Last Updated on September 2, 2024
An English poet said it best, “We first make our habits, and then our habits make us.” There are tons of good habits we can turn to so we could make our daily life more entertaining, healthier and easier. Some are easy enough to do, alas, often neglected by many while others are challenging in the beginning and require our utmost attention. The great thing about good habits is once you’re used to them, they become second nature.
Here are 20 good habits that everyone should turn into to live a better, fitter, and happier life.
- Exercise. Exercise is good – a fact that can’t be stressed enough. You don’t need to go to the gym to exercise. Getting up 30 minutes before your usual time to run around the neighborhood or doing 30-minute dance steps at home is a good way to start.
- Every paycheck, save money. Save 10 or 15% of what you earn and put it in a bank. Do this every month. This way you’ll have emergency funds when you REALLY need them—as in life-changing emergencies and not the I-NEED-to-get-that-pair-of-shoes kind of emergency.
- Tidy up every night. No matter how tired you are, do the dishes and tidy up clutter here and there. You need not to be excessively orderly about it. Just make sure that before you sleep, the house is in order. In return, you’ll wake up better in the morning and you’ll see that your home is never really messy.
- Read. Reading is one of the best hobbies you can get addicted to. It’s a joy you can share with your family and friends. And it’s something that you can do that will enrich not just your vocabulary but your whole world, too.
- Smile. It won’t hurt you to smile at your co-workers every now and then. It’ll certainly help a lot to smile at salespeople when you’re shopping. Smiling at someone not only brightens their day, it brighten yours as well. Besides, no one really likes hanging out with grumpy people.
- Keep in touch with your loved ones. Don’t be a stranger to your own family and friends, especially to your parents. Call or send them a message daily to let them know that even with your busy schedule, they’re always with you.
- Put the things you need daily in one place. Have a container or space near your nightstand (or anywhere you can easily access) to keep your wallet, keys, eyeglasses and anything that you usually use every day when you arrive home. This way, when you leave the next morning, you know where to look for your things.
- Organize what you need for tomorrow before you sleep at night. This shouldn’t take you long and will save you a great deal of time and stress the following day. Before going to bed, fix your bag, have everything you need for tomorrow. Plan your breakfast so you wouldn’t waste time in the morning thinking what you want to eat and end up not eating at all!
- Make time for your pet. Pets are so giving that sometimes people take them for granted. Don’t do that and make it a point to spend time with your pet. A 15-minute play with your dog can brighten both your days. A walk around the neighborhood is a bonding experience and exercise for the both of you.
- Floss. It’s one dental cleaning trick that will save you tons of dollars from dental bills. And it only take a couple of minutes!
- Pay your debts. If you have a loan to pay, make it a point to pay it religiously and on time. Sometimes incurring a debt can’t be helped, but punctual and regular payments can make the stress, plus the debt itself and worry about it go away faster.
- Finish a task you can do today. Don’t put off for tomorrow what can be done today. This doesn’t just pertain to life-changing situations like resigning from your work and doing something you’ll love. It also pertains to simple chores like taking the garbage out.
- Be punctual. Being late once or twice is forgivable. Being late all the time is a bad habit that can ruin your reputation. Be considerate to others. If they can be there on time, so can you.
- Give credit to others. You should do this, especially if you’re part of a team. Even if you did majority of the work or your ideas were the brightest, the success of the team isn’t solely because of you.
- Choose your words wisely. Even if you will deliver hard truths to your loved ones (something they don’t want to hear but absolutely need to), think about what you will say before saying it.
- Sleep regularly. Get at least six solid hours of sleep. It doesn’t matter if you sleep at night or day (due to a night work schedule) as long as you let your body take a much needed rest.
- Be considerate and friendly. Especially if you’re dealing with hired helpers and customer support, being irate won’t do you any good. Remember, even if you pay them to work for you, you still must give them respect.
- Learn something new every day. It doesn’t have to be extensive or time-consuming. A simple trivia or trick you can use counts as a continuous learning experience.
- Enjoy the silence. It’s okay to do nothing and just enjoy the calm and silence once in a while. Put your phone down and reflect on your day and be grateful.
- Learn to accept that things change. So do you.
