find you can manage it.
Even an amount of £25 amounts to £300 each year.
The way that I look at it is that I’d quite happily spend £25 on a good sized take away so why would I not happily invest that into my future?
The list doesn't stop there. The article also suggests to:
- Spend time with yourself.
- Keep an open mind for growing and learning new things.
- Go to sleep and wake up earlier.
- Avoid alcohol and caffeine during the evenings.
- Group your worries into what you can and what you can’t control. Deal with the first group, and learn not to stress about the second one.
- Don’t overthink and stress over small, unimportant details that probably won’t matter tomorrow.
- Create a morning routine for yourself.
- Keep looking for new hobbies and passions.
- Write down your thoughts and worries at the end of the day.
- Limit the number of most important tasks in a day.
- Change things up in your life once a month.
Healthy Eating. Incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your daily diet can improve overall health, provide essential nutrients, and boost energy levels
Allocating time away from screens and digital devices daily can reduce eye strain and mental fatigue, leading to increased productivity and better mental health
I would posit that just avoiding the internet as much as possible improves mental health. Engaging with a screen while, say, watching a movie, shouldn't count. Being selective is key.
In the end, life is all made up of small things. And to turn its flow to where we want it to go, we have to start with small habits.
While doing that is not as difficult as it may seem, it’s always easier when you know where and how to start, and that’s where sharing information comes into play. Who knows, you might just pick up something truly life-changing from a single Reddit thread.
What do you think about these small habits? Do you have any you’d like to add yourself? Scroll down and share!
Making an effort to connect with friends or family every day, even through a quick message or call, can improve relationships and emotional health
Spend half an hour in the nearest public park, if you have one. If you don't, then just spend half an hour walking around your neighborhood.
Most importantly- TURN OFF YOUR PHONE while you do this.
So walk around a dangerous neighborhood without your phone on? No thanks. I think I need to move, alright, but out of this area.
Yoga. Even five minutes of yoga has an impact. Now in my sixth year of daily practice I can confidently say it's improved my life physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally.
You know when someone slips on the ice, flails about in all sorts of contortions, grabbing at air, making panicked faces, and ends up on the ground in pain? That would be me trying to do Yoga.
Writing down three things you’re grateful for every day can increase positivity, enhance well-being, and shift focus from negatives to positives
Flossing your teeth.
I usually do this a week or so before my next dentist appointment. They are never fooled.
While exercise is a great way to start the day, sometimes you just don't feel like it but the time still needs to be spent productively.
I installed a randomizer app on my phone that has (so far) 8 activities to spend the 30 minutes each day I'm getting up earlier to be more productive and healthy: run, read (print, not computer), clean, home improvement, learn, yoga, write (journal or work on an article), rest.
Unless I strongly feel like doing one of the activities, I randomly select an activity each morning.
Try to get rejected once a day.
Not for anything in particular or even particularly important. You'll succeed less than you think.
Advice from an old professor. He was a photographer and would 'try to get rejected' getting into all kinds of cool places.
...he got into a lot of cool places.
Feeling grateful for even the slightest things will bring huge positive impact on life.
Decluttering and tidying up then and there brings a feel of peace to the mind.
Speaking kind words will make people feel this world is a better place.
That whole 'you should feel grateful for every little thing' thing, makes me irrationally angry. I was made to perform boot-licking gratitude for every ounce of attention, food, just everything, when I was growing up. So now if someone suggests I should feel grateful for tiny xyz, i get angry. There are some things that as human beings should be a given. Otherwise you feel like dirt.
Patience
My father always said: "Patience is a virtue and ignorance is bliss. So if you're stupid, and don't mind waiting around a lot, you can have a pretty good life."
If you are trying to form new habits, writing down your progress helps immensely. It helped me form a routine of reading, I just noted down the number of pages I read daily.
It is a whole other thing that I 'dropped off that wagon'. Looking for a restart in the new year. Cheers!
Not buying snacks and therefore not eating snacks. Will do wonders long term.
You can try Mindful Meditation. It can help you reduce the stress, enhance focus
I've been bodybuilding for 10+ years. It only takes 30 minutes to 1 hour 4 days a week. Get in a routine and an average of 10-20 minutes a day and you can be top 10% of the population in physique.
Breathing.
If you don't breath then you won't have much quality of life.
Or, any life.
OMG! I was wondering why I was always fainting! I will give breathing a go and see if things improve
I love how (as of right now) the thumbnail for this post says cuddle with your dog but has a cat
The only one on the list I know I can do right now is breathe. My depression has taken a huge hit since yesterday 😔
Sorry to hear! Know that there are a lot of people on here and likely in your physical life who wish you well and would be happy to listen or sit with you in silence. I hope it passes quickly. 🧡
Load More Replies... I love how (as of right now) the thumbnail for this post says cuddle with your dog but has a cat
The only one on the list I know I can do right now is breathe. My depression has taken a huge hit since yesterday 😔
Sorry to hear! Know that there are a lot of people on here and likely in your physical life who wish you well and would be happy to listen or sit with you in silence. I hope it passes quickly. 🧡
Load More Replies...
