8 Effective Habits to Stay on the Road to Self Improvement
Are you obsessed with becoming a better version of yourself?
Considering the fact that the self-improvement industry is worth $9.9 billion, it seems safe to say you’re not alone.
When it comes to improving your life, habit change is essential. If you’re not sure where to begin when it comes to making big life changes, keep reading.
Here are eight self-improvement habits that will help you feel happier, healthier, and more productive.
1. Wake Up Early
This habit doesn’t appeal to a lot of people. Who wants to deal with an alarm going off before the sun is even up?
Waking up early allows you to get more done during the day. It can also help you start your day on a positive note since you won’t be rushing around trying to get ready for work or school. You’ll be able to ease into your day and establish a routine that puts you in a good mood.
Some of the most successful people — Tim Cook and Oprah Winfrey, for example — in the world are people who wake up early. You should at least give it a try to see if it works for you.
You don’t have to immediately start waking up three hours earlier than normal, though. Start by setting your alarm just ten minutes earlier than you usually wake up. Gradually set it back by an additional ten minutes every few days, until you reach a time that feels good to you.
2. Meditate
Meditation isn’t just for monks and yogis. Lots of successful entrepreneurs, including Arianna Huffington and Joe Rogan, meditate on a regular basis.
Meditation can help you feel calmer and collected throughout the day. If you frequently feel stressed out or anxious, meditation can help you stay centered and avoid being yanked around by your emotions.
For many people, the hardest part about creating a meditation habit is simply getting started.
You don’t need to take expensive classes or go on a week-long retreat to become a meditator. All you need it a timer and a comfortable place to sit.
Once you have these two things, set the timer for five minutes, take a seat, close your eyes, and focus on your breath. That’s it!
3. Exercise
Regularly exercise is another important habit you ought to implement if you want to be healthier, happier, and more productive.
For many people, exercise can provide the following cognitive benefits:
- Better concentration
- Improved memory
- Faster learning
- Increased mental stamina
- Reduced stress
- More creativity
Clearly, there’s a lot more to exercise than just looking good. By making it a regular habit — perhaps you can exercise first thing in the morning once you start waking up earlier — you’ll soon feel like you can take on the world.
4. Clean Up Your Diet
Eating a healthy diet can have just as much of an impact on your cognition and performance as exercise.
When you eat clean, you can feel more mentally clear and energized. You won’t have to deal with the blood sugar spikes and crashes that come with eating a highly processed diet.
There’s not one diet that works best for everyone. But, some foods have been proven to improve mental clarity and cognitive performance. The following foods are some of the best:
- Berries
- Leafy greens
- Broccoli
- Fish
- Eggs
Try adding these foods into your diet on a regular basis. You’ll soon see improvements in the way you work and feel.
5. Go to Sleep Early
If you want to wake up early, you need to make sure you’re going to bed early, too.
Getting sufficient amounts of sleep will help you perform better at work or at school. It will also help you control your temper, be more resilient to stress, lose weight, and maintain your overall health.
If you have a hard time falling asleep at night, start by making sure your bedroom is set up in a way that’s conducive to good sleep. This means turning off the TV and staying away from screens for at least thirty minutes before your bedtime.
Making sure your room is dark, cool, and quiet is also essential.
6. Invest in Yourself
If you want to improve your life, you need to take a look at the way you spend your money and your time. To get more done and feel happier and healthier, you need to make sure you’re investing in yourself.
There are lots of ways that you can invest in yourself.
Maybe you’ll spend money on a course that will help you learn a new skill instead of spending that money on Starbucks or new clothes. Or, maybe you’ll dedicate more time to creating a business plan or studying instead of watching TV or scrolling through Instagram.
7. Set Goals and Plan Ahead
It’s also important to make goal setting a regular part of your routine. Set both short-term and long-term goals and write out a detailed plan of how you’re going to achieve them.
Put that plan somewhere that’s easily accessible, too. This will help you stay on track and remember what you’re working toward.
8. Track Your Wins
Finally, remember to make a habit of celebrating your victories, both large and small. Sometimes, you get so focused on the end goal that you forget to pat yourself on the bag for the small things you accomplish along the way.
Taking some time to track your wins and celebrate yourself will help you stay motivated and invested in your long-term goals.
Paying attention to these small victories will also give you opportunities to evaluate your performance and make changes to the plan when necessary.
Are You Looking for More Self-Improvement Tips?
These eight habits will help you improve your life and get closer to accomplishing your goals.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, remember that you don’t have to implement all eight habits at one time.
Choose one or two that seem feasible, then work your way up from there. Before you know it, the way you approach your days will have completely changed!
Are you interested in learning about new ways to establish new habits and improve your life?
If so, be sure to check out the self-improvement section of our site today. It’s full of helpful articles that will give you practical advice on what you can do to become a better version of yourself.