11 Simple Things You Should Be Doing Daily For Your Well-Being
Disclaimer:
Have you ever had a day where things just seem off? This can be normal, I mean, after all, we cannot control WHAT happens in our day. But, there are things you can do daily to help your overall well-being.
What you do in a day will determine HOW your day goes. You know “It’s not what happens to you, but how you show up during it all”.
Are you willing to show up for yourself, every day?
Here are 11 simple things you should be doing daily for your well-being.
Making Your Bed
How you start your day is important. It’s not just getting up and brushing your teeth (though you should definitely do that). The start of your day determines what you do for the rest of the day.
If you start your morning watching TV, your brain registers this as the “mood” of the day. The mood of the day determines what you do in that day. If you want to be active, wake up and do something active. This does not mean go for a marathon run. It’s the little steps it takes to get you to the marathon to begin with. Like, waking up, stretching, praying, and completing a morning routine.
This is where you would spend time doing things that just comes natural to you without needing much thought, because your body is waking up.
So, when you decide to make your day, you are inevitably saying “Today I will” and “Today I can”. Making your bed is setting your day up to be productive.
Making your bed is a disciplinary act that teaches you self-dependency. It makes you feel accomplished. It’s a small act yes, but small acts add up to big results. Just watch and see!
It’s also harder to jump back into a clean bed once it’s made.
Move Your Body Daily
There is something SO rewarding about moving your body. It releases endorphins that will be great for your daily well-being. If nothing else, they will help you to deal with unwanted stress.
This can be anything like…
- Running
- Dancing
- Skating
- Stretching
Just to name a few.
There is only one rule to this… MAKE SURE YOU’RE HAVING FUN! Nothing else matters if you are taking care of yourself, listening to yourself, and enjoying the life you live. (As long as you are not harming yourself or others).
When you move your body, it releases endorphins (a happy hormone) that make you feel at ease, happy, and free. This is what you want in life, right?
It also gives you purpose. Having a reason to move may seem so cliche, but when you move you are giving your body permission to let go. This in turn helps relieve stress. Whether you are exercising, riding a bike, or climbing a mountain, moving your body releases happy hormones and puts a smile on your face.
*You’re more likely to be yourself if you allow yourself to be free!
Dress To Impress
Clothes are more than just garments you put on to cover your body. It is also a form of expression.
What you wear will determine how you feel, and how you feel can determine what you were. Always dress to feel YOUR best. This is not just clothing styles or fabric, it’s clothes that contributes to you feeling on top of the world at YOUR 100%.
There’s no one like you, so you don’t have to look at others for what to wear. To gather inspiration is one thing but take whatever you decide to wear and make it your own.
When you take the step to dress according to who you are, you build self-trust. Self-trust is the results of being confident in your ability to take care of yourself, be honest, and listen to your inner voice.
Dressing or doing anything that makes you feel closer to you, and happier is building confidence. It’s saying I see you; I hear you, and I love you. It’s the act of ultimate self-love. To show up for yourself, and that’s what you’re doing when you are choosing to dress for you.
This could look like…
- Putting on your favorite jeans because they make you feel gooood. (Not because others like them. Others like them can be a bonus, but it’s NOT the end goal).
- Putting a ribbon in your hair because it makes you feel more feminine/girly.
- Wearing those boots you bought, even if they make you look like a giant.
- Why? because it’s YOU choosing to prioritize your happiness).
It’s doing all this and more, (even if you stay home all day) because you LOVE who you are and you want to show it!
So, dress up! For You!
Respecting Your Boundaries
This one so many skips out on. Boundaries is the FOUNDATION of health. It’s saying no when you aren’t comfortable doing something. It’s letting people know to stop when you don’t want to go there. It’s respect!
Boundaries are the length in which you willing to tolerate something.
For example: if you are a dancer, and you don’t want to be touch in a certain area, that is a boundary of yours. Or if you don’t want to talk politics during dinner than this is a boundary of yours.
If you don’t respect your boundaries, how can someone else respect them? If you chose not to respect your boundaries this can lead to…
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Mental Breakdowns
- Solitude
- Resentment
- and more…
Boundaries is a form of self-care and something you should be protecting and exercising daily. If you want to learn more about boundaries check out this book Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself by Nedra Glover Tawwab.
Boundaries are the firewall between you and the world around you. This is part of the armor you wear to protect your well-being.
Show Gratitude (Be Grateful)
You’ve come this far, let’s applaud!
Life can be hard and complicated sometimes, but you made it to where you are now. Let’s celebrate!
