4 Mindful Habits for a Happier Life

Image by Dariusz Sankowski from Pixabay

Life isn’t always sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes, you find yourself stuck in a cycle of binge-watching Netflix and browsing through Instagram until you’re sick. These kinds of habits can be detrimental to your self-esteem and overall happiness. Luckily, there’s a way to pull yourself out of ruts like these: Add a healthy dose of mindfulness to your routine.

When you integrate mindful habits into your life, an assortment of mental and physical health benefits follow. You’ll likely feel more energetic, optimistic, and purposeful. The only hard part is getting started. To help you out, below we’ve outlined some easy-to-integrate mindful habits for a happier life.

1. Keep a Daily Journal

For a more mindful lifestyle, journals are a must. They give you a space to plan out your day, organize your thoughts, and track your goals. All you need to get started is a piece of paper and something to write with. Once you make journaling a daily habit, you’re sure to see benefits in no time.

If you are stumped on what to write, however, don’t worry. Print out the mindful journal exercise sheet below. Fill out the prompts once a day to become more in tune with your body, mind, and intentions.

2. Practice Gratitude

For many of us, complaining is second nature. It’s easy to see what’s going wrong with our lives and to adopt a pessimistic mentality. By doing so, however, we just end up making ourselves feel worse. We train ourselves to see the half glass empty and are unhappier because of it. In cases such as this, a gratitude practice comes in handy.

When you practice gratitude, you train yourself to see the good in life. Instead of worrying about money problems or how others perceive you, gratitude helps you look on the bright side. You become grateful for the roof over your head and the food in your pantry. You realize that not everyