According to a study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology, it takes 18 to 254 days for a person to form a new habit. (The study also concluded that, on average, it takes 66 days for a new behavior to become automatic.)
Depending on how tight your schedule is, this may sound like a lot of hassle. However, even the slightest changes in your lifestyle can snowball into substantial, palpable results. And there's a fresh Reddit thread to get some ideas.
Created by user iam_robas, it asked everyone the question, "What's a simple habit you practice daily that helps you stay positive?" It's not the most popular post on the platform, but the discussion in the comment section provides interesting insights into how people navigate these turbulent times.
#1
Toxic, dramatic people. Just shut them out. Coworkers, family. Don’t care, can’t hear you. I have an average life to live. Don’t try to spice it up with your reality tv show nonsense
180points
#2
I try and go out for a few hours any day I'm off work and just go for a coffee, food and walk around my city for a few hours. It's such a simple yet nice thing I do that keeps me being positive. My friends make fun of me for it though :/
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174points
#3
I sit outside in silence and be in the moment listening to nature.
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138points
#5
Singing in the car. It’s tough to be in a bad mood while singing
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130points
#6
Before I get up out of bed, I give gratitude for many blessings. I give thanks for simple things like having a roof, a pillow, a bed, comfy blankets, a safe place to live, plumbing...and then go on to bigger things like people who love and support me. I do this throughout the day, even giving thanks for difficulties (thank you, asshole driver who gives me the opportunity to practice patience ha).
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117points
#8
Feel your emotions, pick them apart, try to understand why they came up, but don't let them control you.
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103points
#10
Stay in contact with friends, see what they're up to, offer to help if there is something I can do.
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87points
#11
Spend some time in nature - walk, run etc. Sounds cliche but works wonders.
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86points
#16
A do list! It helps me to visualise what I've actually achieved that day
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71points
#18
Wherever you feel a lot of pressure just go out of that place breathe in and exhale out Life will be much better
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61points
#20
I have an issue with taking things personally, what helps is for example if someone comes off as rude to me or dismissive I usually remind myself that they are probably going through a bad day or something. Most of the time I pry and ask and they end up revealing an issue to me or what happened to cause them to be in a sour mood. It has helped me a lot :)
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58points