The benefits of small lifestyle changes shouldn’t be underestimated. It’s common to feel like a drastic adjustment is in order, but often a small change here or there can have a huge impact. This list includes six lifestyle changes that cost little to nothing in terms of time, money, and energy, but that yield big results.
1. Get Physical
Physical activity is the catalyst for a world of change. It’s not just for aspiring athletes. It’s for anyone that wants to have a healthy mind and body. You don’t need to hit the gym for a couple of hours every day. Simply walking for half an hour daily or playing a recreational sport a few times a week will give you energy and focus, as well as help you sleep better at night. In the long term, it will help you avoid disease.
2. Work on Your Smile
A PR Newswire survey found that more than a quarter (29%) of Americans believe that their teeth are the first thing that others notice when they look at their face. It’s true that some dental procedures can be costly, but simple dental hygiene habits cost next to nothing and result in increased confidence. Daily brushing and flossing keeps plaque at bay. Tooth whitening is more affordable than ever and causes a person to show off their smile to those around them. More frequent smiling is associated with all kinds of benefits, such as more frequent promotions and more friendly relationships.
3. Mind the Environment
If every person made some simple changes to help protect the environment, the results would be staggering. One example of an area in which humans are environmentally careless is in discarding furniture. Americans discard more than 12 million tons of it annually, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. This has led to a 450% increase in sold waste since 1960. By developing the mindset of using things until they are unusable, and then selling or upcycling them, you can reduce your personal waste and inspire others to do the same.
4. Prioritize Mental Health
It’s no secret that the world is ever-increasingly stressful and that mental health issues are on the rise. Your mental stability is the foundation of all of your other functions and activities. The tricky thing is that we feel too busy to give ourselves the mental maintenance we need to keep performing our duties. Incremental improvements in a couple of areas can change the game in this regard. By establishing a regular sleeping pattern of seven hours or more, and taking a few minutes a day to meditate, a person can improve their stress levels and emotional capacity by leaps and bounds.
5. Achieve Financial Peace
Filing for Division 1 is something you seldom hear about, but is an option for individuals with debt that exceeds $250,000. However, if the fling is rejected by creditors, bankruptcy proceedings automatically ensue. Both Division 1 and bankruptcy are highly stressful processes that should be avoided at all costs. Attending some basic personal finance classes or even listening to a podcast or watching YouTube videos can get you on the road to better financial health. Basic habits such as saving an emergency fund and putting routine contributions into a retirement account will greatly change your financial future.
6. Change Your Diet
The good news about diet changes is that small, incremental adjustments are more likely to stick than drastic ‘cold turkey’ programs. One great place to start is by simply writing down what you eat throughout the day and then Googling each food to find your caloric intake. As you record this, you will naturally start to be more conscious of what you’re eating and how you can make positive changes.
The key to all of this is to start small. Make sustainable changes in each of these areas, gain some momentum, and notice the incredible results that follow.