Suffice it to say, I think we’re all looking forward to brighter, better days ahead–and one easy place to start is with your daily habits. It doesn’t take an entire overhaul to make every day more productive. All you need is one minute and a little commitment to small changes that will make a big difference.
From making your bed every morning to parking further away from the entrance at the grocery store, these one-minute-habits will help improve your mental and physical health each and every day. Start with just one or try a few to help improve your daily routine.
1. Make your bed.
When you make your bed every morning it’s one accomplishment that you can check off your to-do list before you’ve even had your cup of coffee. In one report, highlighted on the TODAY show, they found that people who make their beds tend to be adventurous, confident, sociable, and high-maintenance. Not only will making your bed give you a sense of accomplishment and confidence, there’s something about getting into a made bed at the end of the night that puts your mind and body at ease—ready to conquer the next day.
2. Set your alarm 60 seconds earlier.
Snoozing might seem like a great idea to get a few extra minutes of sleep, but it’s really just making you even more tired. Especially with everyone working from home, it’s easy to set your alarm as close to your morning Zoom meeting as possible. Try setting your alarm a minute earlier and getting up when it goes off. Use that time to meditate, add an extra step to your skincare routine or simply mentally prepare for your upcoming day. After a week, you won’t miss those extra seven minutes of sleep and you will have accomplished a little more than before.
3. Drink more water.
It’s recommended that you drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day. The benefits from staying hydrated go on for days. Drinking water helps maximize physical activity, boosts brain and energy levels, helps prevent hangovers, and can improve your complexion. An easy way to make sure you’re drinking an adequate amount of water each day is by getting a large water bottle or carafe that you can fill up at the beginning of each day and keep at your desk. Even if you’re bound to your computer with meetings, or too lazy to walk to the kitchen, you’ll have a large supply of water at your disposal.
4. Give yourself deadlines.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed or distracted during the day try breaking your schedule up into blocks and deadlines. Write down everything you need to accomplish during the day and give yourself hard stop and end times. During each time block, focus only on the task at hand. This will help you get through your to-do list without feeling like you’re ping-ponging all over the place.
5. Motivate a workout.
Think, an object in motion stays in motion and an object at rest stays at rest. Making a point to get up and move for even a minute will get you in the mindset of wanting to move even more. A lot of times the biggest hurdle is getting started. If you tell yourself you’re going to do a one-minute yoga flow or one-minute of push-ups, you’re more likely to wake your body up and go for the full workout.
6. Take the stairs or park further away.
Since most of our commutes consist of moving from the bedroom to your at-home office, the number of steps you’re getting in each day might be suffering. To help get more steps in, try parking further away from the entrance when you’re running errands. This tiny change will boost your physical activity. (Plus, there are usually more parking spots further away.) And if you live in an elevator building, try taking the stairs. This small change will raise your heart rate and get your blood pumping.
7. Mute (or unfollow) social media accounts that don’t bring you joy.
We’re not saying you need to cancel someone, but if someone on social media isn’t bringing your joy or their posts aren’t aligning with your values, mute them or unfollow the account. Take a minute to clean up your feed to reflect messages that lift you up or inspire you. If the over-filtered community is making you feel self-conscious, mute those influencers so they’re not overwhelming your feed.
8. Tidy up before bed.
Much like getting in a made bed at night, tidying up your living space before bed will ensure that you’re starting the next day with a clean slate. Make sure your dishes are in the dishwasher and your surfaces are clean and free of clutter. If you start your day with tidying up from the day before, you can easily get distracted and fall off-track from your to-do list.
9. Look at your finances.
This can be a scary one, but extremely necessary. Having a handle on your expenses, or at least knowledge of where you stand, will make you feel more confident in your spending. A minute check in the morning will make sure you know where you stand with your finances and can influence your mid-morning shopping spree. While we hope this never happens, keeping an eye on your finances can help you catch fraudulent charges.
10. Take a minute of self-care.
No matter how crazy your day and life get, taking a minute to prioritize your mental and physical health is rewarding. Whether you need to take a one-minute break to meditate or try a new hydrating mask, prioritizing yourself is good for your emotional wellbeing.
Did you try any of these one-minute daily habits? Tell us your thoughts in the comments–and shop Spring Fashion trends to prep your wardrobe for brighter days!
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