Top Personal Habits To Improve Your Mental & Physical Well Being

Habits, in a large portion, play a key role in our personal development. Those who conserve good and healthy habits carry their own natural signature aroma.

Our habits play a key role in improving our well-being & what we are going to become in the next coming years. 

However, adopting habits are pretty hard sometimes & we often neglect some good habits that we are aware of.

Remember that a habit is our tendency, that develops over time; and once developed, it’s hard to give up.

Below are some top personal habits that you can develop over time to improve your life significantly:

1. Wake Up Early

You’ve probably heard this more than a thousand times – waking up early is considered a highly effective personal habit one should have.

“The early morning has gold in its mouth” – Benjamin Franklin

It is very true that waking up early gives you more time to start your day & you don’t have to rush in the morning like normal days to kickstart your day

If you stick to a morning routine – let’s say you start waking up every day at 6 AM – would certainly strengthen your sleep cycle & you will more likely be going to bed at a certain time – thus, improving your propensity for sleeping on time.

Other benefits of waking up early include: 

• Reduced mental stress
• Better sleep quality
• Enhanced organization skills
• While others are sleeping, you are utilizing the time
• If you wake up early, you’re less likely to skip the breakfast – which is an important meal

According to a study published on May 26 by JAMA Psychiatry journal – waking up an hour before the normal time can reduce your risk of suffering from depression by 23%

Helpful Read: How to Train Yourself to Wake Up on Time in the Morning

2. Read Print Media Everyday

The era we are living in is evolving at a rapid pace – technology revolves around us every time & we are used to Facebook & Whatsapp stories that disappear after 24 hours. 

But what still engrosses humans is reading print media such as – physical books or magazines. Not only reading books – fictional or non-fictional – are enjoyment to many, but it also has amazing benefits:

Reading builds your vocabulary & Improves communication skills

Vocabulary is very important & influences many areas of life – from scoring good marks to grasping amazing job opportunities. 

Researches have shown that those who read books regularly gradually develop a strong vocabulary. 

If you’re learning a language & not a native speaker yet, regular reading would help you grasp a good command of the language – by improving your vocabulary

Not only this, but reading also has a significant effect on how you communicate – which is an important skill to master in life.

The more you read – the better you can explain to others about what’s in your mind, & undoubtedly when you read daily – your brain gets introduced to new vocabulary, sentences & eventually – this improves the “YOU”. 

Reading Improves Your Cognitive Functioning

Cognitive health is how well you can think, learn, and remember. The National Institute on Aging recommends reading books as a way to keep your mind active & healthy. 

Some observational research says that mentally stimulating activities like reading or playing games may lower the risk of Alzheimer’s-related cognitive impairment and dementia.

Reading Trains Your Brain & Keeps You Mentally Strong

Reading is a practice that stimulates complex structures in our brains. In one research where brains were studied thoroughly under an MRI scan, the researchers confirmed that reading affects the circuits & signals in our brain.

As you read more & more over time – the biological networks of our brain are strengthened, which matures our intelligence. 

Just like daily physical exercises keep your body healthy, reading will keep your brain fit.

Pro Tip: If you’re a parent, it is recommended to read with your children – right from the beginning & continued through schooling – this would build a bond between books & children which is an added advantage for them – they will find reading more enjoyable 

Suggested Good Read: 10 Self Improvement Books to Read in 2021

3. Give Back to the Society – Volunteer

We are humans and giving back is the best satisfaction of life we can have. Giving back to society does not necessarily mean contributing funds to a non-profit organization; Investing your time or helping others in any way is also considered as giving back.

Do whatever is good for the world & become a person who is making an impact – if not every day, then at least once in a while you should be working for the society – volunteering yourself to a non-profit organization is an amazing way to give back.

Volunteering has amazing benefits on your overall life & health – 

• Volunteering gives you a sense of satisfaction & those who are satisfied are happy humans
• Volunteering can help you learn a lot of new things
• Meet new people
• Volunteering many times open new career opportunities
• Volunteering keeps you busy – mentally & physically – which improves your overall health in many ways

If you can’t even volunteer yourself, just try to become a good human & help others aka random acts of kindness – it has a positive effect on our daily life & gives us a mental satisfaction for life.

4. Save the Mother Earth – Keep it Clean & Respect Natural Resources

We all have been through the impact of Covid19 – it was immediate, dreadful & deadly. There is another serious & deep emergency we need to think about – it is far dreadful that Covid19 – Environmental crisis & climate disruption

One thing you can do is to stop emitting greenhouse gases – because greenhouse gases are similar to viruses – they do not respect any boundaries.

Below are some ways to 

• Use hybrid electric vehicles
• Reduce, Recycle & Reuse
• Purchase energy efficient products
• save energy wherever possible: “switch off when not in use”
• Plant a Tree
• Save Water
• Avoid plastic use (especially polythene bags) wherever possible

The list is huge. What matters is to make sure that you’re not a human who does not care for natural resources. 

Our responsibility as a human – the most intelligent species in this world –  is to keep the mother earth clean & respect natural resources.

This can only be done through a paradigm shift from a human-centric society to becoming an earth-centered global ecosystem – which requires us to inherit a characteristic change in all of us so that we can together work enough to protect our planet and ecosystems – that affect every aspect of life.