Have you ever thought about just how much your everyday habits end up shaping the course of your life, and influencing how you feel from moment to moment?
According to Charles Duhigg, author of the book “The Power of Habit,” habits have the final say with regards to the course our lives end up taking, in virtually every case. But not all habits are created equal.
Duhigg refers to what he calls “keystone habits,” which are habits that have the ability to set off a cascade of change throughout the different dimensions of our lives, and especially with regards to triggering other, smaller habits, as well.
Here are a few examples of some daily habits that might be “keystone habits” for you, and that can help you to feel your best.
Batch cook healthy meals for yourself
Nutrition has a major impact on how you feel on a daily basis, in addition to how well you can perform the various tasks and obligations you have before you at any given time.
Just to give one example; it was reported by various publications during the COVID-19 lockdowns that many people were experiencing brain fog and mild cognitive impairment, specifically due to the fact that they were stress eating more foods rich in saturated fat during the period of the pandemic.
Batch cooking healthy meals for yourself in advance – such as by cooking all your meals for the upcoming week each Sunday – can have many positive side effects on your life as a whole.
For one thing, this will reduce the temptation to snack on unhealthy foods or order takeaway. For another thing, it will mean you will likely have more consistent energy levels throughout the day.
Just be sure to store and chill your food appropriately. One of the causes of diarrhoea is food that has been contaminated due to sitting out too long.
Get an early start every day (and don’t go to bed too late, either)
Getting enough sleep is extremely important for your well-being, your health, your efficacy at your job, and all sorts of other things.
That being said, getting plenty of sleep but waking up at midday each day certainly isn’t a great way of maintaining positive balance and momentum, for most people. Among other things, it puts you out of sync with most of the working world.
Getting up early every day – after a full night’s sleep – can help you get a head start and to feel more motivated, in general. You may have achieved a significant amount before most people have even had breakfast.
Spend at least five minutes a day working on some project you are passionate about
Spend at least five minutes a day working on some projects you’re passionate about. The key here isn’t that five minutes is enough to achieve anything much – but rather that you begin building the habit, in and of itself.
When you spend a bit of time each day working on something you are genuinely passionate about, though, the enthusiasm and sense of purpose from that project can easily end up spilling over to the other areas of your life.
