We all have habits that we have adopted over time.
Some of them we’ve intentionally sought out to include in our daily lives, and some we have developed without a pure intention. While the habits mentioned below aren’t over-the-top by any stretch of the imagination, they are super simple habits that have changed my life for the better.
I hope you’ll find some new habits you’ll want to take on, and let me know if you currently have any of these habits!
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Drinking Water is a Staple
Ironically, it wasn’t by sheer willpower that I made drinking water a staple in my daily life. The thing that actually got me to drink water was contracting Covid. That was very nerve-wracking and especially frustrating after already being vaccinated, but thankfully my hubby and I got well in a couple of weeks.
We knew we needed to stay hydrated, and while my hubby already drinks a lot of water, I unfortunately didn’t. I lost my taste and smell, so I stuck to water to help get better quicker and because it was the only thing that tasted normal.
A Chapter A Day
Reading has always been something that I’ve loved. I can remember my mom telling me how she used to read to me even before I was born. I guess it made me a bookworm!
While I take spells where I’m wanting to read a ton throughout the week, sometimes there will be months where I can’t seem to pick up a book at all. What I noticed when I was trying to be super mindful of what helps me mentally each day (some days I’m super anxious!), I find myself feeling better on days when I do read.
It doesn’t take a long time either, just a little pause to transport myself mentally into a new place is all it takes to give myself a recharge. I found it difficult to actually read each day without putting a goal in it for myself, so I chose just one chapter a day. That probably sounds like barely reading anything, but the truth is I usually end up reading more than just the one chapter and it really helps to just give myself that small goal. I then feel accomplished when I do read one chapter, plus I get that mental break that I really find helpful.
More Podcasts, Less News
I don’t know about you, but listening to the news gives me anxiety! I used to be a news buff who loved keeping up with politics and what was going on in the world. However, since the craziness of the last election and Covid happened, it made me so nervous and I found myself reacting to things more negatively.
I decided to cut back on the news and add in more podcasts. There are so many uplifting, motivating podcasts out there! I found that I was more productive because I could listen to them while working, or they made me want to take action and do something that would get me closer to my goals.
Limit the Scroll
Have you picked up your phone just to check IG and then it’s suddenly 1 hour later?! I have done that plenty of times and still can’t stop myself from time to time.
Sometimes it’s fun to scroll through funny cat videos or news-of-the-day, but it can often lead us away from the things that we actually need to get done. That’s why I chose not to eliminate it entirely, but instead to limit how often I scroll.
These are just some of the habits I’ve picked up over the years. I hope you’ll find them helpful and I’d love to hear some of your daily habits!
Wishing you the brightest day!
I would love to know what some of your favorite Podcasts are! I used to listen to a few while driving home from dropping the kids off at school, but since Covid I’ve gotten out of it! I need to get back into it. I know, I really need to avoid the news… there is just not a lot of good on it right now! And, I am bad about scrolling too much.
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
Hi, Carrie! Some of my favorites are Thrive by Erica Ligenza, She Means Business by Carrie Green, Think Like a Boss by Maggie Collette, and Design Your Dream Life by Natalie Bacon. 🙂 I totally understand about the news, especially with all the Covid stuff!
YES!! I have implemented all three of these myself and it is a GAME CHANGER!! Great post dear, thanks for sharing!
That’s awesome, Gingi! So happy you enjoyed reading the post, and thank you SO much for checking it out.
I need to limit the scroll! I’ve been spending more time on Twitter now because of the Turkish shows I watch. I need to go back to listening to podcasts.
Jennifer
Curated by Jennifer
It’s so addictive! I can totally understand. Hope you have a fantastic weekend! 🙂
These are all great habits, and I love the idea of reading one chapter a day. I always put pressure on myself to read an entire book quickly, but then I don’t enjoy it as much. Since Covid, I’ve limited watching the news as it causes me anxiety too. Thanks for sharing these, and thanks a million for sharing my post. So sweet of you, I didn’t expect that, so it really made my day:) You’re the best! I hope you have a great weekend:)
Martha
Aww, you are more than welcome Martha! I truly appreciate your post, it’s the best and I’m still coming back to it off and on! 🙂
These are great habits, I am really good with drinking water. I use to read a lot but latelyI have been so busy that I have not had time. And I so want to listen to more pod casts and I TBH I am pretty much over IG. And thank you for the kind words on my blog, I did find a home for the cats through my friend who is a vet. And they will be together.
