Simple habits to improve your life: Tried and tested

GRATITUDE

In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships. People feel and express gratitude in multiple ways.

 

Those who express gratitude increase well-being, focus more on what’s working and overcome challenges faster. By shifting from our problem-seeking monkey mind to what’s working in our lives, we shift our emotions and set the tone for the day. Write 5 to 10 things you’re grateful for in the morning, and start your day empowered.

 

AIRPLANE MODE

In a world of endless distractions, protecting your most prized real estate of attention has to be a priority. Instead of immediately grabbing the phone and starting the day off being reactive, choose to take control and start the day on your terms.

 

Airplane mode is the simplest app on every phone. With one button, you can silence all notifications and turn off your cell signal. It’s an instant way to focus and disconnect from all of the messages and mostly the outside world. It is one productivity hack for minimising distractions and getting more things done every day. To do so, start the day on airplane mode for at least 15 minutes and work your way up to 60 minutes or more.

 

CREATIVE WORK

Remember that creative activity you used to do, but then life got in the way? We all have one thing we love doing that makes us feel better. Creative work is an often ignored successful habit. Doing something creative every day flexes a much-needed muscle, translating into other projects you’re working on. Set aside at least 20-30 minutes every day to work on something creative.

 

You’re a lot more creative than you think. The human being is a creative species. We’re all born creative, but we’re not alike in our creativity. We use it in different ways and in various degrees. Creativity is the route to authenticity. As we create, we begin to access our thoughts, feelings and beliefs. 

 

FOCUS TIME 

Being focused on one thing for a certain period allows you to do a better quality of work, more work gets done quicker, and your creative ideas flow more manageable. Being focused on one task at a time is less stressful on your mind. And being less stressed allows you to be happier.

 

Research done by Stanford showed that productivity diminishes after 40 hours and falls off a cliff after 55 hours. In essence, those extra fifteen hours are a total waste of time. In other words, less is more. To make focus a habit, start with 25-minute Pomodoro sessions at least once a day, and build your habit of focused time from there. 

 

MINDFULNESS

The research suggests that mindfulness can help people who seek a variety of goals, including regulation of stress, help deal with physical pain and symptoms of chronic disease, and increase effectiveness at work or school and in relationships. The habit of mindfulness through meditation has been shown to increase well-being, boost creativity, and provide some much-needed perspective. 

 

However, many people complicate this habit and think they are “doing it wrong” if they have a particularly tough meditation. Nothing could be further from the truth. Meditation is simply a practice. Spend at least 5 minutes being aware of your breath, in silence, or using a guided meditation.

 

JOURNALING

Writing things down in a journal doesn’t only create clarity. It also amplifies meaning and allows you to recognise patterns of thinking and behaviour. Journaling can be used in various ways: to deconstruct success, work through difficult emotions, or reflect on our day-to-day experiences. Either way, it is a potent tool for self-discovery and reflection.

 

A journal is also an excellent place to write your goals, ambitions, aspirations and new year resolutions. Keeping them in a journal allows you to monitor your progress and feel motivated to continue to focus on your next milestone. Make it a habit to journal once a day for at least 5-10 minutes by reflecting on your day, asking open-ended questions, or exploring emotions.

 

SET BOUNDARIES

We tend to respect people who set boundaries and are willing to say “no” to requests that aren’t aligned with their priorities, but we’re not skilled at doing this ourselves. Establishing boundaries is good for you and the people around you. When you’re clear about your boundaries, people will understand your limits and know what you are and aren’t okay with, and they’ll adjust their behaviour. The people who don’t respect your boundaries are ones you may not want in your life.

 

Setting boundaries is a habit and could mean creating a calendar every week and sticking to it. It could mean having a conversation with someone about our current focus. Or, it could simply mean saying no. To make setting boundaries a habit, find one way every week to ensure you protect your time, energy, and attention.

 

CELEBRATE WINS

We’re often the worst people to see and recognise our growth, especially those who consider themselves high performers. However, there is immense value in owning and celebrating wins by taking a step back and reflecting on how far we’ve come. 

 

There is science behind this thought process too. When you accomplish something, it activates the reward centre of our brains, allowing us to feel a sense of pride. Specifically, the neurochemical dopamine is released and energises us with feel-good emotions. This chemical helps you experience the feeling of getting rewarded and hook you on wanting to achieve even more.

 

By celebrating your wins, no matter how small or big it is, you’ll focus on what is working, harness progress, and drown out the part of you that relies on pointing out how you could be further along. Celebrate 3 to 5 wins every day by writing them down.

 

LEARNING EVERYDAY

Research shows there are several ways to improve the health of your brain, and learning something new is one of them. ‘Mental sweat’ helps your brain build new cells and strengthen connections between the cells. When you learn something new, you exercise your brain, which can help improve cognitive functions such as concentration, attention to detail, memory recall, and problem-solving.

 

10 pages of reading a day are equivalent to an average of 18 books per year! If you do this for 3 years, you’ve read 54 books on one topic, more than enough to make you skilled and sought after. Constant learning and education is a successful habit shared by many successful people. Set a marker for learning every day. Whether 10 pages a day or a specific scheduled time.