When it comes to improving your life, living a better life, and creating a life you absolutely love, the first place you always want to start is by looking at your habits. Because at the end of the day, it’s these daily habits that create changes in your life.
But, knowing where to start can be incredibly overwhelming.
Which habits do you add? Which ones do you eliminate? Can you add more than one at a time? But should you?
We’ve got you covered with our ultimate list of daily habits to improve your life in 2023 (and beyond).
(This is a mega huge list that could be overwhelming to read all in one go… would you like me to email you a free eBook version? Fill in your details on the form below so I can send it to you – it comes with a habit tracker too).
How To Start A New Habit
The key to creating a new habit in your life is this:
To repeat the same action every day until it becomes second nature.
This means that you want to find an easy, small task that doesn’t take up too much of your time (or willpower) and then focus on doing something every single day.
When you get in the habit of doing something small every single day, you’re going to start seeing improvements in your life.
Use Habit Stacking To Add More Than One Habit
You can supercharge your simple daily habits with the power of habit stacking. Habit stacking is one of the easy ways to take a great habit you already have and add more habits to it.
To habit stack, you take one of your new simple habits and add to it another related habit that you already have established and can do at the same time.
For example, you already brush your teeth every day, so if the habit you’re trying to add is to drink more water and take all of your vitamins, then you could habit stack by keeping your vitamins next to your toothbrush/toothpaste so you remember to take them, and you can make sure you drink a whole glass of water at the same time.
This way you’ve taken a habit you already have, and added two more new daily habits in a super effective way that doesn’t require a large amount of effort.
It’s a good idea to keep your ‘stack’ simple to start off with so you’re more likely to stick to it. But one of the good things about this is that you can create these new habits without it taking much time to see the benefits.
How To Eliminate/Break A Bad Habit
Here’s a big secret… breaking or eliminating habits is really hard… BUT replacing them is much easier.
To break a habit, or get rid of it completely, you’ve got to try and make sure that your replacement habit is both easier and more rewarding than the bad habit you’re trying to break.
You need to be committed to this new habit and make sure every time you feel like doing the bad one (which will probably happen) – you do the good habit instead.
Over time, your bad habits will just fade out and you won’t miss them at all!
There are a lot of different methods and ideas behind breaking habits and how to trick our brain into creating new habits instead, but at the end of the day, the more simple and less complicated you make it, the better.
Take one bad habit you want to break, and choose one good habit to replace it with. Simple.
How To Track Your Habits
One of the best things you can do when creating new habits is to track them on a daily basis. When you’re creating new habits and changing things in your life, you can have a hard time seeing the big picture and seeing how far you’ve come.
Tracking your habits allows you to see how the simple things become big things and how the positive habits you create have positive effects on your new healthy lifestyle.
To do this, simply use a habit tracking tool like a habit tracking app or printable habit tracker to get a visual representation and maintain your motivation to keep going with your new habit.
I prefer a printable habit tracker because then I can keep it somewhere I’ll see it every day (like my fridge) whereas if I have an app I’m more likely to forget it and never check back in.
You can find a whole range of printable trackers (as well as around 4000+ other printable organization pages) in our Project Hot Mess Membership.
Add These Good Habits To Improve Your Life
We’re here because we want to add some good daily habits to our life in order to improve our life.
So to make sure we’re doing it right and adding things that will benefit us the most, let’s look at some good habits:
Morning Habits
Your morning is the perfect opportunity to set you up for the day and what you do first thing in the morning can influence how the rest of your day flows. These are some of the positive morning habits you can add to your day:
1 – Create A Morning Routine
Creating a morning routine is one of the best ways to set you up for success in your day. It allows you to go about your day feeling prepared and ready to take on anything that comes at you.
Your morning routine can even be used to replace negative habits like snoozing, waking up late, etc… if you make it part of your morning routine to immediately get up and get ready when you wake up.
2 – Write Your To-Do List
If you’ve been around me for a while, you’ll know I absolutely love lists and my to-do list is my absolute best friend – I rely heavily on it to get me through the day.
It gets me organized and helps me be prepared for the day ahead. Not only that, but it allows me to get my thoughts out of my head and onto paper (or electronic device) which is incredibly freeing.
The key to a good to do list is to keep it simple. Your to do list shouldn’t be a brain dump of all the things you can possibly think of that need to be done. You’ll never complete it and you’ll only feel crappy for it. Keep it simple and straightforward.
3 – Highlight Your 3 Most Important Tasks
This is a great way to ensure that your most crucial tasks are taken care of for the day.
It makes sure you don’t get overwhelmed and it allows you to focus on the important tasks before the “nice to have” tasks.
These tasks should be your absolute must-get-done tasks, so that if you only complete these tasks, then you still feel like you’ve accomplished what you needed to that day.
4 – Start With A Healthy Breakfast
A healthy breakfast is a great way to get your body and mind going for the day.
In fact, research has shown that eating breakfast can help improve academic performance in students, which means you’ll be more productive throughout the day; making it easier to accomplish those 3 key tasks because your energy levels are higher!
Even if you don’t have time to cook a healthy breakfast every morning, you can use a good green smoothie as a quick and easy substitute.
5 – Drink A Big Glass Of Water
Drinking a big glass of water before you begin your day is a great way to wake up your body and hydrate yourself (so incredibly important).
You can add lemon to it for a bit of a zesty flavor, which can also help with digestive health too.
