People Share The 6 Incredibly Simple Habits They’ve Adopted That Have Significantly Improved Their Lives
Implementing seemingly small changes can change the trajectory of your life.
Ground Picture | Shutterstock When you realize that you're unhappy and your life needs to change, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. Where do you even start? Should you uproot your life and quit your job? Should you end your relationship and move across the country in hopes of finding contentment elsewhere?
In reality, immediate drastic change is rarely necessary, and implementing a couple of simple habits can improve your life greatly. Redditors shared the small habits that made a tangible positive difference in their lives — none of which required a major life overhaul.
Here are 6 incredibly simple habits people have adopted that significantly improved their lives:
1. Keeping a small notebook on hand at all times
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“I keep a pocket notebook with me pretty much all the time,” one Redditor shared. “It’s handy for taking notes, but it also lets me doodle constantly, which I find helpful for my stress and tendency to get distracted.”
"I use mine to jot down thoughts and things I need to remember so I don’t forget them," another commenter added. "The mind should be used for generating fresh ideas, not for storing everyday reminders. Keeping a notebook allows you to free up mental space and focus on more important things."
Of course, the notes app on your phone will also suffice, but Redditors claimed that there is something more mindful about carrying a physical notebook. You also can't get distracted by any notifications that might pop up while jotting down important ideas on your phone.
2. Making the bed every morning
A simple practice that many people have had ingrained in their morning routines since they were children, making the bed was a popular response on Reddit.
"I started making my bed every morning," one commenter wrote. "It’s a tiny thing, but it sets a positive tone for the day and helps me feel more organized and productive."
"If you do your bed first thing in the morning, you already completed one task," another user affirmed. "That sets you up with a positive mindset for the day. Worst case, you had a [bad] day and come home to a bed that is made."
Experts suggest that the simple habit of making your bed has profound implications on your mental health, driving enhanced productivity, stress relief, and an indescribable sense of calm.
3. Starting the day with water
If you’re starting the day with coffee but still feeling gross, sluggish, or unbalanced, consider this your reminder that your body is yearning for water when you first wake up.
“You should be drinking one to two bottles of water in the morning,” medical aesthetician Jeana DiCarlo argued on TikTok, explaining that you want to flush any toxins out of your system first thing after waking up. "Then, you can go in with your cup of coffee.”
According to Medical News Today, this simple habit can result in enhanced mental performance and cognition, improved mood, boosted metabolism, and other health benefits for the skin, kidneys, urinary tract, cardiovascular system, joints, and bones.
4. Using a traditional alarm clock
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A 2023 survey estimated that 83% of cell phone owners in America also use their device as an alarm clock. Yet Redditors insisted that you are better off opting for a traditional alarm clock instead.
Checking your phone first thing in the morning and directly before bed negatively impacts sleep patterns and drastically affects mental health, brain cognition, and stress levels. Experts suggest waiting at least a half hour after waking up to check your phone, and you can't do that if your phone is what wakes you up.
"I wait to get on my phone for an hour after I wake up," one Redditor shared. "I've found if I start answering messages and emails and looking at memes and checking my accounts, I feel significantly more irritable and mentally fragmented throughout the day."
5. Journaling
Many Redditors insisted that journaling has saved them from constant over-thinking, stress, and anxiety. Some say that they use their journal to “brain dump” while others simply write about their feelings and recount the events of the day. More still practice mindfulness by jotting down things they are grateful for.
"It helps me purge all the junk in my mind and work through it or at least get it out so I feel like I can move forward without it clogging up my brain," one user shared.
It’s not a novel, a best-selling book, or even something that other people will read, so don’t think so hard about making it legible or even readable to the average person. It’s just for you, so forget any expectations.
6. Walking outside every day
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You’ve probably heard it a thousand at this point: go outside, touch the grass, and move your body. While this advice might sound insignificant, a daily walk outside can truly be transformative for your mental health, mood, brain health, and sleep.
It's even better if you leave your phone at home, or at least in your pocket.
"Go on walks outside while listening and looking at nature instead of a screen," one user wrote. "[A] 10-minute walk with no phone or other outside stimulation is great to clear your head and improve your mood," another Redditor confirmed.
Changing your life might seem daunting, but it starts with small habits and daily commitments. Changing just one habit in your routine at a time can truly be the key to success.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.