We’ve all heard that it takes thirty days to form a life-changing habit. While that may be true, we at Well Citizen think that every day is a great day to make positive changes in your life. That’s why we’ve put together a list of our favorite simple changes that can make a big difference when it comes to your health, mindset, and productivity.
Make Your Bed
You may have heard about the benefits of making your bed first thing in the morning, and not thought much of it. After all, you’ve been a functioning adult for many years without making your bed, and you’re doing just fine, right?
Much of the hype around bed making comes from a viral 2014 University of Texas Commencement speech by Admiral William H. McRaven. In it, he talks about how the benefits of making your bed each day are more than you might think.
“If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another,” he says.
In addition to the extra boost of productivity it could give you, making your bed also helps make your space look comfortable and inviting. It will help encourage you to go to bed at night, helping you get the eight hours of sleep you need to function optimally.
Ten Minute Tidy
Some of us are born tidiers. We can’t stand a cluttered space and have a knack for organizing.
Others? Well…maybe not so much.
If you are the type of person who gets easily overwhelmed at the thought of trying to clean your living space, consider implementing the “Ten Minute Tidy” rule. Each day, you are going to set a timer for ten minutes. During that time, you can only clean your home. No checking your email, no responding to texts. Just ten minutes of focus.
You’ll be surprised how much can get done in a short amount of time! Giving yourself a small, manageable amount of time to tend to your space can help keep it from getting overly messy. After ten minutes, you might find that you have gotten yourself into a groove, and are ready to keep going!
Add In A Fruit or Veggie
We all know the importance of getting in our daily dose of fresh fruit and vegetables. Still, that doesn’t mean we always do it.
If you struggle to meet your recommended fruit and veg intake, we’ve got good news for you! You don’t have to be a professional chef or have salads for every meal. Instead, focus on adding just one fruit and veggie to every meal. This can be as simple or as gourmet as you’d like. A handful of berries in your morning oatmeal, maybe some carrot sticks with your turkey sandwich…it all counts!
Many people find that, as they start adding fruits and vegetables into their diet, their body begins to crave them, and they end up naturally eating more than they expected.
Stretch
As a Well Citizen reader, we already know you’re on the top of your fitness game. You know all the benefits of lifting, have perfect form, and the team at the gym’s front desk knows your name. However, there’s one thing many fitness buffs neglect, that could be holding you back from reaching your goals.
That’s right. Stretching.
Flexibility isn’t just a cool party trick, or for the yoga buffs in your life. Flexibility is actually a key player when it comes to injury prevention and overall mobility. The good news? You don’t have to slide into the splits in order to make a difference. Just ten minutes of stretching a day can make a big difference. You might find yourself standing up straighter, and experiencing less back and joint pain.
Not sure where to start? A quick search on Youtube will give you hundreds of stretching routines to choose from.
Step Outside
Most of us live a life that forces us to be ‘indoor people.’ Sometimes, it may not even be by choice. With our busy schedules – including eight hours a day of work, usually indoors – it can be hard to think about fitting in time in nature.
However, the benefits of spending time outside are backed by science. Besides being the best way to get your daily dose of Vitamin D, research has shown that spending time outdoors can reduce feelings of anxiety and increase overall wellbeing.
All it takes is twenty minutes of fresh air. That could be a quick evening walk around your neighborhood, or maybe just enjoying your cup of morning coffee on the patio. REgardless of how you get outside, you’re sure to see a quick change in your mood.
Make a “To-Do Day”
Life’s to-do list is seemingly never ending. It also seems to come at the most unfortunate times. Your car needs an oil change on the week you are supposed to give the big presentation at work. Or, you need to file paperwork, right when your kids have endless school events you need to go to.
One of the best ways to handle this, is to sit down with your calendar and pick a day each month to be your “To-Do Day.” Keep a list of all the little tasks you’ve been meaning to take care of, and on that one day a month take the time to complete them all. This one day will help clear up lots of mental space, and allow the rest of your month to be much more low-stress.
Practice Active Kindness
While kindness is something we should strive towards all the time, it can be easy to put it on the back burner when life gets hectic. However, so much of our well-being is dependent on the health of our personal relationships. Taking a little time each day to nurture them can create a big payoff in our everyday life.
Here is the challenge: each day find one thing you can do for someone in your life. This could be a significant other, a family member, a friend, or even a co-worker. Your small act of kindness can be as simple as a heartfelt compliment or offering to help them with a task. While it may seem like no big deal, it can help others in your life feel seen and appreciated, which will help strengthen your relationships.
Put Down The Screens
It’s no secret that spending too much time on our screens can heighten feelings of anxiety and insecurity. It can also greatly decrease our productivity, by pulling our attention in too many directions at once.
While we’re not suggesting you quit social media cold turkey, we do suggest that you implement some simple rules around screen usage in your life. That way you can be in control of the screens in your life, and not the other way around.
Start small, by committing to not checking your phone for the first thirty minutes after you wake up. This simple practice can help you start your morning on the right foot, without the distractions of the internet.
Five Minute Meditation
We’re big meditation fans here, at Well Citizen. We think it’s the perfect way to care for yourself with minimal amounts of time needed. Meditation practices can be as small as five minutes long. In fact, if you are a beginner, we don’t recommend you start with a practice longer than this.
You can begin your meditation practice by simply finding a quiet space to tune into your breathing or search for a guided meditation on YouTube.
Drink Water
We know you’ve heard it a million times before, but we couldn’t end this list without mentioning the importance of drinking water. Staying properly hydrated affects everything in your body, from your mood, your skin, and even your weight. Looking for tips on how to step up your hydration game? Check out our article full of tips to help you meet your daily water goals.
What small ways do you use to take care of your overall physical and mental health? Share in the comments below!
