What's one habit/ritual/hack that you practice daily to optimize your life?

pancakerunner · August 2019

Personally I have an alarm on my phone set for every hour and when it goes off I take a minute to pause, breathe in deeply and reflect on the past hour and plan for the hour ahead.

Also, when something *stressful* happens (i.e. I spill the coffee grounds all over the counter when making coffee

), instead of reacting I close my eyes, breathe in and count to 3. Slowing down and taking these small moments has drastically improved my mental clarity.

You?

Kalex1975 · August 2019

Not eating in front of the television.

I no longer snack and I obsess about food much much less. It has also helped me enjoy my food more and my hunger cues seem to be actually working.

This change was the single most important habit I have learned that has completely stopped my binging.

kshama2001 · August 2019

Getting some form of activity, usually at lunch time, does wonders for my mental health, especially if it happens outside, in nature.

DaddieCat · August 2019

Breathing. When I don't, it tends to be a bad time.

LyndaBSS · August 2019

Giving my dogs their morning rubdowns. Puts me in a good mood. Great way to start the day.

quiksylver296 · August 2019

Setting out my clothes and prepping my food the night before takes such a weight off my shoulders the next morning. If I forget, and have to do it in the a.m., it just sets my whole day off wrong.

cayenne_007 · August 2019

1. Immediately when I wake up I read a devotional study & motivational stuff for 15-20 min. (ALWAYS)
2. Generally get up a bit early to spend time at the barn riding or just with the horses & dogs for an hour - fresh air and a bit of exercise before work makes my entire day better. If I'm rushed on time - I'll mess with my garden & play with the dogs for 15 min.
3. 30 min work out at lunch - walk or yoga
4. Dinner only happens at the dinner table - no tv, no phones

The more fresh air I get thru out the day - the better my day tends to go.

jenilla1 · August 2019

I retired early, so my time is my own. This used to lead to a lot of time wasting and procrastination. I wasn't getting anything done. I was stagnating. I had anxiety not knowing what to do with myself, having become unproductive. Then I figured out a way to force myself to accomplish things. (Some of us need all the help we can get.)

This is gonna sound juvenile, but I have a calendar hanging on the wall. Each time I complete a task of importance (exercise, chores, projects, trying new things I've been resistant to, tasks I would otherwise tend to put off, etc.) I put a sticker on the calendar. Even as an adult, I still somehow enjoy getting those stickers. And I like the visual feedback - I can look back at the month and instantly see good days vs. unproductive days based on the amount of stickers I've gotten each day. If I have a full load of stickers, I've really maxed out my day.

For example, maybe I (1) went for a morning run, (2) decluttered my closet, (3) made an appointment for something I'd been putting off, (4) spent a couple of hours at the animal shelter folding towels and washing dishes, and (5) went for an evening dog walk. That's a 5-star day (my stickers are usually star shaped, LOL.) Success! I could have been napping and playing video games all day, but instead I was getting things done.

My dog loves it - just taking her for a walk earns me a star, so that's an easy way to boost my stars for the day. She gets a minimum of a mile walk every single day because of that calendar. And I'm quite fit with the daily exercise I get beyond the dog walks. Seems dumb, but it works for me! This is my third year doing it...

LyndaBSS · August 2019

@jenilla1

Your calendar sounds like a great idea. Not juvenile at all.

apullum · August 2019

I have a to-do list app. I put "big" stuff on it as well as basic stuff (trimming my nails, changing the sheets, etc.) Those things are on a repeating schedule so I make sure to do them regularly. It makes me feel good to check something off, even if it's a small thing. So I can relate to @jenilla1 and the calendar

lgfrie · August 2019

1/2 hr of cardio first thing in the morning, huuuuuge impact on my mood and feeling of participation in my own self-improvement. My # 1 life hack/ritual by several orders of magnitude
Newman's Own peppermints to get me through occasional food fixations for 3 calories each
15 minutes of 1-on-1 quality time everyday with our oldest of 3 cats for a complete head-to-tail brushdown and general communing, seems to lower both our blood pressures LOL
As much as possible, get the whole food day logged in advance or at least early in the day, so it's all mapped out and I know exactly what I can eat without going over
Avoid dumb TV shows and find better things to do with my time
Let other people win arguments and have the last word, because it's important to them and doesn't matter
Completely avoid discussing politics across all social fora

TeslaBolt · August 2019

Reset my body clock, got more sleep and made sure I got out of the house (on foot) at least once a day. Much happier even if I am the same weight.

springlering62 · August 2019

I start weekday mornings with the same thirty minute stretch I’ve done for the past ten years. First half is quad and calf stretches, toe stands, balancing, squats and arm circles. The last half is on the floor doing hip circles, neck and shoulder rolls, and various forward folds. It’s a twofer because I generally have a cat on one side and a dog on the other and they get fifteen minutes of pet pets during the floor half. They’re very adept at positioning themselves for optimized pets.

I bumped up the Move circle setting on my watch and am mindful to close it every day I like closing all three circles every day, and seeing the reward graphic.

I like to pre-log all my foods in the morning.

I keep my grocery list on my phone and add things as I run out. When I shop I can just erase items as I put them into the basket til the list is clean. I also keep the 7-day meal plan on my phone for easy reference.

I keep a stack of freshly laundered sweat towels in the hall closet so they are easy to grab on the way out the door to hot classes and gym.

And one of my best, I carry a giant quart sized insulated cup of ice water with me nearly everywhere I go. It was a big joke at first but people have gotten so used to me carrying it they ignore it now and no longer feel compelled to make wise cracks. Something about that jug brings the worst out in people.

