Living a healthier, happier, more fulfilling life is a game of inches and incrementally built-up positive habits—not Herculean sprints at the last minute, when things are finally looking grim. A huge part of the battle is developing the patience and discipline to turn these behaviors into deeply-rooted habits. However, it’s hard to do this if you don’t even have a firm grip on what habits are worthwhile.
Luckily for us, the internet is full of folks who are happy to lend a hand to strangers. Redditor u/RileyLovesOliver turned to the r/LifeProTips online community with a request, asking them to share the small positive habits that they’ve embraced that have significantly improved their daily lives. We’ve collected the crème de la crème of their advice to educate and entertain you, Pandas. Scroll down and we hope you’re taking notes—we know we are!
This post may include affiliate links.
I get up earlier so I can have 30 minutes to drink my coffee, play Wordle, and hang out with my cat before work. Not rushing in the morning reduces my anxiety overall.
I've become the annoying person who gives an overly cheerful hello to everyone in the hallway at work.
People now expect it. Many say hello to me first.
It's starting to spread as people are greeting the people behind me, too.
I've created a virus of positivity and acknowledgment.
I have ADHD and one thing that's helped A TON is committing to a task for 1 minute and if I don't want to be there after a minute, I walk away. Many times I end up doing the whole task. Executive dysfunction usually prevents the start of tasks but I'm typically fine after I've started. So a tiny commitment like 1 minute sometimes gets me over that hurddle.
How quickly you build a habit depends on a wide range of personal and outside factors, including the person’s character and willingness to put in sustained effort, as well as the environment where they’re learning. Another important aspect to consider is just how complicated the new habit is. Drinking an extra glass of water every day or starting to floss your teeth, for instance, is incredibly easy. Getting to grips with an active and dynamic lifestyle if you’re an exercise-hating couch potato, however, is very difficult.
Verywell Mind points out that, according to some studies it takes an average of 66 days (just over two months) to form a habit. However, there’s no hard consensus, and some research shows that the process can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days. Eventually, you’ll succeed. The challenge lies in staying committed to the new habit for a long period of time and motivating yourself even when you don’t see immediate results.
I have had four knee surgeries. I was an athlete all my life. Six weeks ago I began walking the .89 mile each way (so says Google Fit) commute to work. I have lost 8lbs and my knees ache less. It isn't much but it is a start and I will continue.
ALWAYS put my keys and wallet in the same place EVERY time I come home.
Never understood why anyone wouldn't always put them in the same place
I know! I have a sister that misplaces her phone, keys, sunglasses, etc and then in a panic asks for help finding them. Why put yourself through all that stress?
Load More Replies...
Just make sure it's not right near the door! Thief= keys & wallet, YAY!
yup, in my former house I would put my foon, wallet, house-and car keys in a little basket and took them with me upstairs when I went to sleep.
Load More Replies...
And tell my SO, "No, she doesn't feel like helping you locate them for the 100th time"
Load More Replies...
My husband will put things away in whatever spot is biggest. But everything has a place, or I'd never find it. If you put something random into the place where a specific thing goes, you literally throw off the entire house.
I bought a man purse (or "satchel" as I prefer to call it. It holds my wallet, phone, charging cables, car keys, a flashlight and a wicked knife (2 actually, a regular foldable and a Karambit). I hang it by my desk and rarely leave the house without it (once last year).
My house keys are always in my pocket. My wallet and car keys are always in my jacket's pocket. I only need to grab my jacket when I leave the house.
Same here. My cellphone goes inside my hoodie's pocket and is covered by my f***y pack.
Load More Replies... 
I have organised stuff and put things back where i always want them... I have a habit of forgetting. So organising things helps.
My keys are on separate looped chains. Easy to spot in a bag, slip in a pocket, even wear around my wrist on a quick dog dash.. When I get home, hang it by radiator hook and now, if I don't hear that slight tink sound when I get in, I know I forgot the key on the outside of the door :P
You know what's even better? Having an actual place for your stuff. For instance, I don't need keys because i ride train to work, but my phone and watch are charged at the same counter so i never forget them. Wallet is in closet so I'll get it as I'm getting dressed. Get organized, people. Instead of laying stuff on their "usual places", make an actual storage places for them.
How is people's "usual place" not an actual storage place? I honestly do not understand.
Load More Replies...