6 – Make Your Bed
Making your bed can be a great habit to start with because it’s something that takes less than a minute and sets the tone for an organized and productive day.
It also allows you to get into a habit of keeping things neat and tidy before starting your day and is a great way to kick off your day with a feeling of achievement.
I love walking past my bedroom and seeing a made bed, it always makes me feel good as opposed to a messy and untidy, unmade bed.
7 – Power Up Your Morning Coffee
Certain things are just better with caffeine.
To get the most productivity out of your caffeine, you can add something that will make it even more beneficial for your day like coconut oil or collagen peptides (which may help reduce inflammation too).
Alternatively, you could drink green tea or matcha tea which is quite popular for boosting focus and energy levels.
8 – Take Time To Stretch
Stretching can help you relax and release tension in your body.
It’s also a great way to combat the stiffness that comes from sitting still for long periods of time (if you’re like me and spend most of your day behind a computer).
Take a few moments to stretch your muscles out and allow your body to move.
9 – Get Dressed For The Day
Getting dressed each morning has been shown to have a positive effect on your motivation and productivity for the day.
You can wear the same ‘uniform’ each day to eliminate decision fatigue, or just wear something that makes you feel good.
10 – Add A Daily Affirmation
Adding a daily affirmation to your morning is a great way to improve your mindset and set yourself up for success.
For example, you could use the affirmation “I can do anything” before leaving your house, or “Today is going to be amazing” once you’re on your commute to work.
It’s a great way to start your day focused on positive thinking, which can be incredibly motivating for the rest of your day.
11 – Set Your Intentions For The Day
Setting your intentions for the day is a great way to improve motivation, productivity, and can even contribute to improved mental well-being.
For example, you could have an intention of being productive at work or “Today I will complete my task list.”
Nighttime Habits
On the flip side, nighttime is a great opportunity to create some good habits and get more out of your day. These are some great nighttime habits you could add to your day to improve your life:
12 – Make Sure You Get Enough Sleep
Getting enough sleep is crucial to your health and well-being but as moms, we know that those hours at night, when the kids are asleep and the house is quiet, is such a lovely time to sit up and enjoy time alone too.
BUT… sleep is incredibly important.
Make sure you’re getting enough sleep by heading to bed at a decent hour.
13 – Brain Dump All Of Your Thoughts
Take some time before you go to bed to jot down anything that’s on your mind.
It can be anything, such as ideas for upcoming events, things you want to get done around the house, or anything that pops into your mind.
Getting these thoughts out onto a page stops our mind from feeling like it has to remember them as they are written down, ready for future you to deal with.
14 – Turn Your Lights Off Early
Try turning off your lights 30 minutes before you go to bed. This will help fool your body into thinking that it’s time to start winding down for the night.
You can even try switching to red lights which are said to be a more beneficial light to help induce melatonin (needed for sleep – and something that bright lights inhibit), or even use candles instead of lamps.
15 – Put Your Phone Away
Similar to your lights, studies have shown that the bright lights from our phones tell our brains to stay alert and may even affect how well we sleep.
Put your phone away at least 30 minutes before you go to bed so that you can relax and unwind without being tempted by it.
16 – Tidy Up Your Space
Nothing beats waking up in a clean bedroom. You’ll just feel more refreshed and ready to start your day.
Give yourself the gift of a tidy room for waking up to, it’s definitely worth it.
Another space I always make sure is clean is my kitchen – it always stresses me out if I get up in the morning and see dirty dishes, so I make sure the future me is less stressed by tidying up at night.
This could be a different space for you, but think about how you want to feel in the morning and what you could do at night to help achieve that.
17 – Do Something That Will Help You Tomorrow
Give your future self a helping hand by doing one thing each night that will make her day a whole lot easier.
Even better if it can eliminate a decision you’ll have to make tomorrow.
Make the kids lunches and keep them ready to go in the fridge, get your clothes out ready to wear (no need to decide what to wear tomorrow) or even write your to do list.
Productivity Habits
These habits will help you plan and get your day on track to be a productive one, getting lots done with no time wasted.
18 – Use Your Calendar
Having a calendar in your life is simply indispensable.
Use it to keep track of dates, meetings, when you have work deadlines coming up, when bills are due and anything else that’s important to you.
But it’s only as good as you make it – having a calendar is no good if you don’t use it. Make sure you put in any important items as they come up.
19 – Stand Up Regularly
This might seem like more of a healthy habit (and it is too) but standing up regularly and moving around can actually help you with your productivity too.
Studies have shown that taking a break and standing up regularly can help you be as much as 46% more productive (not to mention it’s good for your health too).
So make sure you’re regularly getting up from your desk and stretching, moving around, or even heading outside.
20 – Time Block Your Day
Time blocking is a good one if you’re pretty busy. For time management, it’s key to schedule in chunks of your day that are dedicated to certain things (particularly important ones).
This means no more having to make any decisions when you get somewhere about whether you should do this or do that – It’s already decided.
21 – Do The Hard Thing First
This is the ‘eat the frog’ idea which suggests that if you do the hardest thing on your to-do list first (aka, eating a frog) then the rest of the things on your to-do list won’t seem so bad and therefore will be easier to do.
This method works for some people, others need to build themselves up into a rhythm and find starting with the easiest task builds momentum, but it could be something that works for you.
22 – Take Regular Breaks
Taking some time out to relax, meditate or even just read a good book helps you return to what you’re doing feel refreshed and ready.
