Maybe you have already started thinking about the goals you want for next year. This is also the time to think about good habits to do everyday, and how you can incorporate them into those goals. Let’s dive in.
Let’s be honest if you research good habits to do everyday, you will have such a long list of things, you could actually spend all day just doing those daily habits.
So, we are going to be realistic, because as the title says we want to feel BALANCED!
So as you go down the list you will see that they are quite basic things and the idea is that for each one there is a principle reason for doing it.
BREATHE
PRINCIPLE: to get oxygen all around the body, to slow down.
If we are living, we are breathing. So you may be wondering why I include this as a good habit.
Well, simply put, we don’t breathe well! With the ups and downs and anxieties of life, we have started breathing faster.
A good habit to do everyday is do some intentional long slow breathing exercises.
DRINK
PRINCIPLE: to hydrate and fuel the body systems.
I started to drink lemon water a while back and could not believe the difference it made to my body. All I can say is that I noticed the physical healing.
We are mostly made up of water, so naturally the body needs a lot of it. Many people regularly drink things that are actually dehydrating (myself included), so it needs to be countered to make up for that and give the body the fluid it needs.
A good habit to do everyday is as soon as you get up, drink a little water. Then get a big glass of water and add some freshly squeezed lemon into it. Drink that. Then regularly, throughout the day drink more glasses or bottles of water.
MOVE
PRINCIPLE: to keep the body supple and energised.
It is well known that without movement joints and muscles seize and stiffen. Movement is needed to keep the body like a well oiled machine.
The movement people need varies from person to person, but it might be a good idea to do research into specific movements and exercises that will benefit YOUR body.
A good habit to do everyday is a full body stretch, from the tips of your fingers to the ends of your toes. Stretch them all out.
SMILE
PRINCIPLE: to release endorphins and to feel positive.
The benefits of a smile cannot be overstated – there are loads.
When we smile we feel less anxious and rigid, and more positive and attractive. It can also help our immune system, although I admit I don’t know the science behind it.
A good habit to do everyday is to smile at another person, or you can even smile at yourself.
LEARN SOMETHING
PRINCIPLE: to keep brain connections expanding and growing.
Our brain is a muscle and also needs exercise. There are a few things that are needed.
One is retrieving old information, bringing up some knowledge we already have. But we also need on a daily basis to be putting completely new information into our brains to keep the transmitters expanding and growing.
This helps as we get older because some of those transmitters will die, but if we have a very big store of transmitters our mind will still be able to keep active.
A good habit to do everyday is to learn a new language, skill or fact.
More Good Habits to do Everyday
There really are so many good habits to do everyday, as I said I was going to touch on the basic ones.
I recently have been reading ’Atomic Habits’, a very popular book on this very subject. So, if you want to check that out to see some more principles on this subject, you can find it here.
You might also be interested in being more intentional in your day, if so you might like this article: Plan Your Day the Intentional Way.
Here is a little list of some more good habits to do everyday should you wish to expand your routine:
- Sleep at the same time each evening, and wake up at the same time each morning.
- Eat raw vegetation every day – fruit, veg or salad.
- Keep a daily gratitude journal.
- Use your non-dominant hand to write, or brush your teeth.
- Get some time outside each day.
In summary, remember balance is not perfectionistic. It is about doing good habits on a daily basis that bring joy to our life and don’t stress us out. Please let me know what your tips are for good habits to do everyday.
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