This is what showing gratitude is. It’s being grateful for what your blessing are to how far you have come. It’s saying thank you to your higher power for providing you with safety, love, and commitment.
Make a list of the things you’ve prayed for and check off what’s come true.
- Do you have a roof over your head?
- Food in your belly?
- Shoes on your Feet?
Or maybe…
- Your dreams have come true?
- You have overcome something?
- Made a new friend?
- Have a Support System?
Whatever and wherever you are, it could be different. So, exercise gratitude in your daily life. This is something that’s usually taking for granted, the things in our daily life. It can all change, so enjoy where you are until you change levels.
By being grateful for the things you have, you open the door to receive more!
Be Honest
Honesty is the best policy.
This is not just being honest with others, this is being honest with yourself, first! How will you know where you are going if you don’t know where you are, and how will you know where you are if you’re not honest with yourself about it.
For example: If you want to go to a new candy store, how will you get there if you don’t put in your honest location. It’s like an Uber come pick you up from a friend’s house, but you’re not there. How will you get there if you don’t start where you are.
Being honest with yourself is also exhilarating. Once you let your guard down with YOURSELF you feel free to express yourself. It may be necessary to “hide” from the world, but you don’t need to hide from yourself.
You are not alone in this world. You have a team, but it starts from within in. There’s a comfort in being with yourself. No matter what they will always be there. Even when they don’t feel welcome, yourself will be there for you.
So be open and honest with them and allow yourself to listen to their voice.
(Your-self is a being, nurture them).
Laugh
Oh My God!
Laughter feels SO good. No matter what is going on, laughter has the tendendcy to uplift and inspire joy.
So, with this being said, you should definitely laugh MORE. This can come in any shape or form. You can lift your mood through laughter by…
- Watching cat videos
- Calling a friend that makes you laugh.
- Watching a Rom-Com or just a comedy
- Going to a comedy show
- and more…
The goal with adding laughter to your daily life is always having a light spirit. Life is short and so are the trials you will go through. No matter how long they may seem to be. Laughter is the best medicine that brings so much joy into a life that it lightens the load a bit. It’s easy to remember that this is temporary- whatever you’re going through.
It is the best medicine.
Laughing is a reminder to just have fun by doing things that brings you an abundant amount of laughter and joy!
Socialize
You are NOT meant to be alone in your journey called life. Have friends, socialize, jsut make sure your relationships are healthy and brings you wealth. Not the currency of money, but the concurrency of love, joy, peace, etc.
You only get one life and socializing is an essential part of that. When you socialize you feel a sense of satisfaction and belonging. Community is what so many crave, and you can have that. To build a community you need to socialize. Check out this book if you want to Find Your People: Building Deep Community in a Lonely World By Jennie Allen. It teaches you how to go about building a deep and meaningful community with you in mind.
Socializing adds a human touch to our daily lives. Without human connection it can be easy to get lost and feel restrained. You have a mouth to talk, ears to ear, and hands to touch. These are connection tools everyone has to communicate with each other. Use them, respectfully of course.
When you socialize you are building trust not just within yourself, but with others as well. There is a connection like Bluetooth we all have, and when we don’t connect, we feel lonely and afraid. However, when you take the time to reach out you develop a sense of self-trust within yourself. “Oh, she cares for me”. ~ Socializing (healthily) is also a form of self-care.
You are a part of a community especially when you are giving back to it. This is what socializing does and feels like. Like building something. It’s a simple satisfaction you feel when you take the time to give back to someone by listening to them or them listening to you. Either way it’s giving and receiving, and we all crave to be seen, heard, and understood.
This is socializing. It is a practice and one that works in favor of your well-being instead of against it. But take cautio, because there are times (plenty) when you will need to spend time with yourself. To hear yourself think, feel, breathe, etc. Regardless, if you are extroverted or introverted, self-reflection in vital!
Check In with Yourself
This is also known as self-reflection. Figure out what you need or want and make it happen.
Checking in with yourself is like visiting a doctor to make sure you are still healthy and whole. Except this time, you are the doctor, reflecting on how you feel, what you need, what’s going on (symptoms), etc. So that you may be able to remedy it.
For example: in this phase, self-reflecting,
- you realize you haven’t been sleeping well (symptom)
- Your exhausted (symptom)
- Not eating
- You feel heavy and tense (symptom)
You can maybe pick up that your anxious about something. Then, you narrow down what’s causing this issue ~ have a public speech in a week and I’m nervous… (diagnostic)
Well, this is where you remedy that by doing self-care that would help build your confidence. This can be through…
- Affirmations
- Calling someone
- Preparation
- A day of rest
- etc.