This will not only help with your productivity but also improve your health too.
Our mind needs regular breaks, especially if you’re working on a computer (rest those eyes) so step away, move around, and then see your productivity increase.
23 – Turn Off Your Notifications
Unless you’re on call 24/7, there’s no reason why your phone should be dinging every few minutes (I did that for 10 years… it’s nice to not have to carry a phone with me all the time).
Turn off your notifications on your computer or phone so that you can focus without being interrupted.
With Instagram popping up on your screen every 5 minutes, it’s pretty easy to get sucked in and spend hours scrolling and liking pictures of people we don’t even know.
24 – Keep Your Workspace Organized
This is another one that might seem like more of a healthy habit, but keeping your workspace organized and clutter-free will help you to stay on track and be less overwhelmed.
If you can see everything easily it’s much easier to keep track of it.
25 – Use The Pomodoro Method
Pomodoro is a method of managing your time. It’s all about working in short, intense periods with regular breaks in between.
This keeps you motivated and helps to boost your productivity too.
You can use an app to help you keep track of how many you’ve done each day or just use the intervals on your phone (it’s simple, I promise).
26 – Reward Yourself
This is a great way to stay motivated and the rewards don’t have to be big.
If you can fit in something each day, it helps when you’re trying to stick with a habit or add more into your life.
So if you take a walk at lunch or finish that task early then reward yourself by having 10 minutes of scroll time (set a timer or hours will go by) or watching that Netflix show you’ve been eyeing off.
27 – Eliminate Tasks From Your List That Don’t Need To Be Done
You might have some things on your list that aren’t really helping you (they’re probably also causing procrastination).
Eliminating anything that’s not important or isn’t adding to your life will help keep your focus on the right tasks.
28 – Outsource Tasks Where Possible
If you have some things that are just taking up too much time then find someone else to do them for you.
Whether it’s hiring a cleaner, someone for yard maintenance, or even delegating tasks to other people, anything that saves time (and brainpower) is worth it.
29 – Use The 80/20 Principle
This principle states that 80% of your results come from 20% of your effort.
So instead of working on something that has little to no impact, put the most amount of time into it if you know it’s going to give you 80% return.
This will help you get more done in less time too by focusing only on what matters and really helps with eliminating tasks that are wasting your time.
Mindfulness Habits
Creating mindfulness habits is good for your mental health and you’ll see some improvements in all areas of your life.
30 – Meditate Daily
Meditation has so many benefits, including boosting energy levels, improving concentration, managing stress better, and even helping you achieve your goals faster.
There are lots of ways to meditate but the easiest is to just sit quietly with your eyes closed and focus on your breathing.
If you find that difficult (me too) you can use guided meditation apps or find a variety of guided meditations on YouTube.
31 – Journal Daily
Journaling is a great way to manage stress, overcome issues that are holding you back, and even work through problems that might be causing conflict in your life.
There are many different styles of journaling but don’t worry if you haven’t tried it before because it’s not about what you write (just that you do it every day).
If you find it difficult to get started writing, you can use journaling prompts which are a great way to get you into the swing of creating a journaling habit.
32 – Keep A Daily Gratitude Journal
Keeping a gratitude journal is another great way to practice mindfulness.
It helps with keeping you more positive and in tune with the good things in life too.
Each night before bed write down 3 things that you’re grateful for. It can be anything, even the smallest detail that might not seem important. The point is that you take the time to focus on gratitude.
33 – Take Daily Action Toward Your Goals
This will help with self-discipline and motivation because it’s all about working towards something each day.
So if you want to work on a new habit this will make it easier to get started and stay consistent because you’re already taking action.
This could be anything that adds value to your life, just make sure it’s something that’s worth your time so you stick with it.
34 – Create A Mindful Morning Ritual
Whether it’s drinking tea, meditating, reading for 20 minutes, or working out – the point is to do something that will make you feel refreshed and ready to take on the day.
This habit helps with increasing your productivity by starting your day in a calm way, rather than rushing around straight after you wake up.
It also helps you to center yourself and bring focus to what is important in your day.
35 – Give Yourself A Mental Health Check-In
Our mental health is just as important as our physical health yet it’s often ignored.
Taking time to check in with yourself each day will help you look after your mind too. This could be checking in either when you wake up, during the day, or before bed.
36 – Read A Book
Read anything that helps you become a better person and teaches you something new.
This habit helps with learning new things, having higher levels of creativity, and also improving your memory.
If reading books isn’t for you then there are plenty of other ways to read such as: listening to audiobooks, magazines, and blogs.
37 – Tell Yourself How Amazing You Are
This helps with building your confidence and self-esteem.
It may seem a bit odd but hear me out.
If you have low self-esteem it can be difficult to feel confident in yourself so by telling yourself how amazing you are on a daily basis, this will help start new positive habits that will improve your life.
38 – Make Time For Self Development
This is one of those habits that is easily stacked – for example, you can make time for self-development by listening to some fantastic podcasts on your way to work or while on the kid’s drop of route of a morning.
Or you could even pop your headphones on while grocery shopping or cleaning the house.
Another way to add time in for this is to read self development books like this one of a morning while you’re drinking your coffee in the sun (talk about a habit stack right there!!).
Healthy Habits
We all want to create new healthy habits, and often these are the focus of our new year’s resolutions – but you can create new healthy habits at any time. Try these:
39 – Engage In Some Sort Of Physical Activity
Whether you’re going for a run, playing with your kids in the park, or joining a weekly sports team – any physical activity counts.