My brain do this automatically. I don't even remember much doing it, but it is there. Also when I'm going out I have habit to put everything back to purse. And then I'm panicking that I had mobile on table and it is not there :D
And you will lose your mind the day you accidentally put them somewhere else
Something that helps with this in multi-person households is having a box with multiple sections on a table or mounted to the wall just inside the door; this way, everyone has a dedicated place TO put their keys and wallet (upside, it can also be used to sort the incoming mail)
I do try to do this every time I come home but sometimes I am distracted and something gets put in a different place. Then I have a mild panic attack when I go to get one of them and it's not there!!
Yep, wife always loses keys, purse, etc. my keys and wallet are always in the same place. The one downside is - on the rare occasion when I move them for some reason I am LOST! (Or when she borrows my keys or wallet, but we all know I’m not going to blame her because that never plays out well)
Load More Replies...
This goes for putting your cards in the same slot in your wallet/cardholder too
I'm quite adamant about these types of personal routines due to brain injuries. Everything has a place. Period.
i always think I put them in the same place. But I change bags dependig on the occasion so this is sometimes a pain to look for in the morning. So I try to organise it at night as a checklist to do before sleep like brushing teeth.
Same here. My wallet is in my f***y pack and my keys are on a chain with a hook attached which I attach to a belt loop of my jeans and put my keys in that front pocket.
Very important to those who have anxiety over loosing important items or dealing with issues of abuse and control. I still get anxious if I don't have or know what I call the "Holy Trinity" are: Keys Wallet Phone. Those are most people's lifeline to their identity and freedom.
I've started audibly saying "thank you" to small conviences liking hitting a green light, finding a nice parking space or if something I like at the grocery store is on sale. It oddly works wonders at improving my mood acknowledging even the smallest victories
Meanwhile, PsychCentral notes that forming a habit takes anywhere between 59 to 70 days, but a lot depends on each individual. If someone’s being monitored or they have massive incentives to develop the new habit, then they might make the new behavior automatic more quickly. In the meantime, someone who hates every single minute of the process and doesn’t see the point of the new behavior will struggle far more.
What truly helps is starting small. Really small. Tiny, in fact! Many of us have grand ambitions about how we’ll completely overhaul our lives next Monday/week/month/year in the course of a few short days. However, when we come face to face with reality and recognize how tough things actually are, those daydreams quickly disappear. By making seemingly insignificant changes to our daily lives, we can alter our behavior and quality of life without much suffering. Or, as the CDC puts it, some physical activity is better than none.
Don't put it down, put it away. My house never gets cluttered these days!
Talking to myself as I would talk to a friend when I'm upset, I stop and say, its okay, thats really sad, you are allowed to be sad, I'm here to support you and listen, just listen to your body, stuff like that
Edit: Spelling
Now I feel like a weirdo again. I have strange made up conversations with myself that don't even apply to me... there are different characters... and accents.
I stopped drinking 26oz of liquor a day. I know it seems like a tiny change but it’s really helped my memory and energy levels. And my family is talking to me again!
Something else to consider is to break down your (overly) ambitious goals into lots of bite-sized steps. So if your aim is to lose a few kilograms or to get a six-pack, you don’t commit to three hours of intense exercise every single day. No, you start with the basics, like taking a short walk, doing some simple exercises, and starting off lifting light weights.
Then, when you complete each step, you feel like it’s a small victory. Feel free to reward yourself for that in some small way to recognize your progress.
Probably won’t get read by anyone, but as someone with inconsistent bowel movements, introducing extra water and a fiber supplement has increased the consistency and ease of my bathroom time
Me! A spoonful of 'Benefibre' every morning has done wonders for me
Make lists and take notes on your phone. Don't rely on memory alone.
As a bonus I find that when I make a list, it's easier to remember as I have a mental image of that list.
Daily walks of 1-3 miles. Healthier. Calmer. Closer to my spouse as we walk together every day. If one of us is out of town, we talk on the phone while we walk. Life changer. Haven’t missed a day in more than three years.
That is a good start! We don't have a car, so I easily do 6 miles a day, just taking the kids to kindergarten, coming home, going to fetch them later and coming back. Sometimes carrying reasonably heavy shopping instead of doing weights!
For some people, what also helps is accountability. That’s why it’s so helpful to go to the gym with a friend. You can motivate each other when (not ‘if’ but ‘when’) either of you starts losing motivation. What’s more, if you have set times when you meet up, it helps establish a routine for the entire week. And that can form the foundation of your new healthy lifestyle.
What habits have proved to have a huge effect on the quality of your own lives, dear Pandas? Feel free to share them in the comments. And if you’d like to get to grips with some more useful small habits, check out Bored Panda’s previous feature right here.
I've set one day a week to have dinner and invite someone over. I'm an introvert and it gives me something to look forward to and helps me keep in touch with family and friends. It's become a big hit and It forces me to clean.
