Good habits help us get through life safely, efficiently, and successfully. Unfortunately, not all of them are intuitive, and sometimes we learn bad habits before picking up on food ones.
Following are some habits many people wish they’d built much earlier. Maybe this can help you avoid some of the pitfalls others have encountered.
1. Working Out
This can be lifting, running, doing some cardio, yoga, etc. Making a habit of getting exercise keeps you healthy, relieves stress, and helps you look and feel better.
2. Eating Better
Good diet and eating habits are also helpful in so many ways. You’ll feel better in general, get ill less often, and perform better at work and play, just as a few examples of the benefits.
3. Saving Money
When we get our first jobs, it’s exciting to be earning money, and there’s a lot of temptation to spend it. While you should enjoy things you can afford, you should also get into the habit of saving some money from each paycheck. This can grow into a retirement fund and/or serve as a rainy-day fund.
4. Good Dental Hygiene
One of the things we instantly notice about people is their smiles. If your teeth are ugly and stained, people may try to keep a distance from you. This can also damage your self-confidence. In addition, taking care of your teeth and gums helps you avoid serious dental problems down the road.
5. Setting Boundaries
Make what you are and are not willing to do clear. This also includes keeping toxic or overly dependent people at a safe distance so they don’t pull you into their dysfunctional lives.
6. Respecting Yourself
You also need to accept that you have value and that you matter. It also means that you have to put yourself before others and not let others dictate your life. This doesn’t mean you have to be selfish; it’s protecting yourself from those who would take advantage of you.
7. Following Your Body, Not Your Watch
Some people like and even need a regimented schedule, but it’s not for everyone. If it works for you, eat when you’re hungry, sleep when you’re tired, spend an extra 30 minutes on your hike, etc. You’ll feel more fulfilled if you listen to what your body tells you, not to what a clock does.
8. Ignoring Fashion Magazines
Fashion magazines are filled with beautiful, happy-looking people, and they send the message that you’d be just as beautiful and happy if you only had those clothes. That’s a trap, and it can pull you into a spiral of unhappiness and poor self-image.
9. Meaningfully Interacting With Others
If you’ve made yourself available to someone else, then mean it. Actually, listen to what people tell you. Ask questions. Give them not just your presence but your attention as well. This includes going out with friends and engaging with them, but not everyone is sitting at a table and on their cell phones.
10. Reading Books
Reading books expands your knowledge and vocabulary. It’s also an inexpensive, restful pastime that reduces stress levels. In addition, it’s a better way of getting to sleep at night than being on screens is.
11. Finding Things To Laugh About
Find appropriate humor in the world around you. Laughter makes people happier, and it helps them move on from setbacks. This includes being able to laugh at yourself when the occasion calls for it.
12. Keeping At It Instead of Giving Up
When things get difficult, it’s easy to just give up, and we’re especially susceptible to this when we’re younger. That’s a bad habit to get into, and it makes it harder for you to be successful in your endeavors.
13. Learning From Mistakes and Failures
Sometimes, as hard as you try, you’re not going to succeed. That can be frustrating, and sometimes it can be costly. Still, rather than dwell on mistakes and failures, learn from them, especially concerning how to avoid doing that again or how to do better next time.
14. Knowing When To Walk Away
You also need to accept that some situations are never going to improve because you don’t have control over them. This can mean an unproductive relationship with someone else or a task that’s doomed to failure because you lack the support, agency, or training you need. Learn to spot these situations and get out of them if you can. That’s not quitting; it’s looking out for your physical, emotional, and mental well-being.
15. Not Procrastinating
Everybody procrastinates from time to time, and some people are chronic about it. Then they vow not to wait until the last minute next time but fail to hold themselves to that. Early on, build the habit of getting things started and finished in a timely fashion so that you have less stress and get better results.
