Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I will earn a small commission if you purchase through my link at no extra cost to you. For more information, check here.
Two years ago I was wondering about how can I improve my life and be a better person. It is said that your habits will determine your future. So, I decided to focus on my habits. Wondering what small and easy habits I found? Here are small habits to change your life this year!
Why is forming good habits important? Small habits can lead you to your long-term goals. Honestly, I never thought that adopting these small habits can change my life in a year.
The truth is you will not always be motivated and excited but if you develop a habit, it will become your nature. Let’s take a look at what these small habits to change your life are!
Small Habits to Change your Life In 2022
1. Have A Morning Routine
Do you wonder what is there in a morning routine that everyone is suggesting to have? This is something I used to think about until I started practicing it myself! Creating a morning routine is something that takes time but once you develop this habit this will be one of the best habits you will have in your life!
Morning is a time when the brain is most active and fresh. This is when you can outline your day and make it more productive with a good start. When you wake up every morning, make sure that the first two hours you dedicate to yourself.
Make a plan in your mind or if you want you can also write it down with the priorities of the day. In the beginning, your day may not be exactly how you plan it but even if you follow 80% of it that will be a good result.
Trust me it is very easy to say, very hard to do, and even harder to follow! Here is my blog about the 10 best morning habits to follow for a productive day. Hope it helps you. You can keep a planner for keeping track.
Also, before you sleep make a mindmap in your head of things you will do in the morning. This is something I did and it helped me in becoming more disciplined. Along with it, keeping a planner and writing in it every morning makes completing the tasks more exciting.
If you struggle waking up early, read How To Wake Up Early In The Morning Without Feeling Sleepy
2. Practice Meditation
One of the things that many successful people around the world suggest is meditation. It is said that meditation is very beneficial for your personal growth. Therefore, I decided to meditate for 5 minutes a day in the beginning.
I later increased it to 10 and 15 minutes. Some of the benefits that I experienced in my life are that I have become a calmer person and don’t get affected by situations quickly now.
I stay more focused on better things. Also, when I meditate before sleeping, I experience a night of better sleep. Meditation Is believed to reduce stress and improve your emotional health.
You become better at controlling your emotions which I think is great for problem-solving in life. Initially, I was very confused about how to start so I search for things on the internet where I came across a few useful videos.
You can also search for a few YouTube videos that can teach you how to start meditation as a beginner. I started seeing the benefits within the first week itself. This is something I recommend to all my friends and now to you all too!
3. Journaling
I started journaling as a way to know myself better and relieve stress. And it proved to be so good that it has become a part of my life now.
You can have your own reasons to start this. It can help you in keeping your thoughts organized. Additionally, you develop a better understanding of yourself as a person.
You can write about your goals and plan out things for the day for the upcoming week or month. You will feel more confident when you track your progress and achieve your goals.
Thinking about what can you write a journal about? It is very simple! you start with a journal about daily activities, your dreams, your favorite things, and any stress you are going through, so basically, you can journal about anything you would like to write about.
Once you like it, then you can start thinking about how you can make a journal more organized. For more guidance, read my blog on How To Start Journaling
4. Reading Personal Development Books
Reading is something I always enjoyed but in the last two years, I focused more on reading self-development books. I feel it is something that has really helped me grow as a person.
The change that I observed in me is that my approach to things and people has become more positive. I’ve started focusing and things that are going to result in my growth. Which books should you read?
You can take suggestions from your friends or you can simply search online and go for the reviews.
Once you complete a book, think about all the things you have learned from that book and how they can help you in your life.
Want to know more ways for self-growth? Read How To Invest In Yourself For Personal Growth.
5. Learning New Things
When was the last time you learned something new? What new can you learn about? I am pretty sure that you would be having a few things in your mind that you want to learn or do in life.
I’ll suggest you, start with smaller things. Read my blog on Skills You Can Learn Online For Free.
Do not keep your learning list at a high level and enjoy the journey. Learning something new is good for your brain, the curiosity improves your ability to learn things faster and have a better memory.
