Implementing simple habits that have dramatic results quickly is one of the best ways to achieve a sense of accomplishment and produce natural dopamine boosts for the brain. Here are several easy habits to form that produce life-changing results.
1. Minimize Doomscrolling
One of the greatest things you can do for your mental health is minimize doomscrolling. Once you put your phone down, it becomes easier to incorporate life-changing habits. You’ll experience less anxiety and discover boredom again or for the first time. That boredom can breed productivity.
To minimize doomscrolling, you can sleep with your phone outside of the bedroom, download a screen-time app (Be Present), and delete all doomscrolling apps, including news and social media. You can still go online to view those things, but you face the decision to go to the site versus the reflex reaction of opening apps and scrolling.
2. Delete Social Media
Deleting social media entirely is one of the most liberating things you can do. It becomes enjoyable to entertain a private life in a world that’s so plugged in. Naturally, you’ll see fewer negative things that heavily impact your mood, and you will stop comparing yourself to others, something people scrolling do without even realizing they’re participating.
3. Reading an Hour Before Bed
Reading an hour before bed can help reduce stress while drastically improving sleep quality. Research demonstrates that the blue light emitted by screens damages our sleep, so opt for a physical, hardcopy book or magazine instead.
4. Daily Prayer
Having a daily prayer life is the best defense and the only hope you have in putting God at the center of your life. You can turn prayers into simple habits by saying prayers aloud in your head, on a walk, driving, or even in the shower.
One of my preferred prayer methods is prayer journaling. There are several benefits, but my favorite is that you can look back and see where God has interceeded in your life. Reflecting on your close calls and blessings is an incredible gift that comes with prayer journaling.
5. Do Things Immediately
Take action by doing things immediately when you think of them. This practice will slowly evolve things into healthy habits. For example, if you have a thought about a bill that needs to be paid, pay it.
When the dryer stops, and it is time to fold the laundry, fold it. Don’t leave it in the dryer, hamper, or favorite laundry chair for later. Do it at that moment, and you will start to do things naturally within a month.
6. Don’t Look at Phone for an Hour After Waking Up
Don’t risk triggering stress responses by looking at your phone first thing in the morning. Give yourself an hour to wake up, breathe, enjoy the smell and taste of your coffee, and indulge in essential self-care before checking your notifications.
Keeping your phone outside of your bedroom helps reinforce this habit. Get an alarm clock and incorporate this practice into your daily routine.
7. Quit Drinking Alcohol
Alcohol is literal poison, so it makes sense that consuming it makes you feel terrible. The World Health Organization (WHO) explains: “Alcohol is a toxic, psychoactive, and dependence-producing substance and has been classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer decades ago — this is the highest risk group, which also includes asbestos, radiation, and tobacco.”
No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health. Quitting alcohol improves mood, energy levels, sleep quality, and overall zest for life.
8. Journaling
Journaling is a wonderful tool for getting your thoughts out on paper and in front of you, where you can make more sense of them. It’s also a fantastic means of tracking goal-setting and recording life’s memories. There are various journal styles, including dear diary style, guided-entry journals, sober recovery journals, bullet journals, and nature and art journals.
9. Brain Dumps
Brain dumps are another writing method that puts your thoughts on paper and out of your head. They involve dumping all the contents of your mind onto paper, as one might dump the contents of a purse onto a table.
You are spilling out your stressors, nagging or ruminating thoughts, and life’s pesky annoyances. Brain dumps are ideal for overthinkers and worriers. They can be done in a journal or on a notepad.
10. 10-Minute Cleanups
Setting 10-minute cleanup alarms is one simple habit that can make substantial changes in your life in less than a month, especially if you don’t like cleaning. Set the alarm and spend ten minutes tidying up messes around your home, or focus the entire ten minutes on one chore, such as the dishes.
Doing this a couple of times daily helps keep your home cleaner and much less daunting. Having less clutter and mess around automatically improves mental health.
11. Exercising
Some form of exercise in your day is necessary for maintaining optimal physical and mental health. Aerobic workouts, especially swimming, are ideal for lowering cortisol levels, known as your body’s stress hormone.
Yoga is perfect for stretching, breathing, and opening your body up. It’s been a game-changer in minimizing my chronic back pain. Walking is another low-impact exercise that has a massive positive influence on your daily routine.
12. Listening to Podcasts and Audiobooks
Listening to educational and motivational podcasts or audiobooks on your daily commute or in the morning with coffee is a positive way to start your day. Content that can help you start your day properly with inward reflection is a healthy way to start your day, and you’ll be happier in less than a month.
13. Practicing Gratitude
Incorporating gratitude into your daily practice is one of the easiest ways to see drastic results quickly. The Mayo Clinic reports: “Studies have shown that feeling thankful can improve sleep, mood and immunity. Gratitude can decrease depression, anxiety, difficulties with chronic pain, and risk of disease. If a pill there was a pill that could do this, everyone would be taking it.”
You can practice gratitude by speaking out loud about three things you are grateful for daily. Alternatively, write three to five things down, or write about your gratitude daily in a journal. You can also be thankful in prayer.
Helpful Reading: 10 Amazing Gratitude Journaling Prompts for Recovering Addicts
14. Drinking Water
Hydrating is crucial for optimal health. However, multiple studies suggest that up to 75% of adults in the U.S. suffer from chronic dehydration, drinking only 2.5 cups of water on average daily.
When you begin properly hydrating, you’ll have better skin, nails, energy levels, mental clarity, better sleep, more focus, and less pain, especially headaches and migraines. Hydration is more than drinking water; it’s also about getting an adequate intake of fruits and vegetables.
15. Eating More Fruits and Vegetables
Did you know that 90% of Americans do not eat anywhere near the recommended intake of daily fruits and vegetables? Fruits and vegetables are packed with all of our essential vitamins and nutrients.
However, most Americans sustain a heavily fatty, fast, and processed food diet. Eating the recommended intake of fruits and veggies will dramatically change mental clarity and energy levels, and you may notice processed sweets become too sweet.
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Elizabeth Ervin is the owner of Sober Healing. She is a freelance writer passionate about opioid recovery and has celebrated breaking free since 09-27-2013. She advocates for mental health awareness and encourages others to embrace healing, recovery, and Jesus.