This is one of the best healthy habits to create because it will improve your health and wellbeing.
Moving your body for just 30 minutes a day can have significant positive health effects on your life.
40 – Make Sure You Drink Enough Water
Studies suggest that potentially 75% of American’s are dehydrated and that there are a wide range of health conditions that can be linked to chronic dehydration.
Drinking enough water is one of the most important healthy habits you can create because it will help with improving your physical and mental health.
Start by drinking 2L of water a day, or 8 x 8 ounce glasses of water, and see how much better you feel.
41 – Walk 10,000 Steps A Day
Walking significantly reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and may help prevent, treat or improve symptoms of depression.
It has also been found to decrease the risk of osteoporosis and risk of falling in the elderly. In short – walking is pretty darn great for your health!
Walking 10,000 steps a day is a great healthy habit to create as it helps with healthy weight, improves your mental health, and increases your energy.
42 – Choose A New Healthy Food To Add To Your Day
The average person eats the same 45 things every week, which means it’s time to choose something new!
This is one of my favorite healthy habits to create because you get to try all sorts of delicious foods like this keto smoothie bowl by simply picking one healthy food and searching different recipes to include that ingredient.
43 – Spend Time In The Fresh Air
This is an easy healthy habit to create by simply getting outside for at least 30 minutes a day.
Fresh air has been shown to improve your mood, help you release toxins through your skin (aka sweating), and can reduce anxiety and stress levels.
If you find 30 minutes is hard to fit in, be sure to get outside and take some deep breathes in the fresh air as often as you can throughout the day.
44 – Get Your Daily Dose Of Vitamin D
Vitamin D deficiency, like dehydration, is also linked to a wide range of chronic health conditions that can be overcome by simply spending time outdoors in the sun each day.
Studies have also found that Vitamin D deficiency is linked to mental health conditions like depression, so be sure to get outside and soak up some vitamin D.
45 – Take Your Vitamins
Find out what vitamins you are deficient in, then supplement with food where possible, and take your vitamins daily when you can’t.
It’s important to find out specifically what you are needing, as opposed to taking a generic catch-all multi-vitamin that could just give you expensive pee (you eliminate vitamins you don’t need through your urine..)
46 – Eat Enough Protein
Protein is a key component in a healthy diet and supports energy levels, building lean muscle mass, and maintaining a healthy metabolism.
It can help to reduce cravings for sugar and carbohydrates, which can lead to healthier eating habits overall.
Try going meatless on Mondays so you get a greater variety of plant-based proteins (which are just as good for you) to add to your diet.
47 – Eat More Plant-Based Foods
Studies have shown that people who eat more plant-based foods are healthier, both physically and mentally.
Plant-based foods contain more antioxidants than animal products so if you want to improve your health start by eating more of these foods.
This doesn’t mean you need to forgo your steak, you may just want to be more mindful about increasing your plant-based foods.
48 – Eat The Rainbow
Eating the rainbow simply means eating different colored fruits and vegetables to get a wide range of important phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, etc.
If you are looking for ways to eat more fruits and vegetables start by trying out recipes that use a variety of colors.
49 – Deep Belly Laugh
It’s no secret that laughter is the best medicine, but did you know that when you laugh your body releases endorphins that make you feel good?
This is why laughing daily has been shown to increase lifespan, improve your immune system, lower stress levels and decrease pain.
If laughing isn’t enough of a reason to do it every day, how about the fact that we spend so much time working and stressing in life so we might as well laugh while we do it?
50 – Smile (even if it’s a fake one)
Smiling not only makes you feel good, it also makes others around you feel good too.
A scientific study even found that smiling reduces your stress levels and decreases the negative effects of cortisol (the stress hormone), and what’s even more impressive is that fake smiling can be just as effective.
51 – Spend Time Connecting With And Listening To Your Body
Your body is incredibly wise and it knows exactly what you need… the problem is we have either drowned out our own intuitions so much we can’t hear our body telling us what it wants, or we ignore its screams until it breaks down.
Sound familiar?
Instead, spend some time each day just listening to your body. How does it feel? Tired, strong, sore, like it needs to stretch or move?
You’ll be amazed at what you learn about your own body when you pay attention.
52 – Meal Plan For The Week Ahead
Meal planning can save you time, stress, and money.
Spend 10 minutes preparing a quick meal plan for the week using what you already have in your pantry, and make a quick list of groceries you need to buy to fill in the gaps, and you’ll be far less stressed and far more organized for your efforts.
53 – Cook At Home More
I get it, there are more healthy options now for eating out and for quick fast food dinners but regardless of how healthy your choices are, cooking at home more is still a better and more sustainable choice.
If you don’t like cooking, learn how to prepare 2 – 3 easy and quick meals that you can freeze in advance so you don’t have to actually cook so often.
Plus, you save heaps more eating at home, it’s better for the environment, and there’s something special about preparing food that nourishes your body and your family.
54 – Walk After Eating Your Meal
This is a great habit to have if you struggle with constant snacking throughout the day, or if you struggle to maintain a healthy weight.
Not only does going for a quick walk after each meal help increase your metabolism and burn fat, but it also helps improve circulation which helps get rid of toxins from your body.
Adding this habit to your day can have a huge impact on your overall health and well-being.
55 – Eat Slowly
If you frequently eat in front of the TV, screen or while driving this is an easy habit to break!