Allie of
http://www.allienyc.com
With everything you have going on, that’s totally understandable Allie! You are more than welcome, and I am SO happy to hear you found a great home for them. I felt for you so dearly, that would be so hard to go through. It’s even better that they can stick together! <3
Yes, to all these! Reading a chapter a day is a nice tip to get into the habit of reading.
xoxo
Lovely
http://www.mynameislovely.com
Thanks so much, Lovely! Wishing you a wonderful weekend!
These are fantastic tips Ashley! I need to read more this year. I enjoy it but I focus on my to-do list too much. Taking a break from IG for a couple of weeks was amazing!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Thank you tons, my dear friend! I can totally understand, you have a lot going on right now! 🙂 So happy you enjoyed your break from IG.
A chapter a day is a great way to read more. I learned this habit from the book Atomic Habits, have you ever heard fit? If not, I strongly recommend it to get more things done. It’s super inspiring, a great read, and filled with amazing productivity tips.
Sorry to hear you got Covid. I did too and water was also one of the few things I still enjoyed. Everything else tasted bad (I had this strange symptom from Covid). Hope you are well, dear!
Ana Palombini | La Belle Society
http://www.labellesociety.com
That’s awesome, Ana! I have not read it yet, but it’s on my TBR list. I really want to be read it soon, and I’m on a forever (seemingly) hold at my local library. I may just have to buy it so I can read it sooner, haha.
Thank you so much. Glad you made it through Covid, even though I’m so sorry you got it. That’s how I felt with it too, my normal drinks just tasted terrible, but thankfully it’s all back to normal now.
We share some similar habits. I don’t watch TV and news at all, and don’t listen podcast but i read every day. I start with that habit when was last lock down and continue til today. Now I can’t imagine that I spent day without reading.
That’s awesome that you read daily! What a wonderful habit to take out of the pandemic, friend. I think I’d feel much better if I ditched TV and news all together, but just not there yet, haha. Wishing you a fantastic weekend! 🙂
These are great habits! I deeefinitely agree with skipping the news – I want to be informed, but not at the expense of my sanity. Drinking enough water REALLY makes a difference to how healthy I feel too 🙂 Hope you had a good new year! x
mia // https://miasdiyprojects.com/
Thank you so much, Mia! 🙂 That’s a great way to put it about the news – sometimes it really does cost us our sanity, and that’s costing far too much. My new year is off to a great start so far, and I hope yours is too!
I drink more water now too. Glad you and your husband recovered quickly.
This is also a nice reminder for me to read more.
Marie
https://theflowerduet.blogspot.com/
Aww, thank you so much Marie. Glad you liked the reading reminder, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend! 🙂
These are great habits my dear friend. Reading is definitely something I need to do something about this year. I haven’t read a full book for a long time and this is really bad as a teaching assistant. Ha!! I’ve started drinking more water and I love it. Yes to less news. Very depressing! I’m not a podcast listener, but heard great things about em. Might have to look into it.
Thank you for this post. Have a blessed week ahead, luv. 🙂
https://www.missymayification.co.uk
Ha ha, no worries Missy! I’m sure you’re doing a ton to help those sweet kiddos! I think the awesome part about podcasts is that you can find them on truly any topic. I really like the self development ones, but they have a lot of fun, entertaining ones too!
Sending love your way, my dear friend, and I hope you have a great weekend! 🙂
Reading a chapter a day is such a great thing to add to your day. It’s so easy for that one chapter to turn into a book. I have found that the more I read the more I see things in life in a better light.
(Of course, my guilty pleasure is watching too much TV.)
Yes, I agree! I definitely tend to get caught up when I start that chapter. It’s so nice to not have the pressure for reading any more than that though, because I feel accomplished just with that one chapter if I’m pressed for time or something like that. Ha ha, I like my tv shows too!
I drink more water now. I also think that’s a great idea, reading a chapter s day.
That’s awesome! Water has so many health benefits. Thank you SO much!