Most people just invite themselves over to my house. Cough...cough....mom and dad.....cough cough
Daily pushups and sit ups. Not a lot, I started off doing 5 push ups and 10 sit ups a day. That was three years ago and now I do 35 push ups and 45 sit ups a day. It's been great for my body and mental health to accomplish a little something every day.
I'm a cook, so maybe this doesn't apply to everyone. But I take an extra fresh pair of socks with me and change into them on my lunch break.
Keeps the feet dry, and gives me a weird little boost of energy.
Always keep a spare in the locker too, because you never know.
I stopped saying “sorry” at work. Even if I mess up. Don’t want to give off incompetent vibes or any sign of weakness. Instead, I’ve replaced it with a compliment “Great catch” or a “dang, missed that one” or any number of things, just not “sorry”. I swear my perception of skill went from middle of the pack to one of the stronger Devs and I feel it’s resulted in a promotion much earlier than was originally discussed.
Regularly reminding myself to drop my shoulders, raise my head to face forwards, and then smile. Huge change for self, huge change in how others receive me (especially strangers)
Hunching my shoulders has gotten worse over the years. It got so bad that a co-worker pointed it out and showed me what I looked like walking. I have to constantly be mindful, which is difficult for me.
Doing the dishes of pan and cooking stuff right after i cooked, and before eating. Gain of time, and things are easier to wash before it dries.
Bonus : You enjoy more eating when tasks are done.
Edit : As say in the comment, alternate tip is to wash as you cook
How do you keep your food hot if you wash up cooking stuff before you eat? You still have to wash up plates etc.. afterwards anyway.
Not fighting sleep when Im tired at night, even if it’s “early”.
My washing machine doesn't have a buzzer, and I found myself forgetting that there was a finished but wet load of clothes in there. When I'd remember, they'd smell musty and I'd have to rewash.
I now made a small policy change - when I start the washing machine, I put the small hamper right in the bedroom doorway, so I have to step over it. I put it back when the wash has been transferred to the dryer. It is admittedly a very small thing, but I've stopped having to rewash.
Becoming alcohol free.
You don't have to stop completely, but reducing it to once a month / once every few months, does a lot.
Change into my workout clothes AT WORK right before I left to head for the gym.
This removed so many barriers for me.
I stopped going home to change and then being so tired that I'd "sit down for a minute" (nope, I'm in for the night).
So hungry I'd "just grab something" (nope, I'd eat a full meal and you can't exercise after eating and now it's too late and ...)
If I had my gym clothes on, I might as well go to the gym. I only have to do ONE thing. Just one. I'm super tired or super hungry - no problem, just do that one thing and then I can go.
And for me, that one thing always kicked in my gym routine and boom, I did the full thing, focused on my workout so the hunger disappeared until I was done and then it came roaring back but I digress.
If I really was physically too tired, then I either reduced weights and did less reps or kept the weight and reduced reps, but most of the time, no matter how tired I felt - I wasn't physically exhausted, so I did the full routine and then that helped with the stress and "detox" from work and now I'm not as "tired". And the few times that I'd start to work out and do that one thing and be just wiped? Then I knew I was likely getting sick. I would stop at one because that was the deal with myself ... I'd go home and deal with the being sick.
Changing before I left work - made all the difference for me about keeping to my health routine.
I make sure to always have a glass of water next to me. Both on my nightstand and at my desk. It greatly improved how much water I drink and has helped break some unhealthy snacking habits
Yes, a glass of water instead of an unhealthy snack can work wonders
I always, always, start my day with a McDonalds coffee and sitting in my car for like an hour before driving to work.
Probably sounds stupid, but with the app my coffee is only $1.84 after tax, so it’s a great deal and something I can continue to afford even during those tight money times.
No matter the situation, I get to start my day with a positive, something that I enjoy. Because I look forward to that, it also makes getting up easier.
The hour I spend in my car drinking my coffee is spent at the nature reserve on my way to work. I get to watch the wildlife and usually will watch YouTube, set my calendar for the week, go over my itinerary for the day, etc. I basically organize myself for the day. With extra time, I’ll go for a hike on the paths to get in some exercise or I’ll read a book on the benches there.
That hour and that coffee are my favorite time of the day. Some days, I can’t wait to go to bed so I can wake up and have my “me” time. Lol.
Good for you for making this time for yourself! TO THE PEOPLE SH!TT!NG ON THIS BECAUSE MCDONALDS: Putting it simply, you're elitist a$$h0les and c**k dribblers. No way around that. You don't know where they live, that could be the only place available to them at that time of day. Or maybe they really enjoy it. It doesn't matter though. It's not for you to be judgmental pieces of sh!t. And that's exactly what you are.
