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Bournemouth Girl

Planning the life you want

in Personal Growth ·

9 Micro Habits That Will Improve Your Life

It is the first month of a brand new year and I am sure that you have set goals, intentions or resolutions. Did you know that 80% of all New Year resolutions are likely to fail before the end of February? When you set goals, you want to stick to your intents all year round; you need to make sure they are achievable.

It can be really easy to fall into the trap of making huge lists of goals, habits or intentions you have for the year. You do not need to set all these at the start of the New Year; you can make changes and set goals throughout the year. Starting small with micro habits can be a great way to start making positive changes in your life.

What Is A Micro Habit?

Micro habits are actions that require minimum motivation or effort to complete. The idea is that over time, a micro habit will slowly build up on top of itself and result in something significant. Micro habits are small but mighty catalysts for change. Making positive changes comes from starting small. They are an opportunity to prove to yourself ‘I can do this!’ which turns into momentum.

Setting yourself micro habits to start practising can be simple especially with the help of a habit tracker which can hold you accountable. If you are struggling with what micro habits you can start this year, here are my 9 suggestions to help you be more organised and that will positively change your life:

1. Make Your Bed Every Morning

If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the ay. It will give you a sense of pride and it will then encourage you to do another and another. Making your bed helps to reinforce the importance of life’s finer details.

It may be a small accomplishment, but making your bed sets the tone for the rest of your day. It also encourages you to keep your bedroom tidy. A well-made bed helps the rest of your room look styled; you are them more likely to feel more inspired to be clean and tidy. A clear and tidy room has been known to improve relaxation and sleep. Take those few minutes in the morning to make our bed; it has far more benefit than you think.

2. Delay Your Reactions

Life can be really fast-paced and you can be swept up in the momentum. However, this does not mean that your reactions have to be instant i.e. in the moment.

When you are asked a question or extended an invitation, you should learn to say ‘I will get back to you on this’, or ‘I will let you know later’ and other similar statements. Instead of saying yes to an offer straight away, take a few minutes to think about it and make sure that it will fit into your schedule. This will allow you to save time and avoid any disappointment in the future.

Your delayed reactions are so beneficial during a disagreement or argument. Taking a step back to sit with your emotions and what has been said can help you to not only avoid saying something that you will regret, but to gather your thoughts to then work through the issue.

3. Prepare Your Day The Night Before

If you plan the night before for the following day, you are going to be less stressed and already start your day productively.

It takes a few minutes of your evening to plan your outfit, make sure your bag is ready and any important tasks are ready for the following day. You can plan these things the most efficiently with a planner or calendar hat you can use for reference. Planning the night before can also mean a few extra minutes in bed so it’s a win-win!

A white desk with a calendar and a stack of notebooks and planners on the right hand side. A pen and desk ornament next to the calendar.

Photo by STIL on Unsplash

4. Take Movement Breaks

In between tasks it can be so easy to take social media and scroll; I am so guilty of this! However, instead of reaching for your phone, you should get u and move. It can be hard because it can become second nature to reach for your phone. It can be as simple as gentle stretching of your body, or doing a small task that requires physical movement which energises your body and helps to reset your mind. You can then return to your workload with a renewed sense of motivation.

5. Sit Up Straight

When you sit or stand with correct posture, it naturally puts less stress on your whole musculoskeletal system. Sitting or standing in a neutral position rather than hunched over will mean that you do not strain your hips, shoulders, neck and back.

There are so many benefits to you ensuring you practising good posture including:

  • Reduced lower back pain
  • Fewer headaches
  • Improved circulation and digestion
  • Less tension in your shoulders and neck
  • Increased energy levels

Your posture can affect your physical and your mental health. It is important that you are aware of the strains you out on your body when you are sitting or standing.

6. Tidy Your Space Before Bed

A cluttered space can mean a cluttered mind. Your environment can have a big impact on your mental health and your ability to relax.

Taking the time before you get ready for bed to clear away any mess will help you to create a relaxing room to fall asleep in. It has been proven that having a tidy room helps you to fall and stay asleep. When you have a better night’s sleep, you will feel energised, motivated and creates positive feelings which aid good mental health.

7. Say No When You Want To

Do you avoid saying no even when you really want to? We can all be guilty of agreeing to things we didn’t want to do or ended up not wanting. I don’t know about you, but I would feel guilty if I was to say no. however, that is not healthy and can lead to a busier schedule which ca be overwhelming and cause unnecessary stress.

Mastering the art of saying no can be difficult, but well worth learning because there are so many reasons to be doing what you want to. Learning to say responses such as: ‘That sounds great, but unfortunately, my schedule is too busy right now’, or ‘I would love to, but I will have to pass as I do not have any free time currently’. It is important that you balance your schedule to ensure that you have time to yourself.

