Wellbeing is something that we’re all increasingly aware of and concerned with. It’s always worth seeking to improve your life and the way that you experience it. In many cases, this means taking major steps to correct your physical and mental health. But the most effective steps are the ones you take consistently, as part of a daily routine. In fact, the pressure to make huge changes can often be a source of stress rather than relief.
So, what changes might you consider? Let’s take a look at how you might approach your daily wellness routines.
Start with Moments You Can Actually Maintain
If a habit can’t be sustained over weeks, months, and years, then you’ll never make it stick. This can be demoralising, and it can make you less likely to succeed with the habits you seek to develop in the future.
Make sure that your habits meet the SMART criteria for goal creation. They should, in other words, be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
For example, you might take two minutes to run through a stretching routine before you leave for work or ten minutes during your lunch break to dive into your favourite books.
Let Simple Rituals Anchor Your Day
Small rituals can help to provide the studs, beams and joists around which your day is built. This can help to keep you feeling grounded and centred when life is busy and stressful.
This often means setting aside time to do things without the input of a screen or a loudspeaker. You might, for example, brew pour-over coffee in the morning without scrolling through your social media feeds. These moments can help you to remain focused and to preserve your willpower. If you find that the effect is particularly worthwhile, then you might try out formal meditation. There are a number of apps and courses that can help you to get started and to pay more attention to the present moment.
In many cases, you might want to swap out bad habits for good ones. If you’re spending time re-watching the same television shows again and again while playing with your phone at the same time, then you might seek to spend the time a little more deliberately. Make a list of films that you’ve always wanted to watch, and make a point of enjoying them without distraction.
Reduce Pressure by Focusing on What Helps You Most
You don’t need to form several different habits at once. The fact is that some of the habits you consider will be more helpful than others. You should prioritise them accordingly.
Don’t be afraid to tweak things based on your subjective judgement, either. If you find that you feel fantastic after you go for a walk or write in a journal, then it might be worth committing to doing it a little more often. On the other hand, if you feel exhausted and drained, you might prefer to dial things back a notch – so that the habit can be sustained.