Are you finding yourself stuck in the same daily grind—perhaps even in a rut?
Life can be hectic, and we can forget to pay attention to ourselves—both our body and our mind.
This is where daily habits come in! If you do something consistently enough, you’ll see results. It takes a bit of effort initially, but once you get into the routine, these habits can be life-changing.
Here are some habits you should adopt every day to keep yourself healthy and happy.
Daily Habits That Can Improve Your Life
1. Drink a big glass of water when you wake up and throughout the day
One of the best daily habits to adopt is staying hydrated. So many of us don’t drink enough water a day, and water keeps you happy, keeps your brain sharp, and keeps you performing at your best. Make drinking water the first you do every day – and drink plenty throughout the day!
Related: The Best Eco-Friendly Water Bottle Options
2. Spend one hour a day on your favorite hobby
Sometimes, life can get so busy and hectic that we forget to do what we love. Pick your favorite hobby and resolve to dedicate an hour a day to that hobby. Instead of mindlessly watching TV after a hard day’s work, get back into pottery, or perhaps write that novel you started a few years ago. You can make time for something you love.
3. Replace one meal with a hearty and healthy smoothie
As Famoosh Brock explains in her article “Simplify Your Diet: The Benefits of Healthy Green Smoothies,” good, healthy smoothies help to give your body the nutrients it needs quickly, and in the form, your body can best process. Try making yourself a meal-replacement smoothie instead of eating that bowl of cereal tomorrow morning.
Related: 6 Essentials for a Healthy High Protein Breakfast
4. Meditate
One of the daily rituals we at Inspiyr recommend all the time is to meditate, and for good reason. Meditation can lead to a ton of health benefits, not to mention lower your stress and brighten your day!
5. Contact someone special to you
Another thing we forget to do in the craziness of life is reaching out to those we love. Often, talking to those people will lift our spirits more than anything else possibly could.
Whether through text, e-mail, or phone, contact your parents, your grandparents, your sibling, or a close friend every day. And when it comes to significant others, well, there’s another form of contact we recommend as well…(wink, wink.)
Related: 7 Questions and Tips for Building Relationships
6. Plan your day before you go to bed
Do yourself a favor and make yourself a to-do list for the next day before you go to bed. This will help you plan your day so you don’t lay in bed all night thinking about it; plus, you’ll be able to optimize your time for the next day so you have plenty of time to relax (and work on that hobby we were talking about!).
7. Exercise
Getting up and moving around every day is one of the most essential daily habits you should get into. Not only will it keep you fit and healthy, but it will add time to your life and provide endorphins to make you happy.
Related: 6 Ways to Start and Stick With a Spring Exercise Plan
Plus, if you’re someone who spends a lot of time indoors, taking a walk or jog outside can help get you that vitamin D you need. Pick your favorite form of exercise and get to it.
8. Have a glass of (red) wine
Yes, I’m giving you an excuse to enjoy a glass of Merlot every evening. I’ve written on the benefits of red wine before, and I’ll say it again: red wine has numerous health benefits, can lower your risk of depression, and can even slow the aging process.
9. Work on your positive thoughts
One of the most important things you can do for your own personal growth is to improve your thoughts. Positive thoughts can help you perform better and improve your quality of life. Think of it this way: you’re working on being your own personal cheerleader instead of your own worst enemy!
Related: 4 Ways to Use Positive Reinforcement to Achieve Your Goals
10. Help somebody
This sounds cheesy, but try to make someone’s day, every day—and not only for their benefit. As Christina Daigneault highlighted in her article “The Kindness Cure: 4 Ways Being Nice Can Be Good For Your Health,” kindness actually has numerous health benefits. Plus, who doesn’t like helping someone? It puts a smile on everyone’s face! (Not to mention, those you help will be likely to help you in your future time of need.)
11. Stretch
Stretching is essential, and it’s something you should do every day. Even if you’re just sitting all day, your muscles will end up becoming tense. Improve your flexibility and relieve your tension by stretching every day, or perhaps even doing yoga.
12. Laugh
Don’t be so serious! It’s not just a quote from The Dark Knight—it’s one of the essential habits you should adopt. Put on your favorite stand-up skit or watch something funny on Youtube (there’s this compilation of dogs wearing boots, for starters). I mean, really – what’s better than laughing every day?
Related: Laughing Is Good For You…Here’s Why
The Takeaway
Do something consistently enough, and you’ll see results. This is why you should always work on adopting new daily habits, such as stretching, spending time on your hobbies, and working on your positive thoughts. Always work towards improving yourself to be a healthier, happier you!
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Sammy Nickalls is the Content Manager at Inspiyr.com. She is an avid health nut and a lover of all things avocado. Follow her on Twitter or Pinterest.
Photo by Sober Eye of Reason