A black haired lady sat at a desk writing in a planner

Photo by Keren Levand on Unsplash

8. Unfollow Or Mute Social Media Accounts

Social media is hugely popular and the majority of people have at least one social media platform. There has been a lot discussion about the effects of social media on mental health.

So, filtering your social media followers can be really beneficial. You want to unfollow all accounts that don’t make you feel inspired, happy or confident. Surrounding yourself with positive accounts is going to help boost your self-esteem and your self-worth.

9. Unsubscribe

Taking the time to unsubscribe to unwanted emails and monthly subscriptions can help you to save money and avoid having an overwhelming amount of emails to work through each week.  Reducing the unwanted emails will mean that you are far less likely to miss important emails that you need to see.

These are just 9 micro habits that are simple to introduce to your routines, but can have a huge positive impact on your life.

‘Changes that seem small and unimportant at first will compound into remarkable results if you’re willing to stick with them for years’ – James Clear, Atomic Habits. 

What micro habits do you want to start this year? I’d love to hear in the comments.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. Molly Transatlantic Notes says

    Yes! I was nodding to each of these as I read them as I know how beneficial having these micro habits can be because when I stop/don’t do them, I feel the impact on my physical/mental well-being. Thanks for this reminder!

    Reply

  7. Nicci says

    I love this, I’m so bad for leaving my space cluttered and then feeling awful for it later. I’ve been trying to make sure my room is tidy each night so I’m going to sleep in a nice environment. That and trying to do some yoga in the morning are my two habits for this year!

    Reply

  9. AmethystAP says

    Awesomeness post. You have some great points here. I definitely want to work on unsubscribing from unnecessary emails, prepping the night before and moving more throughout my work day.

    Reply

  10. krissisophie says

    I absolutely love all of these!! Especially things like making the bed (I literally go crazy if I don’t :D) and delaying reactions. I want to practice the latter because I tend to say yes (or no, or get mad) to fast and then regret it later. Thank you for these amazing tips!

    Lots of love,
    Krissi of the marquise diamond
    http://www.themarquisediamond.de/

    Reply

  12. anneliese says

    Hi there, great list! I’m working on #9 right now because I have several email accounts that help me maintain work/life separation. #3 caught my attention. I heard on an episode of Before breakfast that preparing the night before can actually make it feel like there’s no break between the work of one day and that of the next, so I started paying attention to which aspects of preparation made me feel ready and which ones made me feel like I was just doing more work. It’s been an interesting introspection of micro-behaviors. Have you run into this advice before?

    Reply

  15. Corinne says

    Delaying your reaction is something that I really need to do! I often just blurt out whatever without thinking about it and sometimes I can get angry easily, but then a second later realise that it’s not something that I need to be so angry about. Oops!

    Corinne x

    Reply

  16. readandreviewit1 says

    Ooh great suggestions – I really want to get into doing more of these! I’m an absolute nightmare with making my bed in the morning, but I definitely want to work on that in the next few weeks. I really want to get into the habit of planning my day the night before too, I think that would really help with my organisation and give me less of an excuse to procrastinate! Thanks for sharing x

    Reply

  17. Eri Tz says

    These are fantastic suggestions. I have started following almost all of them during the last two years and they have made a huge difference in my life. They do seem like small things but it is all about shifting your mindset to a healthier and more productive lifestyle.

    Reply

  20. Jaya Avendel says

    Micro-habits sound so much more manageable and learn-able than bigger habits, like meal planning and exercising, so I love your ideas for little changes people can make to improve their life in smaller areas! Sitting up straight is a priority for me right now. 🙂

    Reply

  23. Angie Soul says

    These are great tips! I would love to work on preparing for the next day the night before. I always find myself scrambling during the day trying to juggle motherhood, work, and blogging. I’m usually so exhausted by the evening that I just want to lay like a vegetable but always regret it the next day. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

  24. Mica Blackwell (@micablackers) says

    Love this post! Sometimes I feel like I don’t have the time to slow down with how busy my work life is. I’m the sort of person who likes to start small, so these suggestions will be perfect for me instead of putting pressure on myself with one giant unrealistic goal. 💖

    Reply

  25. Soffy says

    This is such an interesting concept! I had never thought of goals this way. I’ve definitely be making my bed every morning since the new year which is new for me and tidying up before going to sleep.

    Soffy / https://alittlecupofus.com/

    Reply

  26. S.S. Mitchell says

    I think more people are being kinder to themselves by going for smaller realistic ongoing goals instead of harsh resolutions. Some really achievable micro-goals here, thanks!

    Reply

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