8 Simple Daily Habits That Will Change Your Life (Even if You’re Busy)

It’s nice to change your routine every once in a while. When you’re ready to break out of old patterns, consider starting these simple daily habits that will change your life. You’ll learn more about yourself, care for your total well-being and even reach your personal goals faster. It all starts with tiny, manageable changes.

Why Are Daily Habits Good?

Daily habits are good because they are automatic, goal-directed behaviors that happen so naturally, you don’t even notice them. They don’t add to your stress while you’re completing your to-do lists because you’re so used to each habit. Depending on which habits you add to your routine, you could reach your goals faster without feeling like you’re working harder.

How Can I Change My Life Every Day?

You can change your life every day with helpful daily habits that start small. Reinventing your entire routine may feel too overwhelming and result in short-term changes. Daily activities that will make your life better begin with minor, manageable adjustments. When those adjustments feel normal, they can become bigger with time.

It’s also easier to change your life with free daily habit apps. If you find it easier to make routine changes for other people, take care of a virtual bird with Finch. The app tracks habits and celebrates your daily progress by helping you explore the world with your bird friend.

Turn your habits into mini video games to make them more engaging or keep up with habit streaks if you love maintaining things like Snapchat streaks. No matter which daily habit apps you try, you’ll find one that prioritizes your goals along your personal growth journey.

Daily Habits That Will Change Your Life

When you’re ready to make positive changes in your life, consider trying these daily habits. They help people build skills and reach their goals without adding any stress to their lives.

1. Stretch in the Morning

Stretching is one of the easiest daily habits that will change your life. Whether you try it for 30 seconds after waking up or five minutes after finishing your breakfast, the simple movements will ease stiff morning muscles and wake you up gently.

As you get used to stretching every morning, you may find you have the energy you need to pursue other goals. It’s an easy way to become more of a morning person without drinking more caffeine or energy drinks.

2. Pick One Priority

You may have struggled with new habits in the past because you set too many simultaneously. Try picking one new or existing priority each day. Guiding your focus can be the new habit that changes your life with time. Your priority, like eating healthier or taking a break in the afternoon, will become effortless. You’ll get to pick a new priority and chase it with better focus.

3. Schedule a Fresh Air Notification

Getting fresh air does so much more than brighten your day. It means you’ll increase your exposure to nature, which boosts your mental health, improves cognitive functioning and reduces your blood pressure. Try scheduling a reminder to open a window at work or lower your window while you drive around town once a day. You’ll enjoy a few relaxing deep breaths and spend a few moments with nature.

4. Clean Your Workspace Every Afternoon

Getting rid of visual clutter may reduce your long-term anxiety if messes make you feel stressed. Set a new daily habit goal of cleaning your workspace every afternoon. If you do something simple like throwing away the trash you accumulated that day, you’ll reduce the clutter where you spend the most time. Cleaning will quickly feel more instinctive, reducing your anxiety.

5. Set a Firm Bedtime

Think about what bedtime means when you’re a kid. It’s when you stop your daily routine and settle down for the night. Adults sometimes forget how helpful that is when they answer emails or texts long after turning out the lights. Try reconstructing your sleep routine by setting a firm daily bedtime.

Pick a time that ensures you’ll get plenty of sleep before your morning alarm, like nine o’clock. When that time arrives, don’t answer emails or texts. Instead, pick relaxing activities to slow your thoughts, like reading or listening to soothing music. Maintaining this minor change will reset your circadian rhythm to improve your sleep quality every night.

6. Switch “I’m Sorry” With “Thank You”

If you feel like you’re always apologizing for things that might not even be your fault, switch one of your apologies with “thank you.” Instead of apologizing for discussing your hobbies with a friend, you could thank them for listening. This is one of the best daily habits that will change your life because you’ll build self-confidence and make your actual apologies more genuine.

7. Squeeze Your Abdominal Muscles

Anyone who struggles to maintain a new gym routine should try starting small. Squeeze your abdominal muscles while sitting at your desk, waiting at a stop light or reading at home. The gentle, repetitive movement strengthens your core, creating health benefits like less back pain and more core strength.

8. Remove One Decision

Decision fatigue is a persistent problem in adulthood. If you remove the same decision each day, you’ll save more energy for other things. Try meal prepping to avoid deciding what you’ll eat three times each day. Even if you only prepare one daily meal, you won’t have to stress about what to eat and how to find time to cook it.

This ongoing habit lets you save a tiny bit of your energy. Use that energy to feel more capable throughout your day or direct it toward your biggest personal goal. You can always remove other decisions by automating your routine with steps that accomplish your responsibilities without your direct involvement. 

Improve Your Life With Realistic Changes

Try some of these daily habits that will change your life. You’ll either find better ways to accomplish your goals or a short-term routine adjustment. Exploring new possibilities makes life more enjoyable, especially when the changes help you learn more about yourself while chasing your goals.