10 Habit Changes to Significantly Improve Your Quality of Life

Bad habits can be hard to break! Once we are stuck in a cycle it’s incredibly difficult to get out of it. However, transitioning from a bad habit into a good habit doesn’t have to be hard! Once you start seeing results the change won’t be so bad. These are my ten habit changes that I made that significantly improved my quality of life.

1. Cut down on drinking calories.

This pertains to coffee, pop/soda, energy drinks, and alcohol. I first cut down on my intake of caffeine, which was my millions of cups of coffee that I drank every day. I cut back to one big cup before 2 PM. Cutting back on caffeine can lower your blood pressure, help with sleep, and improve anxiety symptoms. I initially started cutting out alcohol due to tremendous depression symptoms after drinking. However, there are other reasons to not drink as much or stop drinking completely. When you are drinking alcohol, you are drinking empty calories. This adds onto your daily calorie intake, and you know what happens when you go over your calorie intake… weight gain! Alcohol also leaves you dehydrated which leaves your skin dull and your body aching for some water.

2. Exercise and meditate daily.

I started exercising daily which includes Pilates, weightlifting, and Yoga. Exercise releases endorphins which are your happy hormones! After a good workout, I always feel happy and refreshed. It’s those endorphins racing through my body! Exercise supports a fast metabolism, which means more calories burnt throughout the day. You build stronger muscles and bones. Meditating daily is also a huge health benefit. It gives you the option to slow down for a few minutes and escape reality, and who doesn’t want to escape reality every once in a while?

3. Drink more water.

Our bodies are 70 percent water—did you know that? Our bodies need water to function properly. Water flushes out toxins that can wreak havoc on our bodies and is essential for aiding digestion. It promotes weight loss, makes your skin look amazing, and prevents muscle cramps. You feel overall physically better when hydrated. This supports a better mood, and who doesn’t like being happy?!

4. Remember 'me' time.

We rarely remember to slow down and take care of ourselves. Self-care is incredibly important! It gives you a break from the world around you and greatly improves your mood. My advice is to set aside a time each day to do an activity you enjoy: this could be a bubble bath, meditation, exercise, playing an instrument, reading, etc. The precious moments you have to yourself are crucial and shouldn’t be wasted.

5. Declutter your personal spaces.

I decided to clean my room for the first time in months and my overall mood improved tremendously after I was done! I had a rush of endorphins after crazily cleaning my bedroom (I say crazily because it got bad). You feel a bit freer after getting rid of items you no longer need. On a day when you have the time, de-clutter any space you spend a lot of time in, like your bedroom or your car. Once all that trash is gone you’ll feel ten times better.

6. Eat your fruits and vegetables.

Your body thrives on vitamins and nutrients! These little buggers are needed for your body to run properly. Have you ever gone months without eating fast food and then once you finally do your whole body basically rejects it? That’s because your body doesn’t want greasy fast food. Your body is craving fruits and vegetables. My go-to way to get my fruits in for the day is to make a smoothie!

7. Practice gratitude everyday.

I wake up every morning and tell myself three things I am thankful for. Practicing gratitude in the morning helps the rest of your day run smoothly. Let’s say you woke up and practiced gratitude, but then something terrible happens that day. What’s great is that you can reflect on your gratitude practice and compare it to the terrible event that happened. You can say things like, “Blank just happened, but at least I have blank.”

8. Set a sleep schedule.

I’m in bed by 11 PM and I’m awake by 9 AM every day. This is called a routine. Having a routine helps you find structure in your life. I needed the structure and chose the 11 PM-9 AM time frame, but everyone is different. You may need to be in bed earlier, or you can get away with staying up a little bit longer at night. Find times that work for you. I never set an alarm on my days off and just wake up when I naturally wake up. Don’t force yourself back to sleep because that messes with your head, and you may find yourself more tired than you were the first time you woke up.

9. Socialize more often.

Are you thinking of someone you should be contacting? Give them a call! I tend to isolate myself from others and I used to let friendships wither away because of lack of communication. Let your pals know that you care about them. Try your best not to isolate yourself when you honestly need somebody. It’s easier to hide away, but that’s not beneficial.

10. Stay off your cell phone.

I know I just told you to socialize more often and now I’m telling you to stay off your cell phone. Here’s the thing: I was glued to my cell phone. I would constantly be scrolling throughout the day and this led to social media addiction. I always questioned who was liking my photos on Instagram or who viewed my story on Snapchat. It wasn’t until I started putting my phone away and focusing my energy on other activities that I realized my phone was running my entire life. Pick up a new hobby instead of mindlessly scrolling through Facebook. Read a book, go on a walk, play a video game, etc.

All of these habit changes can be very hard to change and may not happen overnight. Don’t get discouraged if you stay up too late, eat McDonald’s, and check Twitter. We are not perfect beings. My advice is to be more mindful throughout your day and to slowly start changing your bad habits into good ones.

Sources:

https://www.caffeineinformer.com/benefits-quitting-caffeine

http://www.drinkaware.ie/facts/benefits-of-cutting-down

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-benefits-of-exercise#section11

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4287/10-Reasons-Why-You-Should-Drink-More-Water.html