It’s also not good for our hunger hormones (leptin & ghrelin) which is why snacking, binge eating and emotional eating can be so easy to slip into.
Instead, take your time while you eat – sit down with your meal and focus on what you are eating.
Eat slowly until you are full, not stuffed.
56 – Stop Eating When You Are 80% Full
Another great habit to get into when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight and relationship with food is stopping when you are 80% full.
It might seem counterintuitive since most people eat until they are no longer hungry, but the reality is that often we overeat because our body has already signaled for us to stop long before we have actually given those signals much thought.
As soon as you feel slightly full or uncomfortable, stop eating! You might be surprised how quickly your stomach shrinks when you train it to recognize the difference between being 80% full and being 100% stuffed.
57 – Take A Cold Shower
Cold showers have been a daily practice of many for thousands of years and it’s easy to see why.
Not only does cold water activate your parasympathetic nervous system which slows down your heart rate, lower blood pressure, and reduces stress hormones, but it also has numerous other benefits such as improving circulation and skin quality.
58 – Practice Mindful Movements Like Yoga
There are many daily habits you can practice which will improve your well-being, but one in particular worth noting is mindful movements like yoga.
This is a great way to bring mindfulness and focus into your day in a very practical and beneficial way.
There’s something special about the combination of intentional movement and deep breathing that helps calm the mind and get us out of our heads for a little while.
59 – Wear Sunscreen And Take Care Of Your Skin
One of the best daily habits you can have is to wear sunscreen every single day – this is so important if you want healthy-looking skin, which you definitely do.
Using sunscreen protects your skin from daily exposure to UVA/UVB sun rays which are major contributors to premature aging and even cancer.
Also, look into using a natural moisturizer with sunscreen so you can protect your skin all day long.
Relationship Habits
One of the most overlooked areas of our life to create habits in is our relationships – which is sad because creating positive habits in our relationships can lead to better connections, more quality time with each other, and an overall sense of fulfillment.
Try adding these positive daily habits into your relationships to improve your life:
60 – Schedule In Time With Close Friends
One of the most important things you can do for your relationships is to spend time with those people who matter. And this doesn’t necessarily mean face-to-face time either – often times video calls and messages work just fine!
Schedule in time to catch up with close friends, even if it means you dedicate one day a week to catch-ups (perfect for introverts who find interactions can deplete their energy stores quite quickly).
61 – Take Time To Have A Conversation
When was the last time you had a proper conversation with your spouse that didn’t revolve around the kids, house chores, or work?
Take time to have proper conversations with each other. This doesn’t mean you have to get all deep and meaningful, fun conversation is just as important.
You can even try conversation starters to get you going – as a different question each day.
62 – Ask Your Spouse What They Need Right Now
One of my favorite habits my husband and I have is to regularly ask each other what we need at that point in time.
Not only does it give us a chance to connect and talk, but it shows that we are conscientious of each other’s needs and often do what we can to help make sure each other’s needs are met.
63 – Have A Conversation With Your Kids
Think back to when you were a kid – how good did it feel when your parents just sat and talked to you, and gave you their full attention.
Get into the habit of having conversations with your kids – sure they might not give you much in return (those pre-teen years can be tough…) but it will instill their understanding that they can talk to you which is huge in developing positive relationships.
64 – Hug Longer
Hugging is one of the simplest ways to show your love for someone else, but what if you could take it up a notch so that hugs become even more impactful?
Try hugging your partner or kids for at least 10 seconds longer than usual – this can help release oxytocin, the “love hormone” which helps increase trust and bonding.
65 – Show Gratitude To Someone You Love
When was the last time you showed gratitude to someone you love?
Think about all the things your spouse or kids have done for you recently – how many times have they forgotten to do something and you had to remind them, but since then you’ve totally forgotten that they even left it undone.
Now think of all their positive aspects – how they are always there for you, or that they work so hard to provide for your family.
Expressing gratitude not only strengthens relationships but also makes us feel really good inside.
66 – Do Something Nice For Somone Important – Just Because
Another great way to strengthen relationships is through doing something nice for someone you love, not because of a special occasion or holiday but just because.
Cook a meal for a friend, take your kids out for milkshakes, buy flowers for your mom… small gestures that can totally transform someone else’s day.
67 – Set Boundaries (And Stick To Them)
Boundaries are incredibly important in every relationship – if you don’t set boundaries with people then they will end up pushing your buttons until you snap.
Setting boundaries is all about teaching the person how to treat you, so that even if they push your limits it does not have a big impact on yourself or the relationship.
Create your own boundaries to protect your own energy and your own space… and stick to them!
General Good Life Habits
Then there are a whole heap of life habits that are just good to create, add a ton of benefits to your life, and just generally improve your life. Add these habits to your day:
68 – Set Goals
Accomplishing goals daily is a great way to build discipline – it will help you learn what works and what doesn’t.
Goals don’t have to be big or grandiose, they can be as simple as wanting to read one page from your favorite book today.
But be sure to have a range of small goals, short term goals, long term goals… and then throw in some big goals too.
Whatever goal you’re working on at the moment, make sure you take steps each day towards it.
69 – Learn A New Skill
You can learn just about anything you want through the magic of online courses.
Read up on recent scientific studies, brush up on your Gatsby skills, learn the basics of web design… whatever it is that you need to learn or want to become better at then go out and do it!