There are so many things you can do to remedy the situation, but you need to know what’s causing it, so that you can remedy it. This is an act of self-care. Take care of yourself!
Checking in with yourself helps hold you accountable, and being accountable is necessary for your well-being. How will you know how you are doing of you’re not checking your progress report?
You deserve to be 100%, and that starts with you, within you. (You cannot help anyone until you’ve helped yourself). This is not selfishness. Selfishness is NOT showing up for yourself because it leads to burnout, tiredness, agitation, resentment, envy, pain, illnesses and more.
Keep up with how you are progressing in life, and how you are progressing. It is SUPER vital that you take care of your well-being. There is only ONE of you, and you need you to keep going. Check in and make sure you mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, social, environmental, financial, and occupational health is in good shape.
You can check in with yourself in many ways…
- Journaling
- Prayer
- Yoga
- Exercise
- Affirmations
- Doodling
- Meditation
- Etc.
Checking in on yourself helps you to stay on track. It is easy to lose focus on what matters to you, but by reflecting on your progress and checking in with yourself you are able to remain more focus than someone who does not track their progress (aka ~ check in with themselves).
Read
Your brain is a organ than continues to change and shape according to your lifestyle. It’s one of the organs that continues to develop over time, unlike the heart that remains the same, (does not grow and constantly develop).
Reading keeps you in the know. Regardless of what you read; reading causes the brain to make room for new information. It improves your cognitive function which is the process, manipulation, and storage of new information. It’s what allows you to remember things, learn new skills (something you should definitely do daily), make decisions, pay attention, and more.
It’s in the little things your life will change for the better. Reading is one of those things to help. I know there are a lot of controversy with reading. Sometimes we lose interest in the books we read but try something new.
Here are a few ways you can get in your daily reading…
- Audiobooks
- eBooks
- Library books
- Try different genre.
- Ask a friend.
- Join a book club (there are plenty out there… Even digitally. If you want me to make a post where you can find these platforms/book clubs, comment below).
- Try the book version of your favorite movie/tv-show.
You have to start somewhere, so don’t be discouraged if you’re not ready to pick up a physical book. I took a hyena (10 years) from reading because I couldn’t find anything I liked. It took Bridgerton before I jumped back into books, and I’ve never looked back since.
If you want me to make a post about how to find books you want to read comment below “book list please”.
Take Chances
Live a life you can be proud of!
Life is short, don’t waste it by living nonchalantly. I mean this blog is ALL about living intentionally. So, in order to be intentional about the life you want you will need to take chances.
Taking changes build report and report builds trust and confidence.
In your daily life taking chances can be anything like…
- Joining a fitness class, you’ve been eyeing.
- Creating a poem
- Learning a new recipe
- Learning a new skill
- Watching a new genre
- Meeting new people.
This is just growing and challenging yourself to build upon what you already have. It’s like going to the gym daily lifting 5 more lbs. today than you did yesterday. These small acts will add up overtime.
I play a Cello, so for my challenge of the day, I can learn a new song or skill to play. This does not have to be so monumental that you are uncomfortable doing it. Start small.
Another great book to read is Atomic Habits by James Clear. It teaches you how to build a healthy habit 1 atomic step at a time.
Although I am telling you to challenge yourself, these are challenges you complete from your comfort zone (The Comfort Zone by Kristen Butler). The safety of “once it’s complete” you feel an overcoming feeling of joy and satisfaction because you’re doing it for no one but you!
Don’t be so hard on yourself as you venture through life. It’s your life take it at your own pace. If that seems impossible, start doing a life audit and fix the things (that are in your control) that are keeping you from a happy and healthy lifestyle.
Do things that make you happy, and try the new things your heart is set upon trying… Just use your own discernment to ensure your well-being is in good shape!
Closing
No matter where you are on your journey called life, there are things you should be doing every day for your well-being. The life you want won’t magically appear and the joy you seek is right in the palms of your hands.
By implementing these tasks in your daily routine, you are sure to live an overall happier life. It’s all about prioritizing who you are and who want to be and developing into that person.
Set Boundaries, laugh every chance you get, check in with yourself, and socialize. If you start doing one of these things every day for the next 7 days, I am confident that your life will begin to shift into a healthier existence.
For more information on living an intentional, happy life, subscribe to my newsletter! You’ve earned it, the right to be and to have the intentional life you desire.
Till next time, remember…EVERYTHING you want and need in life, STARTS with YOU!
