Are you looking to embark on a journey of self-improvement and personal growth? Here are 30 habit changes you can make, starting today.
We all want to improve our lives for the better, but it can be difficult to figure out exactly how. While the idea of making big life changes might seem daunting, the truth is that it all boils down to a few small actions. Here, we round up some simple yet effective tips to help you become more productive and feel happier, so that you can get the most out of life and achieve personal growth.
Create a Morning Routine
It’s time to stop hitting snooze. Start the day by creating a sense of balance, whether that be through some quiet meditation or a quick yoga session. Structuring our mornings can energise you and allows you to go about each day with purpose.
Commit to a Healthy Lifestyle
Physical health is strongly linked to your overall wellbeing, which is why it’s crucial to maintain healthy habits like daily exercise, a balanced diet, and adequate sleep. Try incorporating 30 minutes of exercise into your daily routine, committing to a balanced diet of proteins, healthy fats, and carbohydrates, and getting at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep every day.
Read a Book
It’s important to treat your brain like a muscle – giving your brain that much-needed burst of mental stimulation can better equip it to complete tasks more efficiently. Besides, there are always great lessons to be learned through books! Need some inspiration? Here are Hive Life’s top picks of books to read to get you started.
Declutter
The environment you create is a reflection of your mindset. A clean environment offers a blank slate that can help to alleviate feelings of stress and help you work more efficiently, which is why it can be helpful to put extra time into cleaning up your surroundings.
Cut Down on Social Media
Those who rely heavily on social media often end up negatively comparing themselves to others and may find it stressful to disconnect. Destress and unwind by cutting down on screen time, and instead engaging with people in real life. Not convinced? Here are five benefits of going through a digital detox.
Learn a New Skill
Picking up a new skill can provide you with a sense of accomplishment and pride. Online learning platforms like Skillshare offer a wide range of online classes that can help you in both your professional and personal life.
Live a Greener Life
We should all do our part for the environment, and one of the easiest ways to get started is to stop living wastefully. Make a resolution to reduce your eco-footprint and live greener. Not sure how to get started? Here are some sustainable changes you can make, right at home.
Make Time to Volunteer
Performing acts of generosity or kindness can increase levels of oxytocin in the brain, which creates feelings of happiness and relieves stress. Volunteering also creates purpose, helping to raise your self-esteem and alleviate loneliness.
Cut Out Vices
Self-improvement isn’t just about creating new habits – it’s also about shaking bad ones. Take a moment to reflect on your vices and make it a goal to eliminate them. Start with the easier ones and work your way up.
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
We often let anger, hatred, and jealousy get in the way of our own happiness and wellbeing. Learning to let go of this negativity can be a cathartic form of emotional healing, helping us to move on from painful experiences and live a more positive life.
Appreciate the Now
Many people spend their lives in an endless pursuit for happiness, constantly looking to the next milestone or accomplishment for a sense of fulfilment. But when you become ensnared in the perpetual quest for the next best thing, you will never truly feel satisfied. The truth is that happiness is already around you – you just need to stop to smell the flowers.
Relinquish Control
When things don’t go the way you planned, it can be easy to spiral. Instead, learn to surrender what you cannot control – it will feel liberating and, in doing so, you are opening up yourself to new possibilities.
Step Out of Your Comfort Zone
While staying in your comfort zone may be reassuring, real growth comes from exploring new situations and environments. Take the leap to try something new, or shake up a tried-and-tested routine – you may be surprised at what you learn.
Challenge Yourself
Setting personal challenges for yourself forces you to stay focused, productive, and on track while working towards a goal. It also helps you prioritise the most important things in your life and grants you the opportunity to gain control of your future.
Say Yes
When faced with new opportunities, our automatic response is often a resounding “no”, whether it be out of fear, habit, or simply an unwillingness to try new things. By saying “yes” to new experiences, thoughts, and ideas, you are opening yourself up to a world of chance and possibility.
Say No
We often undervalue our own time, choosing to overcommit to others and saving little to no time for ourselves. Learn to say no to others so that you can instead focus on your own emotional, psychological, and physical needs, and commit your time to the things that serve you.
Stop Procrastinating
Procrastination can lead to higher levels of stress and lower well-being. Adopting a ‘do-it-now’ habit and working on your most important tasks first can help you learn to prioritise your tasks and work more efficiently. Kick your procrastination habits for good with these 8 tips.
Live Intensely
We all have the same 24 hours in a day, but how you choose to spend that time can make a monumental difference. Optimise your productivity by investing yourself in whatever you do – pour your heart and soul into your work and give it absolutely everything you’ve got, every single day.
Break Free From Instant Gratification
It’s easy to lose sight of long term goals when given the option of immediate, fleeting moments of joy. Learning to break the habit of instant gratification can allow you to work toward goals that will ultimately lead to greater self-esteem and long-lasting happiness.
Practice Gratitude
Practising gratitude reshapes your mindset in a positive way by helping you focus on appreciating the things already in your life, rather than feeling unsatisfied and constantly hoping for something new.
Reconsider Your Priorities
When you don’t consciously make an effort to focus on your priorities, you may find yourself living according to other people’s ideas of success. Take some time out to reflect on the most important things in your life and redirect your energy on what truly matters to you.
Learn to Accept Failure
Though the idea of failing may seem daunting, failure is an inevitable and necessary part of our pursuit for success. Instead, take the time to appreciate your successes and recognise your strengths – this can help boost your self-confidence and motivate you to continue pursuing your goals.
Cut Out Negativity
To achieve peace and introduce positivity, try to cut out toxic relationships, unhealthy habits, and self-destructive thoughts from your life. Make it a goal to read and share positive content daily to help create a happier, more peaceful mindset.
Cultivate Positive Relationships
We are all products of our environment. A study from Harvard shows that positive human connections help to keep people happy throughout their lifetimes, so choose who you want to surround yourself with carefully.
Think Before You Speak
Words carry weight. What you choose to say to others can have a lasting impact – but you have the power to decide whether you want to uplift others or bring them down. To prevent speaking thoughtlessly, pause and ask yourself if what you’re saying is going to have a positive effect.
Own Up to Your Mistakes
We all make mistakes; it’s part of human nature. But it can be difficult to admit them to others – or even yourself. Learning to own up to your mistakes and making an effort to apologise when you’ve done something wrong can help you to accept your flaws and create better relationships with others.
Become an Active Listener
One of the keys to developing meaningful, fulfilling relationships is to become a better listener. Learning to listen and respond to another person sincerely can help them feel valued and understood, allowing you to build a deeper, stronger connection.
Be Authentic
The key to a fulfilling life is to live authentically. Constantly changing your personality or lifestyle in order to fit into what others expect for you can lead to isolation and unhappiness. Instead, learn to stay true to your own values and focus on what matters to you.
Meditate
Mindful meditation has long been hailed as a way to improve both your mental and physical health. Studies have shown that this practice can help to relieve symptoms of stress and anxiety, as well as to stimulate focus and improve sleep.
Commit to Self-Improvement
Ultimately, everyone is responsible for their own personal growth. The journey to self-improvement is ongoing – if you commit to taking action, make a plan to achieve your goals and hold yourself accountable, you’ll undoubtedly begin to see positive changes within yourself in no time.
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