When it comes to learning new skills, taking a class, or just wanting to expand your knowledge – Udemy has what you’re looking for. Be warned, you’ll start scrolling the classes available and reailze all of a sudden you HAVE to learn how to crochet, or cook traditional Indian food, or how to code websites… It’s super addictive and so fun! PLUS you can get cash back with your Rakuten app too!
70 – Celebrate Your Small Wins
Remember when you first started working on a goal? You were so excited to take your first step towards it.
But then after a little while, the excitement went away… and frankly it got difficult, didn’t feel worth it anymore, and you just wanted to give up.
But what if instead you gave yourself a pat on the back for taking that first step, or celebrated small wins?
Sure, you still want to achieve your ultimate goal but celebrating each win is actually one of the most motivating things you can do.
Celebrate your small wins each day to feel better about your progress towards your goals and to keep your motivation alive.
71 – Spend Time Alone
Now, this can be a really tough habit to stick with, but it’s actually one of the best life habits you can create.
Spending time alone allows you to come back refreshed and more focused on your goals and tasks without the external voice and opinions drowning out what you need to accomplish.
Plus it gives you time to focus on just you and maybe even get to know yourself even more.
72 – Manage Your Money
Money is a funny thing, it controls so much of our lives – from what we can do to where we live.
Managing your money involves understanding the difference between wants and needs, how much you need to save for future goals, and making sure that you’re spending within your means.
Take your time each day to manage your money and stop hiding from it. You can only be in control of your money when you take control of your money.
73 – Automate Your Bills
If you’re like most people then your life gets super busy and it can be really hard to keep track of everything.
And that’s where bills come in, these are things that just keep coming each month which means they just keep getting paid… until you don’t pay them (and get slapped with late fees).
Try automating your bills so that you can set them up so they all come out of your dedicated bills account each month, saving you time and headaches.
74 – Create A Savings Account
You might think that you can’t afford to save, but the truth is you’re just spending more than you need to (savings is basic math… earn more or spend less…)
A savings account is a saving account – it doesn’t matter if it’s your “rainy day” or “dream vacation” fund… creating a habit of saving money is what is important.
Whether it’s $5 a week, $50 a week, or more, it doesn’t matter. Creating the habit is the important part.
75 – Declutter A Space
Decluttering may not seem like a daily habit to you, but if you get into a regular routine of decluttering something every day, then it will be significantly less overwhelming.
There’s a challenge to remove one thing every day for 100 days and at the end fo that time you’ve easily, without significant effort or deep thought, decluttered 100 things from your home.
76 – Make Sure Your Basic Needs Are Being Met
A lot of the time people confuse their basic needs with self-care.
Things like spending some time alone, going and getting groceries without kids, getting your hair done, or even taking a hot shower are regularly praised as being ‘self-care’ when in actual fact, they are basic needs.
Ask yourself – are my basic needs being met? And if not, take steps to make sure they are.
77 – Make Time For Self Care
And of course, after you know your needs are being met, then you can add in self-care – that is something that is a) just for you and b) fills your emotional cup.
You can’t keep giving to the world if you have nothing left to give – so be sure to do something for yourself, something you love, and something that fills your cup.
78 – Make Time For Your Hobbies
What do you love to do? Do you love to write? Paint? Crochet? Drive remote control cars? Build Lego creations? Play video games?
Whatever your hobbies are, make time for them! Doing what you love is important and you should include it in your daily habits.
79 – Create A Household/Cleaning Routine
Urgh… no one really wants to talk about cleaning their house but at the end of the day, a messy house can lead to a messy mind and house chores are a point of stress for many people.
Create a household cleaning and maintenance routine that keeps your cleaning tasks simple and easy to stay on top of (and you can even delegate or outsource them).
Trust me… do it now, thank me later.
Keep track of it all with a household management planner and you’ll wonder how you ever survived without one.
80 – Plan For Unproductive Time In Your Day
We are so conditioned to believe that every part of our day needs to be productive… but there are so many positive things that can happen from unproductive time.
Set some time aside in your day to be purposefully unproductive. It could just be 10 minutes (when you start, this can be really awkward) and just get comfortable with being unproductive.
81 – Find Your Daily Truffle Moment
A truffle moment is something you look forward to and can make your day a little bit better.
It could be as simple as the first cup of coffee, taking your dog for a walk, or reading a book on the beach, but it’s important to find something that makes your day a little better because it’s unpredictable and there are days you feel like nothing goes right.
82 – Write Something Daily
Whether it be in the form of a journal, blog post, an Instagram post, or just private thoughts in a notepad, writing something down daily is an incredible habit to have.
Sharing this practice publicly will keep you accountable and it’s helpful to see your thoughts written down for reflection.
Regardless of what you write, the benefits are clear – writing on a daily basis helps with stress management and emotional processing which can significantly improve mental health.
83 – Say The Most Positive Thing You Can Think Of Out Loud
This is one of my favorite positive daily habits to implement because it’s almost instantaneously effective in lifting my mood and making me feel grateful for what I have.
All you have to do is think about 1-3 things that are the most positive outcomes of a situation – no matter how small they might be – and say them out loud.
84 – Do Laundry Daily
This is probably the daily habit that saves my sanity the most when it comes to house chores and keeping on top of what becomes mount washmore…
Each day, do at least one load of laundry.
This means you don’t get to the end of the week and end up with a massive pile of laundry that takes a whole day to get through. Game changer.
