Adopting daily habits which provide purpose and consistency are essential to start implementing in your life. We as humans naturally seek routine to feel self-assured and have a better chance of lasting happiness. So, if you are wanting to shipshape yourself into gear, here are 10 daily habits you need to start doing…
Daily Morning Hydrate
It may sound simple but kicking-off your day with a glass of water is one of the best daily habits you can do. Your body has been fasting for 6-8 hours and is likely to be gasping for that hydration fix. You may like to start your day with a morning cuppa, which by all means you still can, but getting into the habit of quenching your body first thing with a glass of water is a great habit to get into – guaranteed you will feel a lot fresher!
Schedule Your Day
Scheduling your day is a habit to start implementing to feel more ‘productive’. Now it is important to note that ‘productive’ does not mean starting your day at 5am, green smoothie time at 5:30 and then a 5K run at 6 – productivity differs to all.
Sorting your ‘tasks’ into categories such as ‘Routine’, ‘Must do’ and ‘Want to do’ allows you to have BALANCE in a day – no burn out. Always try to have an equal quantity of these different duties scheduled to feel satisfied yet enjoy living your life – you are allowed to!
So, if you want to watch that new Netflix show after you have done a bit of your uni work and popped to Asda to do the weekly food shop, go for it!
Carry Out Mindless Tasks
Completing tasks which don’t take much thinking can really keep us going during the day – little pops of satisfaction in other words! Something as small as making our bed in the morning, giving our bathroom mirror a wipe or tidying up the shoes on the shoe rack will help us to feel that bit more fulfilled with ourselves.
These mindless tasks can also break our day up when doing something for a long period of time – you can go away, do a mindless task and then come back with a reset mind.
Set Discipline
Setting discipline for yourself is a great habit to give that daily boost of accomplishment. ‘Discipline’ can be as simple as waking up 15-30 minutes earlier in the morning, drinking more water or even reducing your phone screen time. By achieving these disciplined tasks, you will feel a lot more in control of yourself and increase in confidence. You may find that these gradual positive changes will then reflect in other areas of your life.
It is key to be aware of how realistic you are setting these discipline levels and PLEASE, do be kind to yourself. Understand how you work and function as a person, therefore, do not set unrealistic goals nor make them TOO restricted – be true to yourself to ensure consistency.
Write Stuff Down
Sometimes our brains can be our worst enemies. Overthinking and not being able to stop uncontrollable worry – not fun. It is times like this we start to think irrationally and get ourselves in a bit of a state. However, something as simple as writing down your thoughts or concerns on a bit of paper can really help relieve some of the stress. When we see something written down, our minds can feel clearer, like we have word vomited on the paper – getting it out of your system! And if we see the ‘thing’ on the paper, it allows us to see how something can actually be more minor than in our heads.
Listen to Something Upbeat
If you are someone who struggles to get out of bed in the mornings, get yourself pumped to go to the gym or find the motivation to clean your bedroom, listening to some loud, upbeat music is a great daily habit to do. An upbeat song can help improve mood, turn off negative thoughts and give you that lift you might be needing during your day.
So next time you turn to Lewis Capaldi when feeling a bit ‘meh’, crank up the bass – don’t get me wrong, love a bit of Capaldi.
Go Outside
Getting outside can be an instant mood lifter. Whether you stand outside for 2 minutes or go for a 30-minute walk, that time spent outside to inhale the fresh air can make all the difference. Now I know, we live in the UK and our weather can be unpredictable. However, wrapping up in lots of layers or taking an umbrella is not new to us – I am sure we can be prepared for all conditions!
Get Moving
Probably heard it time and time again but getting yourself moving each day is a great daily habit to do. Doing exercise is proven to lift mood, reduce stress levels and generally be GREAT for overall health! This does not necessarily mean smashing the weights in your gym nor going on a 5 mile hike, there are many other ways. Walking, hula-hooping, dancing, skipping or even cleaning are excellent ways to get your blood pumping and release those feel-good endorphins.
Get Off Your Phone
Something we all do – spending hours scrolling and staring aimlessly at our phone screens. With social media being here there and everywhere, we often become so consumed into our devices. For our personal wellbeing, it is important to put our phones down and use our time to do something else away from the screens. Time is precious and a few swipes on TikTok or Instagram can feel like 10 minutes but equate to 2 hours – it flies by!
Whether you set yourself the discipline of not going on your phone for the first 30 minutes of when you wake up or a time at night to stop going on your phone, either is a great habit to to do – put it down!
Take a Min
Life can be hectic. We sometimes forget to give ourselves a well-deserved break and our minds a rest. Therefore, getting into the habit of taking a minute or two to stop and breathe is key in keeping levelheaded. Always remember that you deserve breaks from hectic schedules. So next time you are at your wits end with something, stop, breathe and return in much calmer state.
Applying new daily habits to your life can be hard at first and will take time to get use to. However, long-term these daily practises will produce a number of positives in all areas of your life – so give them a try. Do not worry about how long it takes for you to adapt or think you must do all 10 – take your time and appreciate the pleasures you get out of each!
