Good habits are subjective but overall, good habits are habits that work to make you feel good. This doesn’t mean they feel good all the time or as you’re building them, but once they’re established the result is that they improve your life. I am a huge creature of habit and I love the small things in my routine that make a big difference. That’s why I’m sharing some tips on habit building and my five top habits that I think everyone should try:
Habits don’t have to be complicated or tied to lofty goals – they’re your habits and can be hwateve you want them to be, but these are the five that have helped me feel good every day and regain some peace and control over my life.
Why Should You Create Good Habits?
We create habits constantly without even realizing it – both good and bad habits. Everything from brushing your teeth every morning to scrolling on your phone in bed is a habit. However, when you intentionally create habits that help you improve your quality of life or reach your goals, you’re gaining more control over your life and your future.
Choosing to create good habits doesn’t have to come from a place of unhappiness or self-hatred. You can love yourself and your life and be kind to yourself while still identifying habits that you want to build to make your life even better.
How Do You Build Good Habits?
There are many different methods that people recommend for building habits but a few of the core ideas that help me build habits include:
- Habit stacking. This entails using something you already do as a “trigger” for a new habit. Essentially, you build a routine that “stacks” new habits with existing ones. Some of these things can be as simple as waking up, or brushing your teeth.
- Accountability partners. If you’re struggling to stick to a habit, having someone do it with you or check on you every day to make sure you have can be a great way to enforce your habit.
- Never miss twice. Life happens and we all need a break sometimes. However, skipping too many times in a row will eliminate the new habit you’re trying to build entirely. Never miss twice in a row to keep building your habit.
- The two-minute rule. If you struggle to get started on a habit because it feels to big or hard to do, start with just two minutes. In the beginning, force yourself to stop after two minutes. Just practicing showing up will go a long way in reinforcing your new habit.
- Stick to it for three weeks. 21 day is the minimum time needed to build a new habit. If you can stick to it for just three weeks, you’re much more likely to stick to it after that.
My favorite book about habits that I’ve ever read is Atomic Habits. The book is chok full of helpful and actionable advice for building habits and is the foundation of many of my habits. However, another great book that helps you get your life together, without being explicitly about habit is The Lazy Genius Way.
5 Good Habits To Start Today
1. Getting up at a consistent time
Whether you’re a 5 am riser or a 9 am riser, maintaining a consistent sleep schedule will do wonders not only for your quality of sleep but your energy and focus levels throughout the day. I am a firm believer that not everyone needs to wake up early to be productive, as long as you are actually getting enough sleep and good quality sleep.
One of my favorite tools to use to figure out when I should go to bed to get up at the same time every day and feel my most rested is sleepyti.me. This calculator uses the average length of sleep cycles to determine three different options for when you should fall asleep to wake up feeling rested.
2. Moving your body for at least 20 minutes a day
Exercise is for so much more than weight loss. Even when you’re not trying to lose weight, burning a certain amount of calories each day helps tire out your body enough for you to sleep well. Not to mention that it literally improves brain function and causes your body to release hormones that make you feel good and improve mental health.
Choose any kind of movement you want – a walk, a swim, bike riding, lifting weights, yoga, or even roller-skating. Being active for at least 20 minutes will give you that little serotonin boost you need and make your body feel great. Plus – the sense of accomplishment from reaching that goal every day and feeling your body get stronger can help increase your motivation for other habits.
3. Winding down before bed
Having a routine before bed that consists of the same activities combined with a consistent sleep and wake time can help you get some amazing sleep that will leave you rested and energetic for the whole day. Bedtime routines help signal to your body that it’s time for sleep, even when you’re not doing anything that screams “bedtime.” Similarly, only getting in bed to sleep or nap helps your brain associate getting into bed with sleep so that you naturally begin to feel sleepy when you get into bed.
I recommend reading before bed but you can do anything you like, as long as it is screen-free time and is the same habit every night. Try a luxurious skincare routine, journaling, or meditating.
4. Gratitude Journaling
Keeping a gratitude journal where you write down 3 things you’re grateful for every day is one of the easiest ways to keep a journaling habit. Practicing gratitude will also make a surprising change in your mindset and outlook. You won’t notice the changes right away, but consistently practicing finding the positives in your life can be transformative.
In addition (or in place of) listing things you’re grateful for, you could try listing things you love about yourself, things you’re proud of yourself for, or things you’re looking forward to.
5. Admin Days
This habit is not a daily habit but it is one that I think is incredibly helpful, especially once you’re living on your own and have a lot of “adulting” tasks to take care of on a regular basis.
The way admin days work are that you pick one day of the week (or month) that is your designated day to knock out all of your “admin” tasks you’ve been putting off. This can be things like scheduling appointments, calling your bank, re-organizing your files, or whatever else you need to do that is not a part of your regular routine. Doing this ensures that you get all of those important things done, but prevents you from getting overwhelmed by the mountain of things you have to do.
Wrapping Up
Your habits don’t have to look just like mine, which is why I’ve left flexibility in how you choose to actualize them in your own life. If reading before bed and waking up at 5 a.m. don’t make you feel good, you don’t need to do it that way. But, anyone can start winding down before bed with their preferred activity and waking up at a consistent time, even if that time is 9 a.m. Use the habits outlined here and the tips for habit building to create healthy habits that serve you and your personal goals in life.
