Whether it's a New Year's resolution or just a life revelation, we've all had moments where we want to do something to improve our lives. But for a lot of us, we don't even know where to begin.
1."Be aware of the narratives we make up in our heads that only cause distress or anger. An example of what I mean: 'My friend hasn't texted me for three days, she must be growing tired of our friendship!' The more likely thing is that your friend is simply busy."
2."One of the bigger things my therapist helped me realize is that I'm not the reason someone else is acting a certain way. I am not the source of their anger and frustration, so I shouldn't take their actions personally. It helps to disassociate yourself from what's happening to them."
3."Cleaning your surroundings. It's really remarkable how much a clean floor and freshly laundered sheets can improve your state of mind."
4."I start every day by making our bed. It sounds like a dumb little thing that your mom would tell you to do just because, but it’s a little routine that just resets one thing. And it makes it easier to fall into bed if you don’t have to sort out covers at night."
5."Donating/throwing out/selling old stuff you no longer use. Also, cleaning out your fridge."
6."Drink more water. Less soda."
7."Making the habit to show gratitude for the small things in life. That alone is one of the best things you can do for yourself."
8."Go for a walk, even just a short one. It may not seem like much but I promise it can make a huge difference."
9."Start thinking in long-term (say, five years), medium-term (say, a month to six months) and short-term strategies (say, one day to a week). You can break the long-term plan down into medium-term plans, and the medium-term plans into short-term plans."
10."Start writing your goals everyday and checking them off whenever you complete them."
11."If you're sitting on a couch, desk chair, or lying down, and you get up to go to the bathroom or kitchen, take something with you. The two empty water bottles near your bedside or the dirty dish on your coffee table. Knock out two birds with one stone."
12."Be actively kind to yourself. What did you do today that was great? Cherish it. On the other hand, when you're good at being kind to you, take the next step: What did you do today that you want to do differently tomorrow/next time?"
13."If you're depressed, try to make every day a 'no zero' day. In other words, no matter how small an activity, you do something productive every day. It can be as small as taking the trash out or washing a dish."
14."Get a haircut, simple but effective."
15."Read books. If you’re too bored to read books or lack the time, then watch educational youtube videos! There are thousands of really good channels out there that truly help you understand yourself and the world better!"
16."Start doing the 'Rule of 5' If it takes less than five minutes to do a task when you see something, and you're not already mid task, just get it done. You'll get your chore list cracked out a lot faster if you just clean the counters as you go around the house doing other stuff."
17."Small acts of kindness. A few small acts can make a huge difference to your own wellbeing and hopefully to those people around you. It really doesn't have to be anything big; holding a door open, noticing and complementing other people's efforts, letting someone moan to you, enquiring about someone's weekend even when it bores you to hear their answer, all counts."
What little things do you like to do to improve your life?
