This gentle list of habits will contribute to your health and happiness. Even if you only adopt a couple of the habits on the list, you’ll feel lighter and brighter.
Our habits affect how we feel and how we navigate each day. They can move us from a bad mood to a good mood and improve our outlook overall. From brushing our teeth twice a day to a morning gratitude practice, our list of habits matter.
We each have a good habit or two that we practice without even thinking about it. The list of habits below will help you simplify your life and enjoy your day. When you are creating a new habit, start small. Combine tiny steps with slow, consistent action. Soon, they will become part of your daily routine.
A Gentle List of Habits to Brighten Your Day
Some habits are to improve your health but we need more. We need a gentle list of habits that make us smile, bring us joy and brighten our day. Chances are they will improve our health too! You can make room for this list of habits by removing habits that cause you stress.
1. Create the habit of phone-free mornings.
Simplify your day by starting it anywhere but on your phone. If breaking the phone-first habit is hard, take this recommendation literally. When you wake up, before reaching for your phone, pause. Put your hands on your heart and stay there for a few moments. Practice mindfulness by checking in with yourself first. Then you can make space to hear your own voice and remember what’s important to you before you engage with email, news, and social media. Start with just a few minutes and extend your heart practice as you get more comfortable with less phone and more life.
2. Declutter daily.
Instead of trying to declutter everything all at once, create more motivation to declutter by letting go of a few things every day. Start with this list of 70 things to declutter. Or, simply place a box by your front door and drop a few things in each day. Start with the easy stuff like duplicates, things you don’t use, and things you don’t really care about.
3. Make enjoying simple pleasures a daily habit.
This one is important on the list of habits that brighten your day. Give yourself some joy every single day with a simple pleasure. Your simple pleasure might be coffee in bed, a nice walk, chatting with a friend, listening to your favorite music, or creating a simple ritual. Don’t save your simple pleasure as a reward. You do not have to earn it. You are allowed a simple pleasure when you are having a good day or a bad one. These simple pleasures are usually small, inexpensive, and easy to get started.
4. Assume that everyone wants the best for you.
When we assume that everyone is against us and out for themselves, it’s harder to accomplish anything. We stop sharing our dreams and celebrating our progress in fear of someone else pushing back. Eventually we stop wanting things for ourselves and we stop believing that we have a choice in how our lives unfold. Instead, treat others as if they want the best for you and you want the best for them. Start to identify who is really in your corner and who might need a little time to work on themselves. Share and celebrate with your people and keep all of your dreams alive and energized.
5. Be gentle with yourself.
Make a habit of being gentle with yourself by asking this question every day, “What is the gentlest thing I can do for myself right now?” The answer will likely be simple. The answer may encourage you to drink a glass of water, take a walk, put your phone down or go to bed early. Step two of this habit is to trust the answer and give yourself the gentle thing you need. It may not feel like a priority but it is. That moment you think you don’t have time to take care of yourself is the exact moment you need to take care of yourself.
6. Practice the habit of pausing.
Pause before you “add to cart” and stop buying things you don’t need. Stop and pause before you commit to something you aren’t sure about. Pause before responding to an email or commenting on anything on the internet. Instead of reacting, consider if you want to. The pause will encourage a thoughtful response which may be no response at all.
7. Show up early.
Commit to showing up 10 minutes early for meetings, appointments, and even Zoom calls or other things you don’t need to leave the house for. I’ve been making this easy by bringing a book with me everywhere. I bribe myself, “If you show up early, you get to read!” Showing up early removes so much stress. It makes me feel happier because I don’t have to worry about traffic or showing up right on time, leaving no time to settle in.
This list of habits is short but powerful. Start with one and practice it for a few days. See how it feels to prioritize your health and happiness. If it feels challenging to stick with a new habit from the list, try it again but with tinier steps. You’ve got this!