It can be something as simple as cooking, driving, or a musical instrument. When you learn something new, you get a sense of accomplishment and gain confidence.
Remember learning is a lifelong process so keep adding more and more things to your list.
6. Practice Minimalism
I think many of us are attracted to the term Minimalism nowadays!
If you are someone who likes to have a simpler lifestyle and is more attracted to meaningful things then practicing minimalism can be a great way to start.
What does minimalism actually mean? What I understand from minimalism is that it is living with limited things in our life, only things that we need, and avoiding unnecessary attractions.
This is something that depends on every individual. Some people find it very boring. You decide if you really want to follow this.
I think it is very difficult to be a perfect minimalist. Even though I am not able to practice it always but I know for sure that it does make your life simpler and lowers your stress.
One of the benefits I experienced from this is that I started spending money on experiences rather than things.
I saved a lot of time after decluttering my old clothes and a few other things from my closet. You can start with your closet then your room and then your home.
And yes, it’s completely okay to not be a perfectionist in this, nothing above your happiness!
7. 30 Minutes For Your Body
Our body is like a home to us. Taking care of it should be a priority. A 30-minute exercise can make you feel more energetic all day.
Even if you do not want to do heavy exercises you can simply go for a walk or do fun activities like dancing or yoga.
It would be better if you added these 30 minutes to your morning routine. There are countless benefits of exercise known to all of us. Stop avoiding it and start doing it! Read my blog on How to feel energetic all day.
8. Eating Healthy
Eating healthily has changed my mind and my body as a person. I am a foodie and it was very hard for me to think of avoiding all the unhealthy food and eating only healthy food. I thought it would be very difficult but now I feel I can do it very easily.
What healthy I start eating? It’s basic homemade food! I used to eat a lot of junk food in college that I have now eliminated from my daily routine.
Now, I focus more on eating healthy and nutritious meals. it’s not that I have stopped eating outside food completely but it has become so less, which is once in a month which I feel is okay to have.
It has not only helped me in feeling physically more active but also my mood and energy levels are better. Switch to healthy options as health is wealth. You will start seeing the difference in a month only.
9. Listing Things to Make You Happy
Creating your ‘happiness list’ is something that we all should do. We all have things in our lives that can make a very happy, something that can lift a mood instantly, something we are always waiting to do!
How many things do you have on your list? When I started writing my list for the first time I went on and on…. Are you the same? I feel you!
I know there can be a lot of things that we want in life to do but do not keep everything on a happiness list. So what should you keep on your list?
I will suggest starting with only five things which you want to do in near future and will give you extreme happiness.
Decide which of the five things is most important for you right now. It’s ok if you have corrected your list 4-5 Times. Make sure that when you make that final list, it aligns with other elements of your life well.
Practice something from this list whenever you feel down and give yourself some serotonin!
10. Managing Your Digital Time
This is something we all will agree upon! Many times we forget to keep track of time because we are scrolling through our phones, especially on social media.
The time passes so quickly that you unintentionally lose a large part of your day.
I faced this problem a lot when the pandemic started. So last year I decided to manage my time on the phone. Trust me not using social media for a year has given me a sense of self-satisfaction and the ability to enjoy life offline.
Read How To Stop Phone Addiction and Live Life Offline
There are applications where you can keep track of how much time you are spending on the phone and on what applications. One of the simple ways is to turn off your notification so that you don’t get distracted during work.
Do not use your phone in the morning as it degrades your productivity and before going to bed as it can affect your sleep.
I started keeping my phone away for one week and I realized I sleep better when my phone is not on my bed. When are you planning your digital timings?
Over To You!
These were some of the small habits to change your life this year. No matter how many of these you can inculcate in your life. As long as you are trying even one of these, you can ensure your personal growth.
Remember that good habits are as addictive as bad habits but much more rewarding. Adopt these small habits to change your life in 2022. Hope you have an amazing year ahead!
