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37 Micro Habits to Improve Your Life
These tiny actions make every day better.
Imagine what it would be like to improve your life without getting stressed out and overwhelmed during the process. There's a way to do that by adopting micro habits.
Contents
Three Things to Know About Micro Habits
37 Micro Habits You Can Start Doing Today
Download the Micro Habits List as a PDF
Micro habits are small actions that take five minutes or less to complete and can help you make your life easier without figuring out complicated routines or adding to an already over-burdened schedule.
And, even better, you don't have to buy anything. All you have to do is take a few minutes to complete a small task.
Before we get to the list of micro habits, let's take a quick look at three things you need to know before you get started.
Three Things to Know About Micro Habits
These three things will help you better understand how micro habits work and how they can help you improve your life.
1. Small actions can lead to big results.
We pay attention to massive changes that happen quickly, but those changes don't occur every day. In fact, most life changes take place over weeks, months, or even longer. Despite the extended timeframe, these changes have the power to influence your life in a significant way.
2. If you repeat small actions regularly, you'll reap the benefits of those actions over the long term.
Repeating something over and over might seem tedious, but it works. If repetition can help accountants and tennis players strengthen their skills, it can help you build solid habits. Don't underestimate the power of repetition. Without repetition, there is no habit.
3. You can gradually expand your micro-actions to achieve bigger goals.
As habits become easier, you can step up to the next larger action or add another action to the current habit. Here's an example of adding another action to the current habit: Your first micro habit is writing a reminder list at the end of each workday. Writing the list becomes a regular part of your workflow, so you decide to add another habit to your end-of-day routine. After you complete your reminder list, you decide to spend the next three minutes clearing your desk before you leave for the day.
So what's the bottom line here?
A better understanding of micro habits and how to use them to make changes in your life can help you reach your goals more quickly.
Ready to look at some examples of micro habits? Let's dive in.
37 Micro Habits You Can Start Doing Today
The list below includes 37 simple micro habits you use to improve your life. Each of these mini-actions can be completed in five minutes or less.
While every example may not apply to everyone, I hope you'll find several to inspire you.
1. Identify three things you're grateful for today.
2. Follow a negative thought with a positive one.
3. Do something nice for someone.
4. Congratulate yourself on achieving a small win.
5. Replace one glass of anything with one glass of water.
6. Call someone instead of texting them.
7. Take a break and go outside.
8. Rinse suds and debris from your sink every time you do the dishes.
9. Put out tomorrow's clothes before you go to bed.
10. Pack your gym bag and leave it by the door.
11. Stretch for one minute before you get out of bed.
12. Add grocery items to your grocery app or a list on your phone.
13. Set a reminder on your phone to pay your bills.
14. Load the dishwasher or wash dishes after every meal.
15. Set a reminder on your phone to change the air filters for your heating and cooling unit.
16. Make your bed each morning.
17. Stand up and move around about every hour and a half to avoid sitting for long periods.
18. Thank a co-worker for their help on a project.
19. Wave and smile at your neighbors.
20. Do one load of laundry every day (or every other day, depending on family size).
21. Try a weekly Meatless Monday dinner to cut your grocery bill.
22. Save $45 this month by transferring $1.50 a day to your savings account (assuming there are no fees for daily transfers).
23. Remove one unwanted or unworn item a day from your closet for the next seven days, then donate the items to charity.
24. Stop looking at screens one hour before bedtime.
25. Break up email paragraphs that are more than three sentences long.
26. Eat meals at the table.
27. Enforce a 'no phones" rule at the table.
28. Put things back when you're done with them.
29. Throw away junk mail as soon as you bring it into the house.
30. Minimize odors by emptying the vacuum canister every time you vacuum.
31. Put your keys and purse in the same spot every day.
32. Remove leftovers in the fridge the night before grocery shopping.
33. Make your workday easier by learning one new technology or time management skill each week.
34. Set up a kudos file that includes successes, accomplishments, feedback, and recognition related to your work.
35. Spend five minutes every day sitting outside enjoying the fresh air.
36. Read a paperback book (not a screen) for 20 minutes every night before you go to bed.
37. Set a timer every evening and spend five minutes tidying up the living room before you go to bed.
Download the Micro Habits List as a PDF
Would you like a copy of this list? You can view and download the file to your device.
Summary
The 37 micro habits on this list are quick and easy to do. None of them will take more than five minutes to complete. Download the full list as a pdf file.
I hope you'll try several of these today. They're easier than you think.
And remember, the key to change is putting in a consistent effort, so don't give up.
Ready to start? Try our 5-Day Challenge.
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