85 – Open Your Windows & Doors
When it comes to the quality of our indoor air, we often don’t think about it.
But, if you suffer from allergies or just want fresh air in your house then opening windows and doors daily can really improve your home environment and turn a stale atmosphere into one that is much more refreshing.
Plus a well-aired home just feels good.
So, we’ve covered off a whole heap of good daily habits to improve your life, but what about the bad daily habits that you need to eliminate in order to improve your life?
Eliminate These Bad Habits To Improve Your Life
There’s no denying it… we all have a bad habit or two (or a few) that we need to shake and have been meaning to let go of, but often we lack the motivation to do so.
But you’re here, you’re reading about these awesome habits to add, you’re all motivated and excited to start your new habits… so let’s just kick some not-so-great habits to the curb while we’re at it!
These are some of the daily habits that are probably a little toxic, not too great, and are almost definitely holding you back that you need to eliminate in order to improve your life:
86 – Replace Sugary Drinks With A Healthy Option
It’s not the 80’s anymore… we are far more knowledgeable and we all know that sugary drinks are bad for our health, so switch them out.
There are so many fantastic alternatives available now.
Personally, I love kombucha or simply adding some frozen fruit to sparkling mineral water.
Check the labels on your drink before quenching your thirst… even so-called healthy waters have far too much sugar in them.
87 – Don’t Schedule Meetings When An Email Will Do
If we have learned anything from the last few years it’s that the face of how we work can be adapted significantly more than we thought before.
Long gone are the days of endless meetings and PowerPoint presentations.
Even in our personal lives, we don’t need to have meetings for everything when oftentimes an email will do.
When you find yourself booking in a meeting, ask yourself ‘can this be done via email’.
88 – Stop Saying ‘Yes’ When You Really Mean ‘No’
We all do it.
We say ‘yes’ to something we don’t really want to because we can’t be bothered with the fight or we feel obligated.
You know how many times I’ve wanted to say to someone, “No… I would rather stick pins in my eyes than go to the party you invited me too” but instead I just say “I’m in”…
It’s wrong and it’s damaging to yourself… so stop it!
89 – Stop Using Your Daily ‘Down Time’ To Practice A Daily Habit
This is one that I’ve picked up in the last year or so. I always thought that taking time out was a waste and that I would just get more done if I kept busy all day.
But, what actually happens is that I’m so mentally and physically exhausted by the end of the day that my mind is mush and it takes me ages to even read a book let alone attempt to write one! I am not an exception to this rule.
Down time is down time – time to recharge. Stop filling it up with things to do.
90 – Stop Making Excuses
We all do it. We tell ourselves that we don’t have enough time or that we can’t drop our kids off at school another way because the traffic is just too bad and blah, blah, blah…
Technically, the only thing holding you back is your mind.
What excuses are restricting you?
This doesn’t mean you have to say yes to everything (see above) but don’t try and fool yourself into believing your own excuses.
91 – Stop Surrounding Yourself With Negative People
They are stress magnets. These people will suck any ounce of happiness out of you that they can get their hands on.
On the flip side, happy people make you happy!
So stop surrounding yourself with negative people who like to belittle your dreams and goals… move away from them… keep them at arms’ length so that their negativeness doesn’t permeate in your life.
92 – Stop Talking About Yourself In A Negative Way
We’ve spoken a lot in the positive habits section about speaking positively about ourselves and using daily affirmations for self-love, which leads us to, of course, eliminating negative self-talk.
Our words are powerful and what we say, we believe (our brains work in pretty clever ways like that).
So stop it – cut the negative self-talk and replace it with positive affirmations about yourself.
If you wouldn’t say these words about your mom or your best friend, then don’t say them about yourself.
93 – Choose Your News Carefully
I read somewhere that 70% of news is ‘fake news’ or false information (which funnily enough, could be false itself… how meta) and isn’t surprising – all you need to do is look at the tabloid headlines to see that it’s just utter BS most of the time.
This means that the only way we can really filter what news we trust is by choosing sources that suit us and have a similar bias as ourselves.
So, this begs the question… why are you reading Daily Mail?
News affects your mood, whether you like it or not.
So stop reading Daily Mail (sorry Daily Mail… I’m picking on you…) and read something that will help build you up instead of breaking you down.
94 – Eliminate Negativity From Your Social Media Feed
This is a big one folks. Social Media is the biggest enemy of your mental health and if you’re not careful, it can be the enemy of your physical health too (I’m looking at you, Candy Crush).
A lot of social media feeds are filled with negative posts that aren’t encouraging or uplifting – they’re just there to shock and awe you.
But… you can curate your own social media feeds!
So stop following those feeds that are filled with negativity and start following those that promote positivity – they exist !
95 – Try a Social Media Detox To Get Some Distance
Your social media addiction has been holding onto you for too long… don’t believe me? Go and check your screen time on your phone… how many hours a day are you spending on social media? (Yes, I said hours…).
Taking some distance from social media will allow you to clear your mind and declutter.
You’ll have time for other important things – like reading a book or spending time with friends.
So turn off push notifications, stop scrolling through Instagram when you’re in bed at night, try not to check Facebook every five minutes… take back control.
96 – Stop Feeling Sorry For Yourself
I feel like this one is a lot of people’s (myself included at times), biggest weaknesses.
Talking about something that has affected us or someone we know, saying how ‘nobody understands’ and other phrases to make ourselves feel bad for feeling bad.
This isn’t helpful… it doesn’t help you improve your situation and it doesn’t help you feel better.
