10 Mood-Lifting Habits You Can Start Now

Combine a few for maximum effect.

We asked people in the BuzzFeed Community to tell us what changes in routine helped improve their mood. Here are their best answers:

1. Wake up 30 minutes earlier than you usually do to mentally prepare yourself for the day.

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"It is so simple, yet it helps me mentally plan what I'm going to wear, what I'm going to make for lunch, and organize my day. I've been doing this for awhile and I feel so much happier."

—oppermanbridget

Waking up a bit earlier will also give you the time you need to make your bed, eat an actual breakfast (or simply drink a cup of morning tea), begin your commute at a calm pace, and generally start the day on your own timeline.

More: 18 Tiny Things To Do In The Morning To Better Start The Day

2. Try intermittent fasting, an eating plan where you eat for a set time frame during the day.

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"I only eat between the hours of 12pm and 8pm. It’s helped with bloating, which I used to experience heavily every day. I highly recommend it!"

—sarahs4711b1fae

This way of eating has experienced a huge surge in popularity in recent years. Some people cite weight loss, reduced inflammation and blood pressure, and improved metabolism as some of its benefits. As always, consult your doctor before making changes to your diet. And if you're ready to give it a try, download Zero, an app that'll help track your fasting.

More: What Is Intermittent Fasting And Is It Actually Good For You? (TIME)

3. Try out the Five Minute Rule (if something takes less than five minutes to do, do it).

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"I’m a lot less likely to let things go until they get out of hand, and it makes it easier to keep the house clean with two small kids around."

—LizaFM

More: 14 Day-To-Day Hacks That Will Vastly Improve Your Productivity

4. Find a form of physical activity that you actually think is fun.

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Once I got in the habit of working out just once a week, I felt more motivated to increase that number! Eventually I was working out three or more times a week!

—corih49fd99a44

More: 22 Clever Fitness Tips That Will Help Keep You In Shape While Balancing A Full-Time Job

5. Delete (or simply reduce the time you spend on) your Instagram app.

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"I am actually able to get things done now."

—erind4124711f7

If you're curious about the extreme end of that experiment, read one reporter's story on teens who quit social media altogether here.

More: 22 Ways To Break Up With Your Cell Phone

6. Hit your water intake goal every day.

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"I feel better and my skin looks better!"

—amandar4baeb4f23

It might not change your life, but it might make your skin look better, and your hangovers more tolerable.

More: I Drank A Shit Ton Of Water For A Month And I Still Don't Look Like Gwyneth

7. Set a goal to walk 10,000 steps every day.

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"Setting a goal of 10,000 steps per day had me getting out in nature more and working around the house more, which also somehow resulted in a cleaner apartment!"

—amandar4baeb4f23

You can use your iPhone's health app to keep track, or grab a pedometer from Amazon for $24.99 for more accurate tracking.

More: 24 Clever Tips To Get In Shape That Lazy People Will Appreciate

8. Use the "envelope system" (aka allocating cash in physical envelopes) to manage and save money.

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"Knowing exactly how much money I’m spending each week a month ahead of time has tremendously decreased the amount of stress in our single income home."

—cassyb4f8ba9ae8

The cash envelope system is pretty straightforward: you simply create cash envelopes for each spending category and fill them with your budgeted amounts. When you want to spend money, you pull cash out of whatever envelope you're spending from, and cap your spending when the cash in that envelope runs out.

More: 15 Useful Things That'll Help You Budget And Save Money

9. Say no more often.

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"Remembering that I don't have to say yes to everyone has been helpful, as a mom of two life can get pretty busy."

—c4359da79b

It'll help you feel more empowered, ease stress, and perhaps sharpen your sense of your life's priorities.

More: 17 Things You Should Do If You Are Struggling With Self-Love

10. Save money and eat healthier by meal prepping one day out of the week.

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"I spend a few hours on Sunday getting lunch and dinner ready for the week, because I know how lazy I get after work, and it's cheaper and healthier than going out. Pro tip: only prep through Thursday, so you can treat yourself to something new on Friday and get the best of both worlds!"

—Kathy Wall, Facebook

More: Here's An Easy Meal-Prep Plan For Your Week Ahead

Want to be on BuzzFeed? Follow the BuzzFeed Community on Facebook and Twitter.

Some responses have been edited for length and clarity.

As we head into the new year, we're talking about all the ways to make your life and the world around you a little bit better. Read more Do Better 2019 content here