Words by Ashley Locke
New Year’s Resolutions are often big and bold. In fact, you might already feel overwhelmed and burnt out by them—but life changing habits don’t have to be hard-to-reach goals. There are small changes you can implement that will have a big impact on your day-to-day life. Here are a few daily habits for a happier, healthier 2022.
Stay away from technology for the first 30 minutes you’re awake. You don’t want to start your day with notifications you missed from the night before. Give yourself the morning to reset before you jump into news and notifications.
Start your day with a glass of water. It helps rehydrate your body and helps you feel more alert. Don’t worry—you can still have your coffee after you finish.
Spend 10 minutes stretching. Stretching improves circulation and posture, which is especially important if you have a desk job.
Get up from your desk every hour. Sitting for extended periods of time can cause an increase in chronic health issues. Getting up, even to walk around your desk, decreases that risk significantly.
Eat something fresh. Fresh fruits and vegetables contain essential nutrients that benefit our bodies and minds.
Go outside. Just being outside for even a short time has been shown to reduce blood pressure and stress, and increase happiness.
Give a compliment. Making others feel good will always make you feel good.
Write down three things you’re thankful for. Making yourself focus on good things even when you have a bad day helps improve your mood and outlook.
Set a timer for 15 minutes and tidy up. You can clean a lot more than you think in 15 minutes, and daily tidying keeps any mess from becoming overwhelming. Clutter causes stress!
Put your phone away 30 minutes before bed. Light from your phone disrupts your natural sleep-wake cycle—yes, even on night mode. Put it away early for a better night’s sleep.
