Create a Better Day by Breaking These 11 Habits
1. Sweeping Nightly Routines Under the Rug
You can create a better day by owning the night before. So rather than sweeping nightly routines under the rug, start getting clothes laid out, breakfasts ready-to-go, and lunches packed. Doing so will help make your tomorrow less hectic and stressful!
2. Staying Up Late
Staying up late only to wake up in a mere few hours (and perhaps be late) for work is quite unnerving… So rather than staying up late, learn how to build a healthy bedtime routine for a good night’s rest and better day ahead!
3. Pushing the Snooze Button
One of the most common bad morning habits… Pushing the snooze button (perhaps even a few times)! And think those extra minutes are helping you feel more rested? Think again. Sleep experts argue, if anything, pushing the snooze button may just be harder for you to wake up. So stop pushing the snooze button and start becoming a morning person!
4. Skipping Breakfast
Whether you are just not a breakfast lover or running late to work, skipping the “most important meal of the day” can be taking a toll on your day-to-day grind. But if you are apart of the 66 percent of the American population eating breakfast, you might be experiencing fewer hunger pangs, fueling off boosted energy and concentration levels, and even sporting a healthier weight. So for the other 44 percent, try out these 10 healthy breakfast pizzas to get you out of bed, 15 avocado toast recipes that will instantly upgrade your life, and 13 simple and delicious porridge variations. (Or at least guzzle a glass of milk and nosh on a piece of fruit!)
5. Eating On-the-Go
Particularly if running late or trying to multitask, you might find yourself eating on-the-go quite often. However, there is an interesting debate regarding if eating while standing up is bad for you, with most nutrition experts suggesting doing so certainly can be. Ultimately, sitting down to a meal encourages us to focus on the meal at and good company surrounding us, thus fostering stronger and healthier relationships to food, health, and loved ones! So rather than grabbing that burger from the drive thru, allot up to an hour’s worth of your time to prepare these better-for-you burgers (that take no more than 20 minutes of your time to prepare) and enjoy with others!
6. Dismissing Self-Compliments
While we tend to be our own toughest critics, being too harsh on ourselves can start leading to self-destruction. So instead of getting down on yourself, gift self-compliments and approvals considering all merits of life on a daily basis. And while you are at it, pass out compliments to others!
7. Surfing through Social Newsfeeds
Find yourself getting sucked into the latest news in everyday? Whereas social media can keep you in the loop and connected to others, constantly surfing through newsfeeds can disconnect you to reality. In fact, you may start experiencing lower levels of self-esteem and mood if comparing yourself to others and feel lower feelings of self-esteem. Ultimately, do not let social media replace actual experiences, connections, and relationships in real time and life. And if struggling to disconnect, consider a digital detox.
8. Forgetting to Breathe
Well, not literally… But getting sucked into the daily hustle and bustle and forgetting to take a breather might just lead to extreme burnout. That being said, allot at least 15 to 30 minutes to refocus and get back in touch with yourself, including with the practice of deep breathing. In fact, time after time deep breathing is touted as one of the best stress management techniques so learn more about the benefits of just how to do it here.
9. Neglecting Your Water Bottle
Forgetting to keep hydrated can cause you to feel lethargic and moody, so try not to neglect that water bottle! Doing so is a handy reminder to not only drink more water, but to keep it filled throughout the day’s entirety.
10. Taking Work Home with You
Even if work does feel like a second home, it should not regularly intermingle with the real home front. Work-life balance is essentially the stability between work and lifestyle, including health, pleasure, leisure, and personal connections. And having that balance between the two is positively associated with job and life satisfaction and negatively related to anxiety and depression. So if anxious about the next work day, make a list of tasks you want to accomplish before heading home.
11. Heading to the Couch After Work
While a long day of work may naturally lead to a plop on the couch, you may find yourself getting sucked into a Netflix series only to lounge there until you make your way to your bed… So instead of naturally navigating to the couch and remote, head straight to the gym or schedule productive activities with friends.
