10 Habits You Should Practice Everyday

Not every habit is bad. There are a lot of habits we can practice that will make us better people, or keep us on track to living our best lives. Like any good habit, it takes time for it to stick and keeping at it over and over again will eventually make it part of your everyday routine. Here are ten habits you can adopt that will keep you on the path to good health, good mental health, and the life you desire. 

When You Wake Up, Wake Up

Don’t hit snooze. That’s one of the worst things you can do. Hitting snooze gives you permission to procrastinate. If you get up and get going every day, you will have the energy you need to be your most productive. Studies show that making your bed first thing in the morning is motivational because you accomplish something right from the get-go and that keeps you moving. Get up as soon as you can and get your day going. Get the energy flowing and you will find that you will be motivated and inspired to get everything accomplished. 

Drink Water

Hydration is the best way to stay cleansed and stay detoxed. Water with a little bit of lemon in it is great for keeping you active. When we sleep, we lose a lot of water, so as soon as you wake up pour yourself a glass of room temperature water. Room temperature water absorbs into your body faster. This will get your hydration levels up, which in turn will make you feel more awake and make you feel healthier. This will give you the mindset you will need to get yourself ready for your day and healthy habits that start first thing in the morning will give you the habit of making healthy choices throughout the day. 

Get Outside

Whether it’s a brisk walk, taking the dog for a walk, or walking to the car to go to the gym, get outside in natural light and natural air when you wake up in the morning. Our circadian rhythms are the interior clock of our body. They help us know when it’s time to go to bed and when it’s time to wake up. Being in natural light balances these rhythms and in turn, makes us feel more balanced. Also, having fresh air in the lungs is a big way in which to fully wake up. The oxygen of fresh air jolts the body awake. Getting out of the house is always a good idea because mentally it makes you feel as if you are doing something and going somewhere and you won’t feel so lazy or as if you are wasting your day, which can make some people feel sluggish and unmotivated. 

Work Out

It goes without saying that working out releases endorphins and endorphins make you happy. Doing something great for your body like staying in shape and challenging yourself through fitness goals does wonders for your mental health. When you start to see results from your workout, you will begin to realize that you can do just about anything. Also, when we look fit or have the body type we desire, we are more confident. That confidence will go with us wherever we go in life, allowing us to take more risks that will help us to advance in life and truly build the life we have imagined. 

Get a Day Planner

When you wake up in the morning, have your day planner ready and accessible. If you keep your day planner up to date, you can open it and know exactly where you have to be and what needs to get done. This helps you stay in control and not forget anything. When we forget important meetings or dates we can fall into a pool of anxiety and worry that can cause us to drag our feet or become preoccupied. Being on top of things will allow you to plan your day out in a way where you can get done what needs to get done, but you can also have a lot of free time to enjoy your life. Balance is important in life, and if making a list helps you to achieve that then start doing it. 

Drink Coffee

Coffee has a lot of health benefits, but what it is mostly good at is waking us up and giving us that extra boost we need in the morning. Coffee is not for everyone, so maybe try herbal tea or some other drink that has an energizing effect on you. Maybe a certain food wakes you up in the morning or a smoothie that has certain fruits and vegetables that gives you some energy. Whatever it is, making it a habit of having this beverage or food in the morning so that you can step out on the right foot feeling great and motivated to take on your day, creates an organized and productive day ahead. Coffee is also a ritual that gives you a moment to pause and get yourself ready.

Journal

Journaling has been proven to be a great way to get obsessive thoughts out of your head and onto paper where you can rationalize them and come to understand them. Buying a small journal or even a big journal and giving yourself the time each day to document your everyday power and write out what you are feeling is cathartic and therapeutic. What journaling really does for you is clear those thoughts out of your head so that you can go through your day concentrating on the moment and what you are doing. You won’t find yourself drifting off with obsessive thoughts taking you away from work, your friends, or your family. Those thoughts will have been rationalized on paper and if you want to return to them, all you have to do is open your journal and there they are waiting for you. 

Socialize

It’s easy to disappear from your friends when life gets hectic. People have families, people take on more responsibility at work, and people just get caught up in their own lives. Make it a habit of reaching out to your friends and spending time together. Socializing is great for your mental health. It allows you to talk, to feel part of a community, and it takes you away from the troubles of the world. Socializing allows you to discover new places to eat and drink and activities to do, or it brings you back to places that are familiar that fill your mind and body with joy. Whatever the case is for you, call your friends, set up a night to be together and make memories and laugh and enjoy yourself. 

Work On Your Hobby

Everyone needs a hobby. A little something for yourself that just brings you joy and helps you feel centered. Usually, it’s something that you don’t get paid for, that allows you to be creative, and it allows you to use a different part of your brain than what you would normally use. Arts and crafts help people to open up their minds and keep their hands busy. Watching TV allows you to drift off and think critically about what you are watching. Gardening allows you to watch life grow and allows you to create something that is beautiful. No matter what it is, do one thing everyday that coincides with your hobby. Read a magazine article, visit a social media page, or actually sit and practice the hobby. This will help you know yourself better and it is great for your mental health. 

Sit In Silence

This is a practice that you can start first thing in the morning. After you are out of bed and feeling hydrated, find a quiet place to sit and be by yourself in the quiet. You can create a space in your home or you can find a place outside where you can listen to yourself. During this time, you can listen and feel your body from the inside and check in with yourself and see how you are feeling. You can organize your thoughts and think of things you want to journal about. If you are truly lucky, you can find a way to simply quiet your mind all together and just be. In the end, we are truly with just ourselves through everything that we do in life, so to have this time to spend with just you will help you feel grounded and centered and will give you a better understanding of who you are. 

These ten habits may be hard to fit into every single day, but if you get into the flow of trying to practice all of these, you will eventually succeed. Each one is designed to help you feel better about yourself and put yourself in situations that set you up for success. Try some of them today and start to see how quickly your mind and body begin to change.