15 Easy Yet Effective Daily Habits For a Better Life
Goals in life may include physical, mental, spiritual, or emotional. This list will help you make this year the best one yet, regardless of where you are on a fitness journey. These daily habits for a better life are effective, simple, and optional, meaning you don’t have to do all 15 to gain the benefits.
By nurturing good daily habits, you can increase wellbeing without strain or burning out. We should feel good, in all aspects of life, as wellness is a right deserved by all. You can check out the different dimensions of wellness here to truly see how it impacts every aspect of life.
15 Daily Habits You Need to Try for a Better Life
Here are 15 daily habits guaranteed to improve your quality of life drastically. Start with a couple that resonates and add more habits as needed. Do as many or as few as you want!
1. Self-care once a day
We’ve all heard the phrase self-care is not selfish, but how many of us actually put it into practice? Part of the problem is thinking that self-care has to be hours long, and nobody has time for that. In fact, self-care can be one of those daily habits you are doing without noticing. That coffee treat, that time you take to pet a dog, or that moment to look at the clouds can all count as self-care.
Heck, even the time you take for skincare is a moment you are giving to yourself for your own benefit. Take note of these moments more to fully embrace the self-love you deserve.
2. Go outside more
Science has proven that time spent out in nature boosts our overall mood and increases mental wellbeing exponentially (here’s the science).
Live in the concrete jungle? Well, this study found that VR exposure to nature might offer benefits as well, though not as much as actually going outside to touch some grass. Regardless, if you are able to, make it a priority to go outside more and enjoy nature!
3. Practice sleep hygiene
Sleep hygiene is everything you do before bed. Are you scrolling on your phone endlessly before sleep, watching horror movies, or playing video games? Studies have found that these activities can mess with your internal clock, ruin sleep, and even impact healthy aging.
Make sleep hygiene a priority! Check out this complete guide to sleep hygiene, this breathing technique to fall asleep fast, and watch how well-rested you feel in the morning.
4. Reduce screen time
Excessive screen time can ruin sleep, cause anxiety, and reduce concentration and focus. Try to limit screen time daily by cutting back on apps. Instead of starting the day and reaching for your phone, try a morning routine that reduces screens, and a nighttime routine that cuts out that screen blue light (the light that prevents you from sleeping).
Make it a habit by setting screen time limits for certain apps, like social media, or adding alarms to remind you to rest your eyes and mind.
5. Move daily
Any movement is good movement. We are designed to move and moving should feel good. If it doesn’t for you, you may want to build up strength in your joints and muscles with restorative yoga moves and stretches.
If within your ability, try to exercise daily for benefits such as improved mood, decreased risk of heart disease, increased energy, and longer lifespan. Even a daily walk can do wonders for the body and mind.
6. Reflect on the day
Reflection is something we rarely allow ourselves to do. This can entail many things like dealing with an act of regret and processing how to overcome that, feeling thankful and grateful for your life, or asking yourself more about what you want in life.
Practicing more self-reflection and helping you become more in tune with your needs and your mind. This is key to improved life satisfaction.
7. Practice affirmations
Affirmations are a phrase or words repeated to, in theory, rewire the mind and change your overall state. Do they work? Science says yes! Check out this guide to make affirmations actually work for you.
It’s not as easy as saying I am confident to feel confident (nor is it a life hack for infinite money, like you can’t say I’m rich and just be rich).
In actuality, affirmations allow us to change our perception of things, practice new thoughts, and change our actions accordingly.
8. Journal more
Your mind is not the best at storing information. Our memories are fuzzy at best and the way to solve this is to write things down. Journaling can help you declutter the mind, sort out thoughts and ideas, and process feelings.
Try journaling daily to see how you can help improve your concentration, and mood, and increase mental wellbeing.
9. Practice moments of mindfulness
Mindfulness is moments where there are in the present moment. Mindfulness is a great way to combat stress, as stress is usually worrying about the future or thinking about the past.
By being more mindful, you can enjoy the present moment, without judgment or worry, and experience life as it was meant to.
10. Mind mornings and nights
Many people love having a morning routine, but nighttime routines are just as important. Morning routines set you up for the day while nighttime routines are great at helping you decompress from the stress of the day.
Be mindful of what you do in the mornings and nights. Check out this life-changing morning routine here and how to take care of your nights here.
11. Mediate more
I may sound like a broken record, advising you to meditate, meditate, meditate, but meditation can literally change your brain? As in physically changing your brain? That’s amazing.
A meditator’s brain has a larger frontal cortex (the area of the brain responsible for higher thinking), bigger hippocampus (part of the brain responsible for memory), and a smaller amygdala (the part of the brain responsible for stress).
In other words, meditation can improve decision-making, higher thinking, memory, and learning, while reducing stress and negative emotions.
Here is a beginner’s guide to meditation, easy, simple, and quick.
12. Breathe with intention
Right here, right now, if you take 4 to 6 deep, slow breaths, you can change your state of being. Taking deep breaths has instant health benefits, as it reduces stress chemicals, calms the body, reduces tension, and clears the mind.
Check out all the different breathing techniques here and start adding the simple habit for improved mental and physical wellbeing.
13. Notice self-talk
Self-talk refers to your inner dialogue. Do you tend to be a glass half empty or glass half full type of person? It matters greatly.
Noticing self-talk is the first step to take in improving. You can start to change the way you talk about yourself and improve it if needed with affirmations. Check out how to use I Am affirmations to retrain the mind for the better.
14. Change your surroundings
This idea stems from feng shui, the Chinese practice of arranging things to allow energy to flow and move.
The space you live in does have an impact on mental health. People who see clutter and disorganization tend to be more anxious and nervous than people in a more organized environment.
Furthermore, never underestimate the power of hanging up your favorite band poster. Seeing things you enjoy in your environment boosts your mood greatly.
In fact, try getting a house plant and see how awesome you feel.
15. Have a playlist you can turn to
People who listen to sad music tend to be sadder overall. Makes sense.
To counteract this, have a go-to playlist for when you are feeling down. Fill that playlist with upbeat, positive songs to improve mood and overall mental health on a low day.
The Takeaway
Try out any of these 15 daily habits to make your life better.
Wellness is a journey and any habits you start including are choices you make along the way in hopes of living a longer, healthier, and happier life.
Remember that health starts from within! Start building habits to support wellbeing daily and watch how overall wellness flourishes.
Never forget about gut microbiota health. Microbiota health plays a huge role in mental wellbeing. Gut microbiota affects everything from your skin health, your metabolism, and even your ability to build muscle.
Check out all the resources you need to take care of gut health today for free here!
