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We all have a mental picture of who we want to be, something we desire, or a point in our lives we want to get to.
It could be a healthier body, an improved state of mind, more compassion towards ourselves and others, better eating habits and so on.
And we know that, to get to these points and become the person we want, certain changes need to be made. After all, there is no growth without change.
But here’s the thing.
Change, and I mean real, long-lasting change, doesn’t always happen overnight. It’s a gradual process that takes time.
Just as forming the person you are right now took a good deal of time, becoming the person you want to be will likewise take some time and effort as well. But it is certainly doable.
By adopting certain simple, but effective habits every day, you can transform your life for the better, and gradually become that person you’ve always wanted to be.
Here, you’ll discover 75 simple daily habits that’ll help you improve your life for good.
The Key To Improving Your Life
No one learnt to run on their first day on earth. It took some time to crawl, then walk, and then run. It’s all a process. A gradual and certainly rewarding process for sure.
When it comes to self-improvement, it’s the little steps that matter. The small everyday things we do are what really determine far well we’ll go and how well we’ll do.
Also, another important thing to remember is consistency.
Making positive changes to our lives are a good idea, but they only truly work if we stick to them. Consistency is kind of like the glue that holds it all together.
Without being consistent, habits are just simple actions. Consistency is what transforms actions into habits, and habits are what form our subconscious and influence who we ultimately are.
So all in all, the key to improving your life, is by making simple everyday changes, and sticking with them.
Now, here are some good daily habits to adopt, to change your life for the better.
75 Simple Daily Habits For Self-Improvement
From healthy eating habits, to habits for mental health and better relationships, there’s something to help you improve every area of your life.
Daily Healthy Eating Habits
1) Plan your meals ahead of time – figuring out what to eat at the last minute is a proven recipe for disaster if you’re trying to eat healthier. Planning your meals ahead of time give you better control of what you eat, and will help you make healthier choices
2) Drink enough water – really. You’re made up of 70% water for a reason. Make sure you get enough of it. It does wonders for your health, digestion and proper body functioning
3) Snack wisely – I’m not hating on snacks here. They’re pretty essential if you ask me. However, your choice of snacks is what matters. Always make sure you opt in for healthier snacks.
4) Eat healthy foods – Not all foods are created equal. Healthier foods are way better for your body, and will keep you in way better shape. And remember, just because it’s healthy, doesn’t mean it has to taste bad.
5) Enjoy your fruits and veggies – fruits and vegetables are one of the best sources of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that really work to keep us healthy. Try to get a little more into your everyday meals.
6) Eat more whole foods – a lot of foods are way healthier and more nutritious in their unprocessed form. If you’re trying to eat healthier, it’s a good idea to focus on whole foods, rather than on their processed counterparts.
7) Chew more slowly – don’t level that mountain of food in just a couple of seconds. Chewing more slowly leads to better digestion, and can actually help you eat more mindfully.
8) Eat mindfully – food can really be temping, but remember. The goal is to be able to eat to satiety, and not to consume everything in one go.
9) Don’t starve yourself unnecessarily – overeating is bad, but so is unnecessary starvation. Unnecessary and repetitive starvation can lead to nutrient deficiencies, and also make weight loss harder.
10) Eat less sugar – nothing wrong with having a sweet tooth every once in a while, but too much of the sweet stuff can have negative health effects. It’s best to reduce your sugar intake, and also opt in for healthier alternatives.
11) Make healthier food swaps – swap out some unhealthy ingredients for healthier ones. That way you still enjoy your favorite foods, without compromising your health.
12) Choose healthier drinks – what you drink is also as important as what you eat. Ensure you choose healthy drinks that aren’t carb or sugar loaded if you’re trying to get in shape.
Daily Habits For A Healthy Body
13) Exercise – I mean, there’s pretty much no denying it. Regular exercise is literally one of the best things you can do for your body (and mind), and the benefits associated with it are very promising too.
14) Get enough sleep – the importance of good sleep cannot be overemphasized. Poor sleep can lead to lower cognitive function, and has other negative effects as well. Always try as much as possible to get in a couple extra minutes of sleep time.