Just move on, think positive and focus on your situation – after all, nobody else can do that for you.
97 – Stop Apologizing For Everything
When you think about it, the word ‘sorry’ simply lacks any real meaning. We say it without thinking.
So often… so… very… often, we apologize for the tiniest things and don’t even mean it.
This daily habit is a subtle bad one, but it’s just another example of how we keep ourselves stuck in an endless cycle of negativity because everything seems to be someone else’s fault.
So next time you feel the urge to say sorry, think about what you’re actually apologizing for and whether or not saying sorry has any real value here.
Then, let it go and move the hell on.
98 – Stop Looking For The Negative In Things
This habit has become a staple in our lives, but it’s also dangerous for your mental health.
I’m guilty of doing this too – looking for the negative in things that happen to me or that I read about (thanks anxiety).
But what does this actually do? It puts you in an endless cycle of negativity, which makes you more likely to believe any negativity that pops up on your timeline.
So stop looking for the negative in things! Be optimistic, not pessimistic. Just because somebody says something bad about something doesn’t automatically mean it’s bad… take a step back and think before you go all out in a spiral of negativity.
99 – Stop Trying To Do It All Yourself (Ask For Help)
One of the beliefs we have acquired as mothers (whether we wanted to or not) is that we have to do it all on our own to prove our worth as mothers…
This is just not true.
You do not have to be superwoman.
You do not have to climb Mount Everest and win the lottery and still manage to cook dinner for eight people every night without breaking a sweat. You just don’t.
So stop trying to do everything yourself, because you’re only completely exhausting yourself – and that’s exactly what we don’t want to do.
100 – Stop Telling Yourself You’re Not Good Enough
We all constantly doubt ourselves in some way or another. Whether it be when you look in the mirror, trying to create something new or even when meeting someone for the first time.
This daily habit is dangerous for your mental health, because it’s self-sabotaging.
When you constantly tell yourself that you’re not good enough or that you won’t be able to do something, you are giving yourself a reason not to try in the first place.
You are setting up barriers for when you inevitably fail, and before you know it – you don’t even want to try or think about trying.
So stop telling yourself that you’re not good enough. God knows we all have our own insecurities.
101 – Stop Comparing Yourself To Others
We all have guilty pleasures when it comes to social media… some people love to compare themselves to others, some love to post it all.
Now I’m not saying you shouldn’t be posting – of course, share your life with the world if that’s what makes you happy! But at the same time…
Think before you post. Are you comparing yourself? Are you looking for validation or reassurance in the negative comments that might pop up?
Stop it, just stop. You’re better than that.
102 – Stop Ignoring Your Mental Health
I’m Australian… our unofficial motto is “she’ll be right mate” (translation – everything will be fine, don’t worry about it).
This is an element of our culture that contributes to the rates of depression (and mental illness in general) in Australia – but it happens all around the world too.
We don’t like to talk about it, we bottle things up and hope they go away… But guess what? They won’t, not without some help anyway.
Seriously – this is one of the most important daily habits to improve your life. You cannot ignore your mental health, because it doesn’t just go away.
On top of this – do you know what happens when you ignore your mental health? The problem gets worse… and eventually all out war breaks out inside your head (trust me on this one). This can result in stress, anxiety, self-loathing, depression and so much more.
So don’t ignore your mental health – that is the fast lane to unhappiness.
103 – Stop Trashing Your Body with Negativity
This is all part of our mental health, because when we speak negatively about ourselves, our brain believes it. When you look in the mirror, always telling yourself that you hate what you see – guess what? You are hating what you see.
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
You can stop trashing your body with negativity… and start appreciating your body for all the things it does for you on a daily basis. Instead of constantly picking yourself apart, pick yourself up and look at what you’re doing right instead.
104 – Stop Treating Your Body Like A Garbage Disposal
Were you ever told as a kid ‘you have to eat everything on your plate’… and now as an adult, you feel like you’re wasting food if you don’t eat it?
A friend talked with me about this once and said it was like treating your body like a garbage disposal – and it’s so true.
You’re putting food into your body that you don’t want, and would usually throw out.
I’m not advocating for wasting a ton of food, but I’m saying be more mindful of how much you put on your plate and what you put into your body.
And if you don’t like it – don’t eat it. It’s okay to waste food, but don’t waste your health with the wrong foods!
105 – Stop Eating So Much Junk Food
We all love junk food… I’m not saying you need to stop eating junk food entirely, but it is a daily habit that needs to be improved.
You need to start thinking more about what you’re putting into your body – or how that food is going to affect your daily life.
Junk food has very little nutritional value, therefore it’s not helping you on any level – except for short-term energy boosts while the sugar crashes after a while.
Start improving your diet with a focus on foods that are going to help fuel your body… and not give you a short burst of energy before sending you plummeting.
Where To From Here? What To Do Next
If your head is spinning from this ultimate list of habits that will improve your life, that’s totally understandable. There’s a whole lot of information here and a lot to take it.
Instead of feeling like you have to remember it all or take it all in at once, grab a free copy of our eBook version of this post so you can read over it at your own pace and implement the habits as you go (there’s a checklist and habit tracker included too).
You can also share this post to Pinterest (or your other favorite social media) so others can find some great new habits to improve their life too.
Above all else remember, creating new habits takes time – you only have to take small steps to see big improvements, and you are the one who is in control of your life.
You’ve got this.
