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The effect of these habits sometimes tends to be passed off as anecdotal and is not taken seriously when it really should be. So, to better understand how all of this works, Bored Panda reached out to a couple of life coaches who are experts in this field.
We first talked to Eva Centeno, a woman who wears many hats, now best known for being a Certified Life and Retirement Coach, guiding her clients with the help of Positive Psychology tools that she acquired by studying under the renowned professor Tai Ben Shahar.
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I get it, I'm the guy with the ugly 10 year old car in the apartment complex whose parking lot is filled with Mercedes and muscle cars.Would I like to own a better car? Sure. But not because all my neighbors have one. I know I have reliable transportation, which makes my life easier than the guy who takes two buses to get to work. It doesn't mean that I don't want more. it just means that what my neighbor has is irrelevant to my happiness.
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The expert explained to us that building a strong foundation by pursuing these small habits is very important, yet not that difficult, only requiring us to pay attention and be mindful. “Eating well, sleeping well, and paying attention to our relationships with self and others forms a strong foundation for a person that increases their quality of life.”
“I like looking at the whole person,” said Eva when talking about giving life advice and emphasizing the importance of balance. “I do this by reviewing their SPICE FOR LIFE to begin. How are they functioning in all these areas of life: S - Spiritually, P - Physical well-being, I - Intellectual well-being, C - Connection with others, and E - Emotional well-being.”
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The expert also added that there are multiple ways to form new habits. “Dr. BJ Fogg did a lot of research on habit formation. He created "Tiny Habits," which can lead to big changes,” said Eva, giving an example that if you want to exercise more, you could connect that to a habit you already have, like continuously adding a pushup onto pushup every time you brush your teeth.
Other examples that the life coach provided included writing a gratitude journal, going for awe walks, and doing acts of kindness. “Becoming more mindful of how you speak to yourself and others is life-changing!"
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Next, we talked to Jacqueline Hurst, who is a Certified Life Coach, Master NLP Practitioner, a Certified Health and Weight Coach, and an author. Having gone through an interesting life journey battling various addictions since a young age, she has later found inspiration to transform her experiences into her purpose. “It bestowed upon me a wealth of valuable lessons, ones that I now share with others on a daily basis.”
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Jacqueline provided us with a similar and, at the same time, slightly different perspective on the same topic when compared to the answers of our previous expert. According to her, the principles serving as a roadmap to a healthier and more fulfilling life are:
- Prioritize mental well-being.
- Be conscious of your thoughts and recognize your control over them.
- Connect with nature for rejuvenation.
- Surround yourself with positive influences.
- Fearlessly cut ties that hinder your growth.
- Establish strong boundaries.
- Uphold a profound sense of self-respect.
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When talking about having a good routine in one’s life, the expert agreed that it is imperative for paving the way for meaningful personal growth and achievement. “Embrace the importance of your mindset, stay committed to consistency, uphold self-respect, and exercise self-discipline.”
Jacqueline also added that forming habits is as difficult as you believe it to be. “If you change how you think and see the power within your own mind, you will see it as an exciting opportunity for changes,” said the life coach, emphasizing that the best approach for starting is starting.
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To add a few more pieces of advice to this already life-changing list, we looked into an article by The Everygirl. This is what they had to say:
- Start your day with a purpose by identifying your most important tasks the night before.
- Take on high-value tasks before noon.
- Read at least 15 minutes a day.
- Invest your money, little by little.
- Spend some time exploring your curiosities.
- Learn to question common sense by asking ‘why?’.
- Design your pre-workout ritual and make yourself a motivational playlist.
- Don’t skim everything that you read.
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The list doesn't stop there. The article also suggests to:
- Spend time with yourself.
- Keep an open mind for growing and learning new things.
- Go to sleep and wake up earlier.
- Avoid alcohol and caffeine during the evenings.
- Group your worries into what you can and what you can’t control. Deal with the first group, and learn not to stress about the second one.
- Don’t overthink and stress over small, unimportant details that probably won’t matter tomorrow.
- Create a morning routine for yourself.
- Keep looking for new hobbies and passions.
- Write down your thoughts and worries at the end of the day.
- Limit the number of most important tasks in a day.
- Change things up in your life once a month.
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In the end, life is all made up of small things. And to turn its flow to where we want it to go, we have to start with small habits.
While doing that is not as difficult as it may seem, it’s always easier when you know where and how to start, and that’s where sharing information comes into play. Who knows, you might just pick up something truly life-changing from a single Reddit thread.
What do you think about these small habits? Do you have any you’d like to add yourself? Scroll down and share!
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