MelanieCN77 · August 2019

I've built quite a few but it's been over time. Each month or so I tried to introduce a new good habit and once it had become something mindless I stopped tracking it in my journal - I use a "Bullet Journal" type layout with squares for each habit and each day which would act as a reminder as well as a record. Some things were as elementary as floss every day, take vitamins and allergy pills regularly, then into the health stuff: did I weigh myself, did I log and was I over or under and what kind of workout I did, did I drink enough water, get good sleep, did I do something creative, something social. I've been able to drop off things like water, taking time to read each day, the flossing, pills and assorted other things.

I like to make lists as well, and my 'Today' list is something I carefully don't overdo but also make sure I use my day well.

Water bottle is always with me. Aside from my morning coffee, it's really all I drink.

Be an adult about bedtime, in the sense of judge your time to do all the things you need to do and still have time for a relaxed 30 mins reading before you turn out the light and then 8 hours before your alarm.

Apple Watch: game-ifying activity made a big difference to me in getting my fitness on track.

Lastly: spreadsheets for food planning. Tab with a couple of days on it with meals and snacks, and a tab with my whole pantry, fridge and freezer contents so I can scan and see what I can make. I code the cells orange when I'm nearly out of something and red when it's gone.

lalalacroix · August 2019

So for me it's actually one day each week that I call Lala day. It's my day to relax and destress. I meditate, take a hot bath, do some yoga and whatever else I see fit. I don't work and don't allow anyone to stress me.

I'm 50 and have spent my life taking care of others. It's now my time to take care of myself.

middlehaitch · August 2019

5x60 a week purposeful exercise.

Simple and doable.

Cheers, h.

jenilla1 · August 2019

lalalacroix wrote: »

So for me it's actually one day each week that I call Lala day. It's my day to relax and destress. I meditate, take a hot bath, do some yoga and whatever else I see fit. I don't work and don't allow anyone to stress me.

I'm 50 and have spent my life taking care of others. It's now my time to take care of myself.

You go, girl!

Machka9 · August 2019

pancakerunner wrote: »

Personally I have an alarm on my phone set for every hour and when it goes off I take a minute to pause, breathe in deeply and reflect on the past hour and plan for the hour ahead.

You?

At least once an hour I stand up, at least, and preferably walk around or climb stairs or move in some way.

Sitting for hours on end is not good.

cbstewart88 · August 2019

Even though I am now retired, I still get up early in the morning and put in a 65-75 minute workout. It gets my day off to a roaring start and I feel energized throughout the day. I've never been able to "sleep in" - so I guess I just use that time to my advantage....

nighthawk584 · August 2019

I wish I had some profound ritual but as of right now it's just waking up and feeling blessed for being alive. When I was super obese, I had my doubts I would wake up. Oh and two cups of coffee every morning! 😏

gallicinvasion · August 2019

My habit of grocery shopping and batch-cooking lunches for the week (and prepping breakfasts/snacks) has taken such a load off my mind and made it so much easier to stick to my preferred way of eating.

Phirrgus · August 2019

nighthawk584 wrote: »

I wish I had some profound ritual but as of right now it's just waking up and feeling blessed for being alive. When I was super obese, I had my doubts I would wake up. Oh and two cups of coffee every morning! 😏

That bold. That's it for me.

Hannahwalksfar · August 2019

Reading labels. I do it all the time and it’s very educational.

rainbow198 · August 2019

First thing most mornings I wake up to get in a workout. At first the purpose was to "get it out the way", but after a while it became a habit and I actually looked forward to and enjoyed my workouts. Plus it gives me natural energy and sets the tone for a good day.

I stopped snacking and focus on eating good-sized balanced meals which keeps me satiated until my next meal. Doing this helped me to have more control over my food intake, keeps me fuller longer and it's a time saver too.

I improve my NEAT and get better blood circulation by taking stairs instead of an escalator, parking further and walking, doing bodyweight exercises or walking/jogging in place while watching TV or I do squats or walking lunges from the front to the back of my house when taking breaks from work. These small activities really add up.

mandabeth34 · August 2019

I’ve recently reinstituded working out as soon as I wake up. I had gotten in the habit before having kids but it fell by the wayside due to the obvious major shift in schedule. After having babies, I kept up with my workouts but they tended to be done late morning/early afternoon/whenever they fit into my schedule.

Got a dog a few months back, and she’s a high energy, Velcro dog so she loves running with me first thing. I’ve been doing it a few times a week for about a month, and remembering how much I love getting my workout in first thing. I don’t have to spend that day trying to figure out when I’ll be able to get it in, and my body is warmed up and energized for the day. It’s such a difference-maker.

pro31wahine · August 2019

Morning ritual... Deep focused breathing, gratitude, focused goals, stretching... And water all day

lalalacroix · August 2019

jenilla1 wrote: »

lalalacroix wrote: »

So for me it's actually one day each week that I call Lala day. It's my day to relax and destress. I meditate, take a hot bath, do some yoga and whatever else I see fit. I don't work and don't allow anyone to stress me.

I'm 50 and have spent my life taking care of others. It's now my time to take care of myself.

You go, girl!

That's adorable. My chihuahua actually lies right next to me on the matt during yoga time, belly up!

sweetbe44 · August 2019

I like to go for a brisk half hour walk at lunch time. It re-energizes and destresses me. I feel more sluggish in the afternoons on the days I can’t go.

whmscll · August 2019

Going to bed earlier so I get enough sleep. I still struggle with this but it is extraordinary how much more energy I have and how much better able I am to handle life's unexpected setbacks when I’ve had enough sleep.