One of my favorite parts of starting a new year is that there are so many opportunities for self-improvement. This feels really freeing, but also gives me a sense of impending doom. Let me be totally clear: I like to think I’m somewhere between being “that girl” and a total dumpster fire. I have my aesthetic routines like morning workout classes, but also a week’s worth of dirty dishes piled up on my desk. My whole life I’ve strived to be that perfect person that everyone else is jealous of, but putting yourself in a position where you simultaneously over and underestimate the number of eyes on you is exhausting. In all my efforts to try and become this hypothetical “best version of myself,” these are some of the beneficial habits that I was able to stick to.
“jump” out of bed
When my alarm goes off in the morning, I immediately sit or stand up. Even when I feel really tired, I just go for it. This takes away the internal battle of whether I should snooze my alarm or start my day right then. Ever since I started doing this, my mindset shifted from “I’m so tired” to “Let’s get this day started.” I’m not one to be an optimist, but this method kind of rewired my brain to take a more proactive approach to the day.
move my body daily
This is probably one you’ve heard a million times, but it truly makes all the difference. For me, sometimes moving my body means taking a spin class, going on a walk or just doing some stretches in bed while watching a movie. One of my toxic traits is that I’ll be hard on myself for thinking a workout wasn’t challenging enough. My new habit helped me focus more on movement rather than a specific workout, which let me reap all the health benefits of exercise while also being kind to my mind and body.
find a new show or podcast to enjoy
This might sound kind of backward since most people try to cut back on TV or technology time, but this is a habit that really helped me. I’m very reward-motivated with everything I do, so one of my rewards is that I get to watch an episode of a show after I finish all my daily tasks. I do the same thing with podcasts (see below for some podcast ideas), but sometimes I’ll even use it as motivation to do the task. I love listening to podcasts on walks or as I’m cleaning my room, so this is a win-win in every aspect.
for my iPad girlies: buy a digital planner
I bought myself an iPad for the Christmas of 2021 and one of the first things I did was buy a digital planner on Etsy. Some are pricey but most are under $15 (I got mine for $4.99 and it had everything I wanted and more). Most of these planners come with more than just a place to write your daily to-do list. Mine included spots to write out monthly budgeting, mood trackers and daily affirmations. I used to write my to-do lists in my notes app, so this major upgrade made my days feel more intentional.
Making lifestyle changes can be both enthralling and exhausting, so it’s important to prioritize what feels right and obtainable rather than jumping into everything at once. I always try to test out one habit at a time to see if this is something that will work for me. At the end of the day, habits are in place to make life better, not worse! The beauty of it all is that we don’t have to wait for a new week, month or year to make lifestyle changes. We can take back control of our lives whenever we want.
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