Welcome to this blog on small daily habits that will change your life as a teenager in 2022!
There are many blogs out there that talk about good habits that you should start implementing in your life, but this blog is not going to be like one of those. The main difference is because this blog focuses on small daily habits, rather than bigger and harder habits to go after.
For me, if I’m trying to improve myself but I come across something that takes much effort and time, I get discouraged and end up not doing whatever that self-improvement activity was. However, if an activity is not as time-consuming and energy-draining and is something I can easily do/implement in my daily routine, I’ll 100% go after it with passion and commitment.
I know many of you do the same thing, which is why I was inspired to write this blog. For those of us who need small and simple tips to improve your life little by little, this blog is the perfect article for you. Congratulations, you’ve come to the right place! After all, sometimes it is the smallest things that make the biggest difference.
I’m not going to take too long in the introduction here as there are 15 habits to get through, so without further ado, here they are:
1. Make your bed every morning
Make your bed every morning. This habit is on the top of the list because it should be the first thing you do as soon as you get up. I know that some of us get too lazy to do this simple task somedays (even I do), but it only takes 2 minutes.
My challenge for you is to make your bed consistently for 2 weeks starting from tomorrow if you don’t already.
The reason why this is such a beneficial habit is that you’re already giving yourself a win before you even have breakfast. This small “win” can motivate you to go after so many more wins throughout the course of the day.
Furthermore, Gretchen Rubin found in her research that it’s the easiest and most common daily habit you can do to boost happiness.
2. Organize your room
Secondly, another important habit you should adopt is organizing your room. I like to organize my room before I start working, but you can do this whenever it feels right to you. A potential good time to organize your room is in the night, so that you can sleep better and wake up in the morning ready to hustle.
When you tidy up your environment, you’ll have fewer distractions lying around you so you can be more focused. A cluttered environment may lead to a cluttered mind, and that’s the last thing you want when you have a long list of tasks to complete.
3. Read every day
Reading every day is a hobby all of us should adopt immediately. I’ve never realized the importance of reading books till a couple of weeks ago for my English class, and now I try to read at least 10 pages of a book every day.
Reading books are a great way to learn more and become more creative. It also helps improve focus and can even help you sleep better if you read before going to bed. Along with this, it can help reduce your stress by taking away your attention on all the work you have to do.
4. Go outside
Go outside! How much time do you spend on your phones, wasting time scrolling through Instagram or TikTok? If you’re like the average teenager, it’s probably several hours.
Well, your phone isn’t doing any good to you, online being outside does. Being outside can help you reconnect with the real world, as well as yourself. Nature is proven to boost happiness and help you stress less.
So, go outside whenever you have time during the day. Play a sport, go for a walk, or meet a friend at a park!
5. Schedule your day
Scheduling your day is a great way to be more productive and have an organized day. When you schedule your day, you know exactly what you should be doing and when so you can stop procrastinating and get to work right away. It makes you feel more in control over what you do during the day.
Along with this, it’s helpful to create routines. Check out my blog on how to create and stick to a daily routine as a teenager in 2021!
6. Practice active listening
Effective communication is crucial when it comes to cultivating personal and professional relationships. And listening is central to communication. Pay attention to what others have to say. It’ll not only make others feel valued but will also help you understand them better and gain a fresh perspective. Don’t try to monopolize the conversation or fake attention while your mind is busy figuring out what pizza you should order for dinner. Listen to what they have to say and what they really mean and take note of the non-verbal cues as well. The more you listen the more you’ll learn. Here’s a handy guide that can help you become a good listener.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/nomanazish/2018/03/30/10-daily-habits-that-can-actually-change-your-life/?sh=760ce69d630c
Literally all it takes to practice active listening and genuinely being curious about other peoples’ stories. Hearing what others’ story is such a beautiful part of life, as it opens your eyes to new perspectives and lifestyles. Try practicing active listening and see how much more you’ll learn!
7. Say “no”
I use this tip/habit in many of my posts. It may sound repetitive, but the reason why I mention this often is because it can help with so many different aspects of your life!
Saying “no” when you mean it gives you control over your life. Many of us will accept a favor just to please others, but it can sometimes make us more stressed because of the one extra thing to complete. If you ever don’t want to do something, all it takes is a simple and polite “no,” whether this is saying no to a party, a favor, or anything else.
8. Use to-do lists
Using to-do lists is a major life-saver. As teenagers, we sometimes have tasks after tasks piling up, that we may even forget we have to do some of them. Well, here’s a simple solution: To-do lists.
All it is is writing down the tasks you have to do on a piece of paper or digitally. When you’re done with one, you can cross it off the list and move on to the next.
It is also helpful to sort it based on priority level!
Creating to-do lists while prioritizing is a great way to know where you need to spend more of your time on, as well as where you need to spend less time on.
