We are all creatures of habit, whether we feel like we thrive on change or shy away from it. We all have to sleep at some point, eat at some point, and breathe constantly. The style of when and how we complete these daily activities can vary far and wide, but we usually fall into some sort of pattern of execution. The style of how you complete these activities takes shape as your daily routines or your habits. If you can find it within yourself to make some small daily changes to your normal routine, these can add up to a much better 2022 overall.
Even if you are a high-achieving type who wakes up at 4 am to fit in a workout and daily meditation before slaying your workday, there is always a way to improve. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! So whether you feel like you are already on top of your game, or you know it could use a little improvement, read on to find 8 ways you can have a better 2022.
1.Wake up early
Yes, we’ve all heard this old adage ad nauseam. But there’s a reason why. The early morning hours are often the only ones that are totally under your control. How many times have you awoken with the intention of doing something―anything―after your workday, but by the time 5 o’clock rolls around, you’re just too tired?
According to a study of 177 self-made millionaires by Thomas C. Corley, at least 50% of these highly successful people wake up at least 3 hours before their work day even begins. That’s too much of a coincidence to ignore. If you can find the discipline to wake up just a little bit earlier, think of how much more you could accomplish for yourself. Don’t think of waking up 3 hours earlier right off the bat though. Much like eating an elephant, waking up earlier is best when done incrementally. Try setting your alarm clock ten minutes earlier for a week, and once you’ve adjusted to that, increase it another ten. This small habit can make a better 2022 well within your grasp.
2. Diet
This list would be incomplete without some discussion of food! And reining in your diet may be easier than you think. With a million food options and diet lifestyles to choose from (we’re looking at you Atkins, Paleo, Vegan, Clean Eating, Keto, Macros, and Gluten-Free!) there is bound to be one that will be a good fit for you. Yes, it may be a bit of a trial-and-error period while you implement a new change, and stick with it for an allotted time while you wait to see the fruits of your labor. The key here is really knowing yourself and what makes you tick.
If you are someone who likes to measure your success, you may enjoy measuring out food portions or weighing them with a food scale. For others of you, this may be way too restrictive, and you prefer measuring with your own two hands (aka a serving of meat is the size of the palm of your hand).
One common thing that causes many diets to fail is lack of preparation. If you wait too long to eat, you risk letting your blood sugar dip too low, and then ghrelin (the hunger hormone) rears its ugly head. Make sure to preplan your meals and have healthy snacks nearby in case of emergency. These two small steps, if implemented on a regular basis, can help your 2022 to be monumentally better than your 2017, for both your health and your longevity.
3. Exercise
Habit-forming is something that takes daily repetition (do we sense a theme here?) to really master. Daily exercise can improve your 2022 by making you stronger, happier and healthier. One easy method for starting an exercise habit is the implementation of a ritual.
For example, if you are trying to motivate yourself to get to the gym to complete a workout, you may get discouraged or overwhelmed if you think of how many miles you have to go, or how many pounds you have to lift, or how long the whole thing will take you. Implementing a ritual can make the initiation of such a workout much easier. And let’s be real, starting is usually the hardest part for most people―if you can finally get yourself there, you are most likely going to stay until the workout is finished.
Twyla Tharp, a prominent American dancer, choreographer, and author, implemented the use of ritual to begin her daily exercise regimen;
I begin each day of my life with a ritual; I wake up at 5:30 A.M., put on my workout clothes, my leg warmers, my sweatshirts, and my hat. I walk outside my Manhattan home, hail a taxi, and tell the driver to take me to the Pumping Iron gym at 91st street and First Avenue, where I workout for two hours. The ritual is not the stretching and weight training I put my body through each morning at the gym; the ritual is the cab. The moment I tell the driver where to go I have completed the ritual.
It’s a simple act, but doing it the same way each morning habitualizes it — makes it repeatable, easy to do. It reduces the chance that I would skip it or do it differently. It is one more item in my arsenal of routines, and one less thing to think about
4. Money fitness
One small habit to form a better 2022 is to start investing if you haven’t already. But not just any kind of investing―try micro-investing on for size. Apps such as Stash or Acorns can easily get you started by investing your spare change. Each app has different methods for implementing this―for example, Acorns rounds up debit card purchases to the nearest dollar and invests only the change in a portfolio of your choosing.
You can definitely have a better 2022 and many more years to come if you get your finances straight now. Money isn’t the solution to life’s problems, but let’s be real, it sure makes life easier if you actually have some!
5. Gratitude
Improve the quality of your life with these 8 daily habits for a better 2022
Expressing gratitude (also known as giving thanks, gratefulness or appreciation) is a small habit you can implement daily increase your overall well-being, and therefore have a better 2022! The benefits of this practice include increased feelings of well-being and happiness, energy, empathy, and optimism among many, many others.
Think about what you are grateful for before bed. Try to think of at least 3 things that happened during the day that you appreciate, no matter how small. Then spend a little bit of time thinking about each thing, and how it made you feel. This is a quick way to start implementing a daily gratitude practice.
6. Become a realistic optimist
Along with gratefulness, positive thinking can also help to improve your optimism and your general outlook on life. This is not to say you should become a cockeyed optimist and push so hard towards happiness that you are actually being fake or foolish. But don’t take it to the other extreme and become so defeatist that you don’t even see the point in making any efforts whatsoever toward your goals.
The best of both worlds is to merge the two extremes of optimism and pessimism and become a realistic optimist. A realistic optimist blends the truthfulness of a pessimist with the positivity of an optimist. They do believe they will be successful―but not without working hard for it.
Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be.
― Abraham Lincoln
7. Create something
The more we see and do and experience, the more we are truly living life to the fullest. Forcing yourself to make or create something is one way to enrich the experiences of our lives. Making things creates new pathways in the brain increasing neuroplasticity. This means you can change your brain at any age, or train your brain to slow the aging process.
In addition to helping your brain, creating things can also make you feel better by reducing stress, anxiety, depression and improving mood. Try painting a picture, scouring Pinterest for an interesting DIY project, or try our tip to change the color of your walls without damage. It doesn’t matter if you are Picasso or a remedial art student. As they say―in art, there are no mistakes, only opportunities for creativity.
8. Smile
This may sound like a silly thing to add to our list, but yes, even smiling can be a daily action you can complete to have a better 2022. Our brains are actually wired to think in negative thought patterns as a defense mechanism, and smiling can trick your brain into breaking the negative cycle, resulting in a better well-being. The brain actually keeps track of how often you smile, so even faking a smile can work. Your facial expression not only reflects your feelings on the inside, but can influence those same feelings from the outside in. And best of all, it’s free!
Happiness is a work ethic… It’s something that requires our brains to train just like an athlete has to train.
― Shawn Achor
A better 2022 is only a few habits away
Many of the suggestions in this list are not hard to implement. They are just small actions that can improve your quality of life. We all have the same 24 hours in a day, so why not make a better 2022 for yourself by making a few simple tweaks?
We love our customers and would love to hear your thoughts on these 8 tips. If you try something out, post about it and tag us on Instagram @effective.coverage. We’d love to hear about your experiences.