7 Realistic Micro Habits That Will Change Your Life Rapidly [For Good]
Small and Steady Wins The Race
There are certain habits I can’t do.
I tried but failed miserably.
For example, I can’t do this:
- Waking up at 5 AM.
- Taking ice-cold showers
- Counting calories for everything I eat
It may be workable for some people, but it’s not me.
It makes me miserable, sad, and depressed.
After trying zillions of things, reading 100s of self-books, and different experiments, I am settling for below habits for life.
1- Doing 5 minutes of stretching as soon as I wake up:
I learned sun-salutation, quick full-body stretches that don’t take effort and time at all.
I sometimes play nice music to dance my way out of bed in the morning.
If you wake up feeling tired, anxious try fully body stretch.
All you need is just 2–3 minutes.
It will make you feel good and sets the right intention for the day.
2- Eating a good breakfast:
After spending most life skipping breakfast, now I am understanding the importance of a good breakfast.
It makes the body energetic and increases focus and attention.
My breakfast usually includes one cup of masala tea and:
- Overnight oats with some fruits
- Veg sandwich or butter toast with a banana
- Poha or Upma ( Indian dish )
If you feel less energic in your day, it could be because your body is lacking much needed nutrition.
3- Getting a pillow that supports my full back when sitting on a chair for long hours
I had frequent back pains because of long working hours.
After going to Chiropractor for months I found a specific type of pillow that supports your full back.
It significantly reduced my back pain and helps with my posture as well.
You can start pushing your butt to the back of the chair and keeping your shoulder straight.
Or maybe adjust your chair or try a different seating position.
Proper posture can also help to improve:
- Overall breathing
- Digestion and reduce stomach pain
- Make your body feel light and reduce soreness
4- Blocking 10–15 minutes of a quieter time in my day:
This time for me is to do nothing.
I sometimes play music in the background, just sit back and relax.
Being static feels good.
I am learning to find joy in stillness.
You don’t need feel guilty or self-conscious.
It’s your time and you need a minute to stop and relax.
This much-needed break is to prevent burnout, help you restore energy.
5- 1 hour downtime before sleeping:
We will live in the world of constant disruption.
Always being on phone or in front of a TV, or laptop can reduce your focus and concentration, especially just before sleeping time.
If you are not getting proper sleep in the night or waking up in the middle of the night, probably you need to re-look at your night routine.
Try to stay away from the phone, and TV for at least 1 hour before your bedtime.
It can help you keep your mind calm, restore your circadian rhythm to increase your sleep quality.
6- Creating a schedule that works for you:
If you’re keep hustling and going from one thing to another.
It may look productive but in reality, it’s not.
You can feel burned out, and anxious and anxiety can creep in.
Create a schedule that works for you with frequent breaks.
You must pause, reflect, and reassess what’s working and what’s not.
7- Monthly retrospective:
Don’t wait for the year to do a reflection on your big goals.
Check-in every month to see how are you doing.
Create small steps so that you know you can do them without much distraction and efforts.
It can help you pivot your approach and identify what working and what not.
Lastly,
Skipping habits once or twice is normal or even longer breaks.
Life happens sometimes. It’s understandable,
But when you’re ready, always try to get back on track as soon as possible.
The famous James Clear said in his famous book — Atomic Habits:
- It takes 21 days to form a habit.
- 66 days to find a habit’s flow state.
- 6 months to get good at it.
- 1 year to make the new behavior automatic.
- 2 years to make the habit form part of your identity.
But no one ever tells you that.
It’s all about focusing on getting important things done.
It’s hip to focus on as many as things you want to do, but it’s only possible once we remove the constant static and distraction.
It’s a learning process but establishing a few working practices can help you a long way.
Practice building sustainable habits and see the extraordinary results you could never have imagined.
Be Bold
Be Courageous
Be Your Best