Morning Routines, Part II: Small Positive Habits that Matter

“What small positive habits have you introduced to your daily routine that have made a significant difference to your life?”

This was a question asked last week on Reddit, and one of our members pointed us to this excellent thread that emerged where users answered this prompt. We thought this was a great thread that builds on our previous post on morning habits, so we’ve compiled some of the most upvoted comments and ideas for you below:

• Make lists and take notes on your phone. Don’t rely on memory alone. As a bonus I find that when I make a list, it’s easier to remember as I have a mental image of that list.
• I’m a cook, so maybe this doesn’t apply to everyone. But I take an extra fresh pair of socks with me and change into them on my lunch break. Keeps the feet dry, and gives me a weird little boost of energy.
• I’ve started audibly saying “thank you” to small conveniences liking hitting a green light, finding a nice parking space or if something I like at the grocery store is on sale. It oddly works wonders at improving my mood acknowledging even the smallest victories
• I make sure to always have a glass of water next to me. Both on my nightstand and at my desk. It greatly improved how much water I drink and has helped break some unhealthy snacking habits
• Don’t put it down, put it away. My house never gets cluttered these days!
• I get up earlier so I can have 30 minutes to drink my coffee, play Wordle, and hang out with my cat before work. Not rushing in the morning reduces my anxiety overall.
• Drinking lots of water and eating a banana every day has done wonders for my general mood.
• Getting out of bed <5 minutes after waking up. Otherwise, I could be there for ages on an off day… Also, getting outdoors soon after getting up and dressed.
• Take a walk every day, drink more water
• Daily pushups and sit ups. Not a lot, I started off doing 5 pushups and 10 sit ups a day. That was three years ago and now I do 35 pushups and 45 sit ups a day. It’s been great for my body and mental health to accomplish a little something every day.
• I have ADHD and one thing that’s helped A TON is committing to a task for 1 minute and if I don’t want to be there after a minute, I walk away. Many times, I end up doing the whole task. Executive dysfunction usually prevents the start of tasks but I’m typically fine after I’ve started. So, a tiny commitment like 1 minute sometimes gets me over that hurdle.
• I started actively pre-planning my days. I spend 3-5 minutes before going to bed vividly imagining the things I’m going to the next day, and it’s been working wonders for dispelling any internal resistance to doing stuff that’s boring or hard, but required.
• I get to instead of I have to.
• Only drink water, fizzy water, and tea. Cutting out all beverages with sugar or calories. Except for the occasional alcoholic beverage with friends. Good for skin, good for hydration, good for weight.
• Going outside to water my plants first thing in the morning. A little walking, a little fresh air, and a little sunshine go very far.
• Having cold showers now for a few months and feel much better in the mornings and awake.
• Regularly reminding myself to drop my shoulders, raise my head to face forwards, and then smile. Huge change for self, huge change in how others receive me (especially strangers)

For more ideas to support your quest for building positive habits and morning routines, you can find the full thread here.