There are thousands of sayings or supposedly words of wisdom. For example, "No pain, no gain. Go big or go home. Go for broke." These particular sayings reflect the idea that you must push and push until you drop.
The average person will go hard for two to three days and then falter because, as another saying goes, "you gnawed off more than you can chew." Creating and using tiny habits is painless, and we will do anything to avoid pain.
This is why that tiny habit of brushing your teeth after a meal works. If the dentist recommended you brush every hour, you would not do it as it would be a painful inconvenience. Here are 12 tiny habits you can start using right now.
1. Stop discarding the food that is going to help you live a healthy life. This means you should be eating raw vegetables with lunch and dinner and even as a snack. Most people trim the leafy part off the celery. You should be eating them as they are full of nutrients. They go bad quickly, so you could trim them and eat them first. Research what other parts of different vegetables you can eat and make that tiny habit.
2. Drink a glass of water as soon as you wake up. You tend to sweat at night, so you need to rehydrate, and the water will help get your system going and flush toxins gathered in the digestive area.
3. Take snacks with you. Stop grabbing a donut while you are out shopping. Keep a small bag of raw sunflower seeds or walnuts with you to snack on. Your body will thank you for this.
4. It has been proven we should detox from our cellphones for 3 days at a time. For your mental health, do this at least an hour a day. Eat your healthy lunch with the cellphone turned off and spend the time feeling gratitude for your life.
5. Take 1 minute and write a gratitude note to someone every day. It can be for friends, co-workers, the coffee server, and of course, anyone in your family.
6. Be that cool person. You know, the one who grabs a trash bag and picks up the windblown trash that the garbage collector is going to ignore. Your neighbors will appreciate it, especially the elderly who might remember when the neighborhood was fresh and clean.
7. Every day, set aside a bit of your change. It doesn't have to be a dollar a day. After a month, it will have added up, and you can give it to any organization that helps people.
8. Put an immediate stop to parking as close as you can to the mall doors. Frequently when you go shopping, you can see empty spaces at the edge of the parking lot. This is where you need to park. It gives your legs a stretch after sitting in the car, and every step you take in a day counts towards better health.
9. Stress is something we deal with every day. You need to recognize stress when it hits and deal with it pronto. Have a positive affirmation memorized that you can use right away. For example, many people use, "This too shall pass." The stressful incident will lose its power when you do this.
10. Many people sit all day at work and then plop down on the couch after dinner. Take a stretch break regularly. Stand up, stretch your body and take deep breaths of air to invigorate your heart and lungs.
11. Back away from the plate. This is good advice in baseball, so you don't get beaned with the ball. In-home life, we mean it is not necessary to finish every bite on your plate. Small portions are best, but if you take too much, push the plate away. Wrap it up and eat it later or the next day.
12. Stop saying yes right away. You need to think about your decisions, so tell people you need to check your calendar and will get back to them. This will stop you from making decisions you will regret later.
This post is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered therapy.
This blog is only for informational and educational purposes and should not be considered therapy or any form of treatment. We are not able to respond to specific questions or comments about personal situations, appropriate diagnosis or treatment, or otherwise provide any clinical opinions. If you think you need immediate assistance, call your local doctor/psychologist or psychiatrist or the SADAG Mental Health Line on 011 234 4837. If necessary, please phone the Suicide Crisis Line on 0800 567 567 or sms 31393.