A gift for you: my very personal list of
8 HABITS TO SUPPORT A MORE EFFORTLESS DAILY LIFE
Ever since I was little, I’ve been obsessed with finding ways to make the hard things I have to do, easier. Long before the book was written about the topic, I figured out that my days are better if I just get the hard things done first (like homework or my house chores), so I could freely do whatever I wanted for the rest of the day.
Decades later, and this hasn’t changed.
In my pursuit of a more effortless life, I eventually learned that by turning these “tricks” into habits, my daily life becomes even easier. Substantially so. Habits take effort in the beginning, sometimes for quite a while (apparently, anywhere from 21 to 254 days), but once established, they become automatic behaviors that don’t require making a decision. And having fewer decisions to make during the day means more brain power for other stuff, from the stuff that you choose that bring you joy, to responding better to annoyances or unexpected events that come up.
My habits and routines shift and change with the seasons of the year and the seasons of life, but, for the last few years, what I’ve tried to preserve is the “category” of habits and activities that I consistently do.
Here are the categories I strive to consistently have habits in, and what kind of activities go in each:
1. Slowing down
From meditation, to taking walks in nature, to yoga, or just taking a minute to sip a hot drink and breathe, slowing down is definitely on the top of my list of important habits, as it makes all the other activities of the day more mindful, even easier. Everything seems more manageable when tackled from a place of calm. I highly recommend it (and so do thousands of studies).
If you’re interested in meditation, start with 5 minutes a day, trust the process, and with time, you will find yourself being more grounded, less reactive, and gradually increasing your meditation time.
Frequency: One or two of the above activities every day.
What I’m doing right now: I meditate every morning for 25 minutes, and most days I do another slowing thing as well. Some of my other habits also fall in the slowing category, so I know it happens one way or another, every day.
2. Moving my body
Exercising, walking, dancing… A small (or big) physical workout. There are endless studies about the benefits of daily working out or moving your body in some way, for health, the immune system, as well as mental health, to list a few. Besides the benefits on the body and the mind, for me, the consistency and making it a daily habit (rather than the popular 3-days-a-week formula) has done wonders because I don’t have to wake up and decide if it’s a workout day or not. “The kids are gone to school, equals I work out right now.” It’s become automatic and that removes any possibility of debating with myself whether I should do it or skip it “just today.” There’s no thought, no emotion, no negotiation. It’s what I do. That’s the case with any established habit. And “just doing it” builds resilience for other things.
Pick an activity you like after giving it a long trial, to allow it to grow on you. Don’t give up after one time. Change the location, the teacher/instructor, or the time of day, or bring someone with you and try again and again before deciding it’s not for you. Sometimes a little discomfort is what ends up changing your life for the better.
Frequency: I aim to work out every day, so my streak (and my motivation) is less impacted if I have to miss a day.
What I’m doing right now: I mix it up with low impact strength training, power yoga, jump rope, and walking.
3. Nourishing my body
I know, of course we nourish our bodies every day, what am I talking about. No—nourishing my body is not the same as eating. Making the food preparation and consumption part of my joyful, mindful daily activities makes a difference, and it’s only recently that I’ve included this awareness into my daily my life. Coming from a place of love and appreciation for my body, nourishing it means I eat the things that are good for me and that give me vitality.
If you don’t know where to start, a doctor visit and a blood test might be a good place. A meditation practice helps you be mindful of any behavior in general.
Frequency: Of course, I don’t “prep joyfully and eat mindfully” at every meal—there are a lot of them!—but I always have the intention, simply because I feel good in all the ways when I do it. Better systems and time management help (see systems below :)
What I’m doing right now: Focusing on not facing a screen when I’m eating alone.
4. Learning (forging new brain pathways)
From learning a trick on the jump rope to reading articles and listening to videos that teach me something, learning is an activity I intentionally make time for every week, most days. I keep a list of topics I’m curious about or things I want to learn that are outside of my comfort zone. It doesn’t have to be a very hard thing like learning a new language; something as ordinary as a new yoga sequence can help build new pathways in our brain and keep it sharp. Studies show that this leads to having a more open mind when it comes to topics that are unrelated to what we’re learning. Fascinating!
