“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle

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• Foreword,

Foreword

‘8 healthy habits you can start right now’ is a blog aimed at making minor lifestyle changes that are easy to implement. The following is a list of habits I adopted in 2021 and I only support practices which I have tried and tested myself.

1. Go sober

Yes this healthy habit is not only free but will actually save you money! I stopped drinking on September 12^th 2021 and am now 470 days without alcohol and I can safely say the pro’s outweigh the cons. If you want to cut back on alcohol consumption, start by limiting the amount of drinking you do: EG if you drink Fridays and Saturdays, limit it to just Saturdays. Then if you usually drink 6 standard drinks, limit it to 3 and continue this process until you can go completely sober for an extended period of time. For a more in depth account of how my life changed without alcohol you can read my blog > here.

2. Trade a coffee for a Green Tea with Lemon and Apple-Cider Vinegar.

This is a powerhouse of anti-oxidants and when drank first-thing in the morning will stimulate your metabolism to help with fat-burning and help your immune system. Green tea when mixed with citric acid, also helps with Vitamin C absorption. Apple Cider vinegar has been shown to reduce bad breath and boost skin health. Starting your day with one small act of wellness is a gear healthy habit to implement.

3. Limit your daily social media time to 30 minutes.

Unless social media is your business or has a direct impact on your business or personal finances than I recommend trying to limit your social media time to 30 minutes a day. If you extrapolate that out; 30 minutes per day over an 80 year lifetime of 16 hours awake a day becomes 2.5 years of our life on social media. That’s a lot. If your on social media to scroll endlessly than its likely you are not benefitting from that time spent. So a healthy habit is to limit social media use. For more info on how I went 7 months without social media, I have a blog > here

4. Read into a topic you’ve never discovered

This healthy habit is something which has a deep fundamental value. Last year I decided to increase my digital literacy skills after I realised I was acutely behind. I started this blog as a result of wanting to improve my digital literacy. Reading into a topic you’ve never discovered will open doors to you that you can’t yet imagine. You may love mechanics, surfing, philosophy, microbiology, wood carving or even computer sciences and not even know it yet! By putting yourself out of your comfort zone, you force yourself to grow. For that reason, I encourage you to read up on a topic which you consider a personal ‘weakness’ or something you have no knowledge or experience in.

5. Put down your phone when talking to someone

This is a powerful social skill and a habit which costs nothing to start. Listening is an important skill and putting down your phone when talking to close friends or loved ones is a great sign of respect.

6. Allow yourself to hear different opinions to your own

“Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you’d rather have been talking.” Aristotle

You don’t have to agree or even disagree with what someone is saying, but hearing different opinions is a great way to learn. When I was vegetarian for 5 years I listened to why meat eaters still ate meat. When someone else told me ‘this person is bad…’ I would go and research that person to make my own opinion. For me everyone in life is a teacher, so even if I don’t agree with 90% of what they are saying, I will still absorb or learn from the 10% I find valuable. Again, everyone is a teacher. Listening is a very healthy habit and seeking to diversify who you listen to will increase your awareness of what others thoughts and opinions are.

7. Daily calisthenics; Or start running or walking

Calisthenics are body weight exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, un-weighted squats or sit ups. Using your body weight against itself is a free gym! I incorporate a small calisthenics workout into my day every morning. Likewise running or walking are both healthy habits which cost nothing and have been proven to increase dopamine release, help with sleep and also increase mood and lower stress levels.

8. Skills hour

My friend introduced me to the idea of ‘skill hour’ where every night for a week or more you focus on learning a new skill. This was such a cool idea the moment I heard it. In 2021 I learnt how to juggle, how to do the basics of AUSLAN (Australian Sign Language) and how to get a bullseye in Archery consistently. Skills hour doesn’t have to be a full hour, it’s up to you how long you want to set aside each day. But if you dedicate time consistently to a new skill, you will see improvement. You can also ‘combine’ the skill hour with things you already do. For example if you like to listen to podcasts, try your new skill with a podcast playing. Or of you love to cook, have the pot boiling while you try your new skill out.

Want to keep reading? You may also like?

7 Unhealthy habits I cut from my life

Time freedom vs Financial Freedom

6 soft skills to improve your interpersonal relationships

One year sober in my 20’s and what I learnt

– If you need help with drinking you can reach out to Alcoholics Anonymous here:

https://www.aa.org/

– Or, if you are an Australian struggling with mental health, you can free call or contact Lifeline here:

https://www.lifeline.org.au/

These blogs are aimed at helping readers through their personal development journey by expanding their comfort zones and positively improve quality of life through a growth mindset. Blog topics may include travel and adventure, mindset and mentality, or physical development.

8 healthy habits you can start right now for free