As Wayne Dyer said, “Healthy habits are learned in the same way as unhealthy ones – through practice.”
When we want to build any habit, no matter how easy, we get scared of them. Building habits means making a ‘change’ in daily life and we are afraid of change.
Because it brings us out of our comfort zone. Don’t let yourself feel overly stressed, anxious, or burdened. Just start small and stay consistent.
In this blog, I will be discussing about 10 easy habits to start this year.
Let’s dive in.
10 easy habits to start
1. Practice mindfulness or meditation
Practicing mindfulness or meditation is one of the common pieces of advice you will get. Everyone will tell you that it is a very useful habit.
But you won’t understand the depth of this habit until you do it regularly and also this can be used as a self-care practice.
Do not start with long sessions at first by thinking of major transformation. Start in a small, achievable way.
Even 5 minutes of deep breathing can help reduce stress and make your mind focused.
2. Avoid screens before bed
Watching mobile or any electronic devices before bed is one of the worst habits one can have. It only has negative effects in your mind and body.
If it is very much necessary for you to use devices, try to enable night mode and reduce the light. Any electronics devices release blue light, which disturbs the sleep quality.
That’s why we must try to avoid watching TV or smartphones at least 1-1.5 hr before bed. Also, keep your phone far (a little) from bed.
So that you won’t feel the urge to check the notification instantly and can have a proper deep sleep.
If you want to know more about how screens before bed affect us, read this blog.
3. Plan your next day
When you write down all your next day tasks the night before, you feel more organised and tracked. You can easily prepare yourself both physically and mentally for the next day.
Selecting the outfit, setting the meal menus, packing the bag help you review other things before. Planning also encourages people to manage their time properly.
When you plan beforehand, you will feel more motivated and encouraged for the upcoming tasks.
4. Turn off unnecessary notifications
Turning off unnecessary notifications is one of the easy habits to start. I’m sure most of you have already adapted this habit and some of you are working on it.
One easy way to manage this is by keeping separate time for entertainment and social media. When you do that, you will notice the difference.
5. Reading books
Reading books is an easy and healthy habit to start. I don’t think I need to tell you more about the benefits of reading because the list is long.
At first, choose a genre according to your taste and read a few pages a day. Start with just 10-15 minutes a day and aim for one book a month initially.
You will feel less Stressed in that way.
6. Eat healthy food
Keeping an eye on your daily food choices consciously helps you to be a healthy person. If you want to make yourself a healthy one, this is a must-adapt habit. Also, a relatively easy one.
Try to have a balanced diet. Because balanced meals help to maintain a healthy metabolism. You could consult a dietitian if needed.
A healthy diet regulates sleep patterns and improves overall mood. If you eat more chips or processed foods, try to replace them with fruits, nuts or yogurt.
Eat whole foods like fresh vegetables, healthy fats and lean proteins. Avoid sugar intake on a daily basis. Also, try to drink more water instead of processed drinks to keep yourself hydrated.
Last but not the least, having a healthy diet increases our lifespan by preventing many diseases.
7. Exercise regularly
Exercising regularly has numerous benefits and in this digital age, most people know most of them. But actually, very few people do that.
To get the most benefits, one must practice it on a daily basis. Don’t get intimidated at first. If you started doing it recently, do not put much pressure on yourself.
Start with short and easy workouts like basic yoga or some movements of each body part. Then increase the intensity gradually.
You will see that your sleep quality will be improved. You will get a healthy heart. Also, daily exercise boosts mental health and makes you an energetic person.
8. Declutter your workspace
Decluttering can be a little tough at first if you have a strong tendency to hold onto everything, whether useful or not. Though this blog is about adapting easy habits, decluttering can be an easy one with a little practice. Because it has several benefits.
A decluttered workspace helps you to focus on tasks and increases productivity. When your space is tidy, it gives you a sense of calm and control. You will see that you are having a better workflow.
A cluttered area makes us feel stressed and anxious. We waste more time looking for important documents and files, which led to more incomplete tasks. Everyone should maintain a clutter-free workspace as a well-organised work area promotes a positive attitude towards work.
9. Celebrate small wins
Celebrating wins always makes us happy and motivated. Most of the time, people celebrate their big wins. That is fine.
But we should celebrate our small wins as well because a win is a win, whether small or big. Every small win also brings us closer to our goals.
Acknowledging our achievements is important.
10. Reflect on your day
Reflecting on your day can have a lasting effect on your life and also one of the easy habits to start. Before going to bed, when you make time for reviewing the day, you will get an overview of what you have done that day.
The accomplishments you have achieved and what kind of improvement you need to make. At the same time, you will be aware of your emotions and behaviours throughout the day.
Try to write min 1-3 positive words you are grateful for. This habit will make your life positive and better.
Conclusion
As we have come to an end of this blog, I hope that you have got some easy habits to start this year.
Some of these are very much easier for some of you, as you have already started them. But those people who are trying to adopt most of them, do not be stressed at first.
Try to take one step at a time. I am pretty sure after 1 to 2 months you will become familiar to them.
If I ask you, what past experiences made you realize you needed these changes? Let me know in the comments.
Take care.
Make the most of the day.
Until we meet again.