7 simple habits to transform your wellbeing in 2021

Few things improve life and overall wellbeing like habits. Whether it’s your sleep pattern, diet, inner peace, or happiness, all are determined by your daily behaviour and choices. For this reason, when life is centered around positive habits, you attract positivity from all around. But when your day is run by negative habits, nothing good comes out of it.

According to management consultant and author Stuart G Walesh, “40 percent to 95 percent of human behaviour—how we think, what we say, and our actions—falls into the habit category. If we select a conservative 50 percent, we are on automatic pilot half the time.” To add perspective, what you do in your day is mostly decided by your habits. So, if you feel your life is running in circles, you need to relook at your habits.

To change your life, change your habits. Sometimes, changing habits involves a gradual process, while at other times, certain circumstances call for an immediate transformation. Such has been the pandemic. Of all the lessons this global crisis has taught us, the most immediate has been to jolt us into conscious living. We have been forced to rethink and restructure our lives according to the new normal. Aspects that were taken for granted before such as health, habits, and lifestyle choices are now being taken more seriously than ever. But the quarantine life has allowed us to experiment with our daily routines and habits and reset them for better health.

Here are a few simple habits to cultivate in 2021 that can transform your overall wellbeing.

Maintain personal hygiene

Good personal hygiene is the most important step to stay healthy. Simple hygiene measures can be the best weapon in any fight between you and health maladies. This simple habit doesn’t just keep you safe but also helps protect those around you. Remembering to wash your hands often and maintaining a clean and sanitised environment can ensure good health for you and your family.

Focus on the positive

A positive outlook towards life has several physical and psychological benefits, with several studies attesting to it. Positive thinking helps you attract positivity in life, especially when the times are grim. In life, there can be several episodes rife with obstacles, disappointments, and failures that fan the flames of negativity. But instead of feeding your frustration, formulate an action plan to solve the problem. By doing so, you shift your focus to the positive from the negative. Not only that, but looking at the brighter side also builds your resilience in the face of a crisis, and boosts your ability to cope with stress.

Keep a to-do journal

With most of the workplaces still shut down, it is a constant juggle between professional commitments and household chores, and a lot can be lost while trying to multitask if there is no plan in place. The most effective way to get out of this rut and get the most out of your day is to maintain a daily to-do list. This habit helps you manage your time better and ensures you complete your tasks without having to carry them over to the next day.

Learn something new

The practice of learning something new is what makes life worthwhile. It can be as simple as learning a new word or a new sport. Learning new things helps you grow as an individual, and also improves your skill set, your knowledge, and changes you for the better. Apart from these, there is to suggest that learning something new also makes you happier as a person, and is essential for psychological wellbeing.

A healthy diet and adequate sleep

With the pandemic influencing our daily routines, it can be quite easy to slip into unhealthy habits. So, the next time you decide to skip your meal or stay up late at night, remember, eating and sleeping on time are the two of the most important factors for your holistic wellbeing. suggests your quality and duration of sleep are closely linked with physical and mental health problems. And your sleep invariably depends on your diet.

Good nutrition and plenty of sleep are crucial for your health, especially during times when your immune system should be strong. Make a plan to eat healthy and sleep well, and strive to stick to it. It’s one of those habits that may seem difficult to cultivate in the beginning but once mastered, the rewards you’ll reap will be countless.

Do things that make you happy

Being a creature of habit and adhering to a routine can increase your productivity and make you more disciplined. But when you are imprisoned by your daily responsibilities and commitments, you often find yourself gasping for air and feeling anxious by the end of the day. With a small shift in your habits, you can bring more positivity into your life.

There are a lot of things you can do to make yourself happier every day. For instance, indulging in something you are passionate about, spending time with your loved ones, going for a run, playing your favourite sport, listening to music, or reading a book. These little things might not look significant, but are just as important in enhancing your wellbeing.

Practice gratitude

If there is anything the pandemic has taught us, it is to be grateful for what we have and count our blessings. It has made us humble, and sensitive towards life and each other. But there is another lesson to learn here. We shouldn’t wait for a global catastrophe to learn the meaning of gratitude. The expression of being grateful is a congenital trait, integrated deep within us. We just have to realise it and practice it daily to turn this into a habit.

Gratitude has more benefits than you can imagine. According to research by Harvard Medical School: “Gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.” So what better way to cultivate this habit than in 2021, a year of new possibilities and beginnings.