New Year seems to be a very exciting time. Everyone is in full enthusiasm to bring on the new year with zeal. It is common to focus on the resolutions and goals for the new year. The common mantra seems to be “New Year, New Me”. However, it is important to understand that just because the calendar has reset to Jan 1, it does not mean we as a person have reset. We move into the new year with the same personality as we had the previous year. As a result, by the end of January all resolution plans fail. But it need not be the case.
It is important to note that we need not wait for a new year, new week, or new day to begin changing our lives for the better. The concept of waiting for a start time is the perfect excuse to not start working RIGHT NOW. We can change our lives the moment we decide we want to change.
To see a change in our lives, we need to focus on the habits and systems that govern our lives rather than goals or resolution. Yes, goals are very important, but just stating them will not bring about a change. We need to back track our goals into actionable steps and incorporate them into our daily habits.
As humans it is very difficult to eliminate a habit all together. That is why we stick to so many bad habits which are not good for us. Do you wake up and check your emails or social media immediately after you wake up? Does it make you feel good? I bet no. It triggers your mind and as soon as you wake up your mind starts racing and your focus is entirely on that external event, you boss’s email or that one person on social media who is living her best life. The one way to break this bad habit is to REPLACE this habit with something else. The book Atomic Habits by James Clear explains this concept beautifully.
So now let’s begin with the small habits that can change your life. Now, I am not aware what your personal big goals are. Whatever they may be, these small habit tweaks will fit perfectly in your ladder for growth and help you in achieving your ultimate desire. These habits are designed in such a way that it will replace those energy draining bad habits that we have so ingrained into our lives that we no longer realise that it is harming us. Hence the only requirement is for you to mindfully pick up the habit and stick with it for a few days until it becomes a daily involuntary routine for you.
Table of Contents:
No phones for the first hour of the day
This habit is easier said than done. Smart phones govern our lives from the start of the day to end. As much as I am grateful for technology, I do not like the idea of being slave to it. When was the last time you forgot about your phone and did not get bothered by all the notifications? Ideally phone usage should be as limited during the day as possible, but before getting there we need to start with the first hour of our days with the “no-phone” policy.
Here are few tips:
1. Keep your phone in a different room, not in your bedside table
2. Use an old-school alarm clock and not the one in your phone
3. Turn off all the notifications on the phone for that hour
4. Replace your phone scrolling habit with reading first thing in the morning. Pick up a good book and read it straight for 30 mins.
5. If you are not a reader, then you can use the time right after waking up to journal your thoughts.
The key is to find something engaging to do right after waking up. Something that does not drain your life juice but refills it.
Move your body daily
Humans were not designed to sit at a desk, couch, or bed all day every day. Humans were designed to hunt and be physically active. Our lives right now are spent sitting in front of a screen most of the time, sometimes for leisure and other times for our profession. But one change that we could make is to deliberately move our body each day within our own capacity. It will not only improve our physical heath, but also our mental health.
Imagine if you had a life-threatening disease and doctor prescribed exercising as the only medicine. Wouldn’t you follow it? Keeping your physical body active is the only way to keep it functioning healthily forever. It enables good recovery when we fall sick, boosts immunity and has an enormous effect on our mental health as well.
You can incorporate either of the below to get started:
- Walk 10000 steps every day. You can easily track the number of steps in your phone or smart watches through free apps
- Pick out an exercise regimen of your choice and dedicate 45 minutes to it each day. It can be yoga, strength training or even dancing. Anything that burns calories.There are so many good videos on Youtube that can be followed
- If you are willing to shell out money, then get a gym membership and USE IT.
- You can also move your body doing daily household chores. Instead of sitting for an hour watching Netflix, clean up a room from top to bottom.
There are hundreds of ways in which one could get moving. But I prefer anything that can be done ALONE and for FREE. That way there is no dependency on someone else and on resources. This makes it sustainable for a long term
Stay hydrated
Our body needs plain old water but we as a generation are probably drinking less and less water. Of course, we are drinking liquids with alcohol, soda, iced tea, coffees etc. So, our thirst in a way is quenched. But with drinks like that you are getting less benefit of the water and more of calories and caffeine kick.
What happens when you don’t drink enough water?
- You age quicker
- Your skin barrier is broken
- The nutrients do not get absorbed well in the body
- Your kidneys must work immensely hard to remove toxins from your body
- You get a variety of health issues
Honestly there is no bigger reason to drink enough water that the fact that is sustains your life. Now, how much water one should drink depends on the persons gender, age, lifestyle, and a few other factors. So, I’ve mentioned the word “enough” instead of quantifying the value. You need to assess your own life and see where you stand. Maybe a quick doctors visit could help as well to understand what your specific water needs are.
How can you drink more water in a day? (Let’s assume your needs are to drink 3 litres a day)
1. Have a dedicated 1 litre bottle for yourself. During the day make sure to drink 3 full servings of water from this bottle.
2. Drink more water during the day than in the evening.
3. Drink a glass of water from the bottle each hour. Download a water reminder app to be notified every hour.
4. Drink at least 500ml of water right after waking up.
Avoid processed foods as much as possible
Processed foods are a game changer in the food and health industry. They are the most harmful food items that we can put inside our body. They have no real benefit apart from the yummy taste.
However, it is easier said than done. Avoiding processed food is not easy as we’ve been ingrained for a long time to be dependent on them. Burgers, fries, processed meat, refined sugar, chips, canned goods, instant noodles, and the list goes on. Check your pantry and refrigerator, and you’ll surely find quite a few of such items there.
As mentioned, it is difficult to eliminate it completely. But we can start somewhere:
1. Meal plan to include whole grains and leafy vegetables in your diet.
2. Limit outside food
3. Avoid snacking in between meals
4. Limit sugar intake
5. Replace desserts with fruits
It is ok to have processed food occasionally. But if you are consuming every other day then there is a problem. Learn where you stand and improve accordingly.
Get a good night’s sleep
If you are following all the good habits mentioned above but are not sleeping well, then none of it matters. Sleep is crucial for the human health, and one should get at least 8 hours of sleep every night. Sleeping is like recharging our batteries and it has been researched that sleeping well every night increases life expectancy.
Ways to improve your sleep habit:
1. Schedule your hours such that you get at least 8 hours of sleep every night
2. Go to bed at the same time every night and do not skip weekends
3. Have a consistent sleep time routine. Having a wind down routine before bedtime cues the brain that it is time to sleep.
4. Do not consume media at least 1 hour before sleep time. Stay away from blue light screens!
I started the year 2022 with these 5 small habits. And trust me, it is easier said than done that it is easy to incorporate them into our daily lives. But the benefits of the habits are immensely great. While I am still struggling to keep up with all these habits from time to time, the positive change that it has brought into my life is something that motivates me to keep going.
I hope you challenge yourself to change your habits today and trust the process to see a difference in your lives. Always remember –
Changes that seem small and unimportant at first will compound into remarkable results if you’re willing to stick with them for years.
– James Clear (Atomic Habits)
Nice one