I’m a firm believer that it’s the small things we do in life each day that lead to big change, and if we practice these small habits over a long enough period then the effect can be quite spectacular. So here’s a quick list of small things we can try to help our future selves. Try some of these out; their benefits can be felt in the short term as well as the long term.
1. Be Kind
Kindness is sometimes difficult to define but we all recognize it when we’re on the receiving end: a genuine smile from a stranger, a helping hand, a compliment or just taking the time to listen and show an interest in another person.
Research has shown again and again that people who practice selfless acts of generosity and kindness live more satisfying and fulfilling lives and have increased levels of happiness. We all have the ability to be kinder, both to others and to ourselves, and all those small positive gestures will add up to a happier life for yourself and for those around you.
2. Read Good Books
It’s all very well reading articles on the Internet but if you’re serious about reading, being happier and becoming wiser then try to choose and read good books. The benefits of reading books are immense. Aim to read at least one a month. Whether you choose non-fiction or great novels, the people who write these books are most often intelligent and have wonderful insights about the world to impart to us.
If you read one a month, that’s twelve in a year and one hundred and twenty in ten years. Just imagine the wealth of experience and knowledge you will have garnered for your future self! And if you join a library it can all be for free.
3. Eat Good Quality Food
You are what you eat, as the saying goes, so investing in the best quality food you can is an expense worth considering. We all have budgets and constraints but we can all at least try to improve what we are putting into our bodies and aim to get a balanced and nutrient-rich diet to feed both our bodies and minds.
4.Stay Hydrated
We’re basically big bags of water. It sounds strange but it’s true as our bodies are made up of approximately sixty percent H2O. The brain and heart are composed of even more at about seventy percent water, and the lungs are over eighty percent!
Keeping hydrated is one of the best things we can do to maintain long-term good health, energy, a positive attitude and to keep our concentration and mental acuity at their best.
5. Move
Take the stairs, walk to the shops, take your dog for a long walk (or someone else’s, with their permission) or enjoy your favorite sport. Whatever your interest in sport or exercise, it has been proven without a doubt that we need to move and we need to do it regularly. It improves our physical health but, more than that, it is essential for good mental health too.
Take it slowly and speak to your physician if you haven’t done any exercise for a long time or have health concerns, but for many of us daily walking, dancing, sports and other exercise will do us nothing but good. You’ll feel the benefit quickly and in ten years your future self will feel spectacularly better than if you’d led a sedentary life.
6. Get Good Regular Sleep
Sleep is easier to find for some of us than others, but if you can, a regular schedule of around eight hours of shut-eye will do you the power of good. We’re all different, some need more, some need less, but we all benefit from regular good quality sleep.
Invest in a cheap eye mask and ear plugs if you’re being disturbed by light or sound (this depends on your situation of course – carers and parents need to wake up when called) and try to go to bed and get up at the same time each day, weekdays and weekends included. Your body will love you for it and your mood and mental health will benefit hugely too from this easy but wonderfully nourishing habit.
7. Say Please And Thank You
This ties in with being kind of course but is worth a separate mention as it is so easy and so powerful. Being polite to everyone you meet is a beautiful habit to cultivate.
You will feel good each time as you are acknowledging other people’s efforts, in shops and restaurants for example. You will also cultivate a sense of gratitude for the small things that people do for you and around you, and this can spread through everyone’s lives.
8. Find Hobbies That You Love
Finding things that you truly love doing, that you find relaxing (or exhilarating) and worthwhile can be a true asset throughout your life. These hobbies can transform or change of course, but if you spend time cultivating them, you will reap the benefits of having absorbing pastimes that enrich your life and future self enormously and that you can always turn to in times of stress. Hobbies are like good friends, always there when you need them, and just like friends, they need regular time and commitment to maintain them.
9. Budget And Save
I’m by no means any kind of financial expert but a good simple budget along with the practice of saving even small amounts of money each month will have a big impact over ten years. It’s not possible for everyone I know, but advice from a reputable source might help and even the practice of saving little and often could make all the difference.
10. Try to Avoid Big Mistakes
This is easier said than done, but taking time to really consider the consequences of big life decisions could help you to avoid big mistakes in life that have repercussions in the years to come.
Marriage, moving house, changing jobs and so many more big decisions require a lot of thought and consideration as the ongoing impact on your life will be enormous and these things are difficult to undo. And anything that may give you a crisis of conscience in the future is worth serious consideration before undertaking.
Final Thoughts
I hope this list will give you some food for thought over your daily decisions. We’re all different of course and have different circumstances and paths in life, but maybe some of this can help you to adopt some healthy and happy habits for the long term in life.