Drinking lots of water and eating a banana every day has done wonders for my general mood.
My ex never drank water because she "didn't like the taste" and had constant migraines. She was on medication for the migraines but I personally feel like she has headaches because she was dehydrated to some extent.
I started actively pre-planning my days. I spend 3-5 minutes before going to bed vividly imagining the things I'm going to the next day, and it's been working wonders for dispelling any internal resistance to doing stuff that's boring or hard, but required.
Whenever I wash my hands, instead of the happy birthday song, I sing “I am grateful for you, I am grateful for you. I am grateful for (insert person I’m grateful for). I am grateful for you.”
Hands are clean and you sneak in some gratitude on the sly.
Going outside and looking at the sunrise and sunset respectively every day
No sunset/rises where I live. Too rainy,cold, and cloudy all the time, I like to pretend I hate the weather but deep down I love it 🌧🌧🌧
Giving myself the grace to half a*s something. If a task is worth doing it's worth half a*sing.
Keep a full change of cloth at work for emergency use. Split your pants? You're covered. Step in a puddle after parking? You're saved. Trust a fart? It's now an embarrassing, mild inconvenience.
When I get home from work, unless I’m extremely tired I always take 10-20 minutes to straighten up, put dishes or clothes away, sweep if needed, feed pets etc. so I can just relax the rest of the night in a nice tidy place. Also stop at the store after work if needed instead of going home, sitting down and then rushing to do stuff right before bed.
I try to romanticize my mornings since I am not a morning person. Light a candle for myself while getting ready for work, slather myself in lotion, try to take time with myself. Then promise myself something delicious and cozy to drink for my ride.
When I get to work, I pull out my little notebook and write out 5-10 things I love about the day or my life. It’s really helped my stress levels and negative/overthinking
Making my bed every morning.
Nope, if sweat just a little you want your bed to dry before you do it, else it gets disgusting.
Only drink water, fizzy water, and tea. Cutting out all beverages with sugar or calories. Except for the occasional alcoholic beverage with friends.
Good for skin, good for hydration, good for weight.
Also take a sip of water every time you wake up at night. You’ll wake up feeling better and more hydrated.
Bc this is always the follow up question: if you don’t like plain water? You’ll get used to it so just power through, or add in a squeeze of your favorite citrus and/or herbs (mint or lavender mostly). A little apple cider vinegar can also be nice!
I wake up and journal 10 things I’m thankful for, and then meditate for 15 minutes.
It took a long time for me to get to that point (I’m not a morning person) but it’s really helped my mindset. I realized recently I don’t really have negative self talk anymore.
Going outside to water my plants first thing in the morning.
A little walking, a little fresh air, and a little sunshine go very far. (This only works during the summer for my schedule.)
Get out of bed at the same time each day, even in the weekends.
I started out doing a 5min bodyweight workout every morning. Gets me energy for the day, had a great impact on my general mood and weight, as I started doing more than just 5min as it got easier doing the workouts.
Started cycling to work.
I so wish this were feasible for me. I live 15 miles from work and in a city that is not very safe for cyclists. Maybe one day!
Go to the gym 3 days a week even if that day Im just depressed and can't go out of bed, make a to do list for every day/week, add things, complete them day by day. Keeping my bedroom/workroom in order everyday... Having productive things to do everyday helps, even if sometimes you gotta force yourself into it.
Sometimes l'm so tired that l can only do 20 minutes on the bike or the elliptical bike at the gym, but I think everything counts
Note: this post originally had 84 images. It’s been shortened to the top 45 images based on user votes.
Don't idly watch negative media. I no longer watch crime shows, mean people reality TV, gratuitous violence movies, etc. When I do watch media that is inherently negative, I do so because it's important to know and learn from. It's really life changing, I am so much happier.
There's apps, too, that show only good news stories. The one I have, Good News, shows you the title, gives a little synopsis, then allows you to go to the full article if you can or want.
Load More Replies... Like 1/3 of these are "drink more water" 😂 But it's actually true
I always stretch my thighs and calves twice every day, about 30s each. It really helps stiff muscles and wakes me up a bit.
I know this might sound awful but I quit doing my husband's laundry. I do laundry basically every weekend (towels, blankets, my clothes) he even will do his too, typically Saturdays. Somehow on Mondays and almost every day of the week he has a load of his clothes going even after laundry day, so I stopped folding his clothes and putting them away because that's all I did for awhile. Stopping has saved me so much extra time for myself. Yes his clothes may remain in the dryer or in the basket for days but I don't care, not my problem.