15) Go for a walk – not only is it a good way to get your body moving for the day, it also helps you get in some fresh air, and clear your mind a little.
16) Smoke less/Quit smoking – smoking usually does way more harm than good. It is certainly a habit you can do without if you choose to. Try replacing it with something else.
17) Wake up early – waking up early gives you enough time to visualize, strategize, and plan your day ahead, rather than getting sucked into the noise of the everyday life.
18) Be more physically active – physical activity isn’t limited to exercise alone. There are lots of ways to get you moving, such as dancing, waking or riding a bicycle.
19) Maintain good posture – not only does it support better blood flow to your brain (a much appreciated benefit), a good posture can also make you appear bolder, and more confident.
20) Enjoy some sunlight – sunlight, especially the early morning sunlight, is good for your skin, and is a great source of vitamin D. Also, getting enough sunlight can do wonders for your mood.
21) Stretch – it does wonders for your joints, blood circulation and more.
Daily Habits For A Healthy Mind
22) Meditate – Just a few minutes of alone time in your mind can do wonders for your mental health, and help you deal with everyday things better.
23) Learn something new – our minds work better when they’re being improved. And learning something new, A.K.A adding something to your database, is a good way to keep your mind growing.
24) Write things in your journal – don’t leave everything just swimming around in that beautiful head of yours. Write it down. Your feelings, thoughts, hunches, worries etc. Writing it down helps your subconscious mind better find ways to deal with them.
25) Spend some time outside – Spending way too much time indoors eventually starts to take a toll on your mind. Maybe we humans weren’t just wired to be “locked in”. So try to spend some time outside every once in a while. You’ll see the difference.
26) Read a book – it’s no news that reading makes us smarter, plus it’s a chance to expand our knowledge and open our minds to new experiences.
27) Do something you’ve been putting off – you know that something you’ve been putting off till tomorrow? Well, let today be that tomorrow. It doesn’t have to be a big thing. Just choose something to strike off the to-do list.
28) Try a digital detox – our electronic devices are really helpful, but once in a while, it helps to just unplug and enjoy life as it is. After all, life is way more than just “screen-based”.
29) Declutter your living space – a tidy living space something has an effect on how you think, so make your sure living space looks neat. Everything will seem slightly easier after.
30) Challenge yourself – challenges are how we grow and improve ourselves. So don’t be afraid to challenge yourself.
31) Laugh – Like seriously. Life is short and no one gets out alive. So try to laugh.
32) Say positive things – Your words affect how you think. So don’t forget to say something positive to yourself or about yourself every day. Soon enough you’ll see the effect in your life.
33) Avoid negative people – just as you try to add more positivity into your lives, try to filter out the negative people who come around just to pull you down, regardless of the circumstances.
34) Remember who you are – “The world will ask you who you are, and if you don’t know, the world will tell you” – Carl Jung. Always remember who you are. Don’t wait around for the world to tell you. You tell it.
35) Track your progress
36) Breathe – when all the alarm bells are going off inside your head and nothing seems right, remember to breathe.
Daily Habits For A Healthy Soul
37) Compliment someone – extend that positivity towards someone by giving them a compliment. It might even be the highlight of their day.
38) Help someone with something – A little help goes a long way, and it could also teach you something as well.
39) Express gratitude – things might not always be rosy, but there is always something to be grateful for. Always show gratitude for the good things and people you have in your life right now.
40) Practice self-love – True love needs to starts from within, rather than from somewhere else.
41) Recite an affirmation – affirmations are a good way to visualize and manifest what you want. An affirmation a day can help you subconsciously get closer to your desires.
42) Learn to let go – some of the weights you hold on to are not really worth it. Learn to let go of these weights and free your soul.
Daily Habits For Productivity
43) Organize your schedule – a cluttered schedule will leave you feeling overwhelmed and will ultimately end up making you less productive. Organizing your schedule will help you feel more in control and help you achieve more overall.