9. Give yourself deadlines
Giving yourself deadlines helps you stay productive and get work done. This tip has improved my life because it helped me stop procrastinating.
When you give yourself deadlines, you know that you can’t just save a task for tomorrow and continue doing that for a week. Instead, you think to yourself that the deadline is coming up soon so you better do it now.
Make sure that your deadlines are not too close that it stressed you out and not to far that it leaves you procrastinating on it!
10. Instead of using social media, get up and move
A bad habit that many of us teenagers have adopted is immediately going to a social media app the second we get bored or want to take a break. We think to ourselves that we’re only going to use it for 5 minutes, but it ends up being much more than that.
Instead, a better habit to replace that with is getting up and move. I usually just go downstairs to get a glass of water or go to my sister’s room to have a chat with her. This has helped me stay off my phone by a lot.
Try it out; I’m sure it will decrease your screen time by a lot and help you get work done faster!
11. Say “thank you” instead of “I’m sorry”
I really wanted to include this on here because I know this seems insignificant, but it’s actually a big thing that we’ve never addressed.
Have you ever said sorry even though you really didn’t do anything wrong? I know I have. Well, that needs to stop. It makes us feel and look weak and decrease our self-esteem.
Instead of saying sorry for no reason, say “thank you.” For example, if you’re late to something, try saying, “Thank you for being patient,” instead of “Sorry for being late.”
12. Set your alarm a few minutes earlier than you need to
If you want to avoid getting late to school/work, this habit is one to follow: Set your alarm a few minutes earlier than you need to.
The reason why this works is because when you set your alarm for the exact time you want to get up, 99% of the time you’ll still be tired and will be tempted to hit the snooze button. However, if you set the alarm a few minutes earlier than the time you want to wake up, you’ll already be partially awake and potentially ready to get out of bed.
If you struggle with waking up early like I do, definitely use this habit!
13. Dress the part
Plenty of research supports the fact that dressing the part will make you feel good about yourself and mentally prepare you for the goals you want to accomplish. It’ll boost your confidence and make you feel powerful and successful.
There’s no denying that sweatpants are comfortable, but dressing up can help you go after your goals and be the person you dream of being!
14. Take pictures
“Document your life by taking pictures of anything important or relevant that you come across during the day. Not only will this give you a timeline of your life in the future, it will also help you pay more attention to the everyday details of your life that may seem insignificant at first, but are actually the events that make up who you are.” (developgoodhabits)
I used to never take photos, so when I wanted to remember a memory, I wouldn’t have the photo to remind me of it. However, when I started taking more photos, I know I can look back at them any time and just smile and laugh!
15. Appreciate more
French novelist Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr once said, “we can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses.” It’s easy to get caught up in the rat race and forget how fortunate you are. Practicing gratitude is a great way to create positivity, reduce stress and improve your physical health. How can you cultivate this healthy habit? Start a gratitude journal, volunteer, take time to appreciate your loved ones and remind yourself of at least one thing you’re grateful for every day before going to bed. The more you appreciate the little joys of life, the happier you’ll be.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/nomanazish/2018/03/30/10-daily-habits-that-can-actually-change-your-life/?sh=760ce69d630c
Sometimes, all you need to do is appreciate the little things. Like how you have a roof over your head. Food on the table. Parents to look up to, and so much more. Look around you and you’ll be able to find multiple items you should be thankful for!
The Takeaway
Habits don’t have to be a big task/activity in order to be efficient and life-changing. Sometimes, all it takes is a single step rather than a leap. As long as you’re moving forward in 1 direction, the speed is irrelevant.
So, here is a recap of the 15 small habits that can change your life if you start practicing them consistently. Scroll up if you’d like to see the reasons why these habits work and the benefits of them. Maybe you already practice some of them, or maybe you don’t do any. Regardless of that, now is the time to start doing more and build a better version of yourself.
- Make your bed every morning
- Organize your room
- Read every day
- Go outside
- Schedule your day
- . Practice active listening
- Say “no”
- Use to-do lists
- Give yourself deadlines
- Instead of using social media, get up and move
- Say “thank you” instead of “I’m sorry”
- Set your alarm a few minutes earlier than you need to
- Dress the part
- Take pictures
- Appreciate more
Habits are habits, no matter how big or small they are. Here’s a blog I wrote on the daily routines of successful people, which covers 10 habits they follow. I also highly recommend reading the book “Atomic Habits,” which goes over effective and efficient ways to build good habits and break bad habits in 4 simple steps. Last but not least, be sure to watch this TED Talk on the science of habits by Marco Badwal.
I hope these habits help make a difference in your life, day by day! If you have any questions or comments, don’t hesitate to type below and I’ll surely get back to you. With that, good luck and have fun implementing these habits into your daily routine!