Only a few useful ones here. The rest can be summarised as "get enough sleep, drink lots of water, do exercise." we all have heard that before.
What I find is use curiosity to overpower negative emotions. Physical pain? "Wow, that sensation is actually interesting, it's so weird how we just feel that". Complicated emotions? "Let me take a second to think through this... oh, there's a lot going on, the human mind is so intriguing!" Need to do a boring task? "This seems boring... but I wonder why I think that. I'll pay attention to every detail in this task to see if I can find out more!" Curiosity is your greatest ally
I only buy clothes that are Navy blue, white or red. Now I don't need to worry about coordinating outfits - they all coordinate.
I’ve started to cut down on my sugar intake and I’ve begun to drink milk more and I’ve increased my water consumption. Makes me feel better mentally and physically. I’ve also started to make rewards for myself if I’ve done anything productive that day
A lot of these are the mental wellness equivalent of the placebo effect.
Don't knock it till you try it. Who cares if it is "technically" a placebo. What you assume is a placebo, may actually not be. Sounds like you may need one or more of these placebos.
Load More Replies...
I love all of these. Small changes can have a big impact in the long run. I'm inspired. Thanks Pandas!
I've known about most of this stuff for a long time. Sometimes I'm good at doing them and then, I'm not. Need to try again and maybe I will do better this time. Thanks for the new ideas I've read about and the encouragement knowing that there are others out there, with some of my same issues. It's nice to know I'm not alone.
I really like this list. Even though many things here seem to be small actions that could be overlooked or could be summarized in general terms (drink water, exercise, take a moment for yourself), they are still very meaningful and concrete enough to help someone out. In dark times, small steps like these, that I could take trough out the day, helped me a lot to get back on my feet.
Don't idly watch negative media. I no longer watch crime shows, mean people reality TV, gratuitous violence movies, etc. When I do watch media that is inherently negative, I do so because it's important to know and learn from. It's really life changing, I am so much happier.
There's apps, too, that show only good news stories. The one I have, Good News, shows you the title, gives a little synopsis, then allows you to go to the full article if you can or want.
Load More Replies... Like 1/3 of these are "drink more water" 😂 But it's actually true
I always stretch my thighs and calves twice every day, about 30s each. It really helps stiff muscles and wakes me up a bit.
I know this might sound awful but I quit doing my husband's laundry. I do laundry basically every weekend (towels, blankets, my clothes) he even will do his too, typically Saturdays. Somehow on Mondays and almost every day of the week he has a load of his clothes going even after laundry day, so I stopped folding his clothes and putting them away because that's all I did for awhile. Stopping has saved me so much extra time for myself. Yes his clothes may remain in the dryer or in the basket for days but I don't care, not my problem.
Only a few useful ones here. The rest can be summarised as "get enough sleep, drink lots of water, do exercise." we all have heard that before.
What I find is use curiosity to overpower negative emotions. Physical pain? "Wow, that sensation is actually interesting, it's so weird how we just feel that". Complicated emotions? "Let me take a second to think through this... oh, there's a lot going on, the human mind is so intriguing!" Need to do a boring task? "This seems boring... but I wonder why I think that. I'll pay attention to every detail in this task to see if I can find out more!" Curiosity is your greatest ally
I only buy clothes that are Navy blue, white or red. Now I don't need to worry about coordinating outfits - they all coordinate.
I’ve started to cut down on my sugar intake and I’ve begun to drink milk more and I’ve increased my water consumption. Makes me feel better mentally and physically. I’ve also started to make rewards for myself if I’ve done anything productive that day
A lot of these are the mental wellness equivalent of the placebo effect.
Don't knock it till you try it. Who cares if it is "technically" a placebo. What you assume is a placebo, may actually not be. Sounds like you may need one or more of these placebos.
Load More Replies... I love all of these. Small changes can have a big impact in the long run. I'm inspired. Thanks Pandas!
I've known about most of this stuff for a long time. Sometimes I'm good at doing them and then, I'm not. Need to try again and maybe I will do better this time. Thanks for the new ideas I've read about and the encouragement knowing that there are others out there, with some of my same issues. It's nice to know I'm not alone.
I really like this list. Even though many things here seem to be small actions that could be overlooked or could be summarized in general terms (drink water, exercise, take a moment for yourself), they are still very meaningful and concrete enough to help someone out. In dark times, small steps like these, that I could take trough out the day, helped me a lot to get back on my feet.