44) Focus on one thing at a time – The human brain can’t handle multiple tasks at one with 100% efficiency for each. Rather than multitasking, focus on one task at a time. You’ll find that you’ll achieve more, and do better than before.
45) Break things into smaller tasks – a big task can seem incredibly overwhelming. Rather, break these big tasks into smaller, much more doable tasks that will eventually add up.
46) Say no to procrastination – it’s easy to push things till later, but it’s a decision that often comes back to bite us in the ass. Remember, if you can do it now, then do it now.
47) Group your tasks by priority – schedule your tasks by priority. By handling the tasks with greater priority first, you’ll have better peace of mind to handle the other remaining tasks.
48) Set realistic goals and stick to them – first step is making sure you set goals that are realistic, and actually doable. Next step is to stick to them. Both steps go hand in han
49) Trim down your to-do list – an excessively long to-do list can also be overwhelming. Try trimming it down by eliminating the unimportant things and focus more on the important ones.
50) Don’t do it all yourself – you’re not superman/woman. If possible, try to outsource or delegate certain smaller tasks to others. It doesn’t make you less capable in any way.
51) Avoid unnecessary distractions
52) Take a break – the grind is good and all, but once in a while, you need to take a little break to let your brain recharge a bit.
53) Plan your day ahead – if you’re planning your day on the day of the day, then you’re doing it wrong. Planning your day ahead of time gives you more control over things, and better prepares you for what lies ahead.
Daily Habits For Healthy Relationships/friendships
54) Learn to say no sometimes – you don’t have to agree to every request people throw at you. Especially when it affects you negatively. Learn to say no sometimes.
55) Make someone laugh – putting a smile on someone’s face will eventually put a smile on yours.
56) Be around people who appreciate you – Hang around those who value your worth as a person, rather than people who always make you feel like you’re not enough
57) Show appreciation – The appreciation thing works both ways. Just as people show their appreciation towards you, likewise, you need to do the same towards them.
58) Stay away from toxic people
59) Learn to communicate – communication really is key in building any good relationship or friendship.
60) Spend quality time together
Daily Habits For Happiness
61) Follow the 5 by 5 rule – it goes like this. If it won’t matter in 5 years, then don’t spend more than 5 minutes worrying about it.
62) Don’t overthink things – A lot of things in life are way simpler than we think. Overthinking only adds more stress to our lives and creates the illusion of something that isn’t there.
63) Avoid destructive criticism – This could come from others and even ourselves. Proper constructive criticism is a good thing and can lead to improvement. Destructive criticism on the other hand only pulls you down.
64) Listen to music – Music is a world of its own, and does wonders for our minds.
65) Lay off social media for a while – There’s way more to life than what we see on social media apps. I’m not saying social media is the devil, but too much of it can take its toll on you very easily.
66) Accept the things you can’t change – there are things you can change. But there are also things you can’t change. Peace comes from accepting the things you can’t and changing the things you can.
67) Show kindness towards others – The kindness we show towards others usually comes back to us one way or the other.
68) Leave the past in the past – it is called the past for a reason.
69) Celebrate your achievements – you may not have done certain things, but you’ve also done certain things. Learn to take pride in your accomplishments. #
70) Have realistic expectations – Unrealistic expectations will always lead to disappointment and unhappiness. Having realistic expectations is a better way to manage your response to the outcome.
71) Hang around happy people – the second most contagious thing after corona, is happiness.
72) Do something you enjoy – it could be singing, painting, dancing, whatever hobby you enjoy doing, do it.
73) Enjoy the present – I’m not saying you should forget all about the future. But also understand that the present is here and now, and once it’s gone, it’s not coming back.
74) Learn to forgive (yourself and others)
75) Quit comparing yourself with others – We all face different challenges and circumstances in life. So comparing yourself to others is like judging a fish by its ability to climb a tree. Rather compare yourself with who you were yesterday.
These 75 simple daily habits will help you improve your life, and become the best version of yourself you want.
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Stay awesome. Cheers.
The summary sheet at the end of the article, has 2 headings swapped. The 4th section should be “For a Healthy Soul”, and the 5th section should be “For Productivity”.
Thanks for the article!