Start with a list of 3 things you’re curious about, and take one small step towards the first one each day.
Frequency: A few times a week.
What I’m doing right now: Learning a simple trick on the jump rope right now (and failing miserably), and I’m constantly taking courses to learn new skills that help me in my career.
5. Creativity
This means output: creating something rather than consuming. Art, music, coding, knitting… if you’re producing something, you’re being creative, and I think it plays a huge role in feeling fulfilled. Bonus points if you teach someone to do what you do, on any scale.
What are the things you create on a regular basis? Make it a point to find the joy in the process.
Frequency: I create daily as part of my work; writing, drawing, coming up with products. I also love to bake new things and those delicious creations are my family’s weekly favorites ;)
What I’m doing right now: It’s often drawing and baking for me. I always have projects in the works for Pokidots; some see the light, others don’t.
6. Scheduling joy
It might sound counter-intuitive, but I try to schedule pockets of joy at least a few times a week. Some seasons of the year can get so busy, and before you know it, a couple of weeks have passed and all you did were your daily to-do’s like school, work, homework, activities. While there is nothing inherently wrong with that and while these activities can also be joyful, it’s important for me to have downtime with the family during the week, where we have the space to do anything together. Staying home and snuggling in a blanket counts, as does going to the movies or taking a hike as a family, date night (for me and husband), and impromptu playdates with the kids whose parents I like, so the grown-ups also get to have a playdate :)
Inspect what activities you do that bring you joy or that are fun for you, and make sure you do them on a regular basis.
Frequency: A few times a week.
What I’m doing right now: I’m thrilled that my girls have been enjoying baking and yoga with me, so while it lasts, I take this time to be silly with them and have fun. Also taking walks almost daily with my husband, thanks to remote work.
7. Systems
I know for a fact that my life is wholly better with systems. When things are organized and planned, it makes the difference between a productive and effortless week, and a week of overwhelm and struggle to get my things done. I implement systems in my work, meal prep, housework, groceries… and cheat sheets of various topics can be found everywhere in our house (list of tasks for the kids to clean up their room fast, list of things needed for school—very useful after a break, list of foods high in protein, shared grocery list, etc.)
Find out which task you often struggle with, and see if you can come up with a system to make it easier (ask me!)
Frequency: Constant.
What I’m doing right now: Working on a whole new system for meals, to include more foods high in protein. ChatGPT is helping me do that. This is not an established habit for me yet, and it’s been more challenging than others, but I’m still working on it.
8. Writing
Writing has always been a daily habit for me. Writing has helped me with a lot of struggles of all kinds, from overcoming past beliefs that held me back, to thinking through issues with work or the kids. It helped me appreciate myself and find my worth (along with meditation and more), and put on paper ideas and thoughts I couldn’t have accessed without long sessions of writing. Writing also keeps me organized with to-do lists and weekly/daily planning. I write every day in my journal, and more recently, I’ve been creating more blog posts for the Pokidots website.
Writing is not for everyone; perhaps talking to friends works better for you. But if you enjoy writing, using it to empty your mind does wonders if you haven’t tried that before. Look up “brain dump” if you are not familiar with the term.
Frequency: Daily.
What I’m doing right now: Teaching my girls to write daily as well :)
There’s so much to do, and so little time! Another habit of mine is waking up at 6:00 to meditate, have coffee, write, and plan my day. That hour covers 3 of my habits above. I was never a morning person and I eased into it, starting from 7 AM and now I’m at a perfect spot with the time I get by waking up at 6.
Here are the books I’ve read and learned from, and that I recommend reading if you want to up your habit game as well:
I hope these general habit categories sparked some inspiration for you to try something new, or bring back a positive habit you’ve dropped. I’d love to know what you already do that makes your life better.
*The products and resources linked are what I actually use and love. Only the Amazon links are Associate links, meaning that I get a small commission if you buy the product through this specific link.