5 Small Habits That Will Make Big Changes In Your Life This Year
Integrating these habits into your daily life doesn’t take much time, but they have major benefits.
It’s the beginning of a new year and possibility is buzzing through the air. But all your grand ideas about how you’re going to change your life this year may seem overwhelming. If that’s true for you, I’ve compiled a list of habits that have had the biggest impact on my life and compacted them into bite-sized, manageable goals for you. If you’re looking for resolutions you’ll actually be able to accomplish this year, keep reading.
1: Read 10 Pages a Day
Reading more is a great new habit to establish this year. It has so many benefits from improving your vocabulary and changing your perspectives to increasing brain connectivity and preventing Alzheimer’s.
You may feel overwhelmed at the thought of reading multiple books this year, so start small and set a goal to read ten pages each day. Ten pages is a manageable goal and you can find plenty of time to squeeze it in. You can read on your lunch break, while taking a bath, waiting at the doctor’s office, or in bed before falling asleep. Stick to this small goal and you’ll be surprised how far it will take you.
2: Exercise For 10 Minutes Each Day
Making a small change to add 10 minutes of exercise to your day has major health benefits. Tim Church, MS, PhD, explains that, “Your body responds very positively, very quickly, to even small amounts of exercise.” There are plenty of benefits that come with longer workouts, but if that seems too overwhelming, start with exercising 10 minutes every day.
This smaller goal is more manageable and can help you build up your strength, confidence, and consistency to later transition into longer workouts. Any exercise will do, but here are some examples to help get the ball rolling: walking, swimming, cycling, running, jumping rope, dancing, boxing, playing sports, playing tag with your kids, pushups, squats, jumping jacks, yoga, and pilates. It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you move for ten minutes each day.
3: Prep 1 Meal Each Week
There are lots of benefits that come with food prep, like managing your weight and saving money. But it can be an overwhelming task. Trying to make a week’s worth of meals in one day is exhausting and the menu can feel repetitive. So try prepping just one meal each week.
You can prep a few jars with greek yogurt, berries, and granola. Maybe you make a few containers of overnight oats. Or you could make a few sandwiches to take to work with you. Or you can even double what you’re making for dinner tonight and eat the leftovers tomorrow. Your meal prep doesn’t have to be an extravagant undertaking. But save yourself a little extra time each week by prepping one meal.
4: Drink 100 Ounces of Water a Day
Water is the most essential nutrient we need. Without it we experience fatigue, headaches, muscle cramps, loss of concentration, hunger sensations and more. About 75% of American adults are chronically dehydrated. If you like caffeinated beverages such as coffee, soda, or energy drinks, you’re even more likely to be dehydrated because these drinks act as a diuretic.
So aim to drink at least 100 ounces of water each day. Drink a full glass when you first wake up, with every meal, and take frequent water breaks during the day.
5: Journal For 1 Minute Every Day
Journaling can be great for your mental health. It helps you relax, process your emotions, plan your future, see your progress, and ease anxiety. Picking up a new habit of journaling can feel intimidating, especially at the end of this article full of new daily tasks to adopt. So keep it simple and journal for just one minute a day.
You can journal when you first wake up, on your commute home, or right before bed. Set a timer and write away. You can write about your day, your fears, frustrations, anxieties, goals, failures, successes, or whatever comes to mind.
Conclusion
Integrating all of these new habits into your daily life doesn’t actually take that much time. But they will have a big positive impact on your life as they improve your physical, mental, and emotional health. As your overall health improves, these positive changes will also trickle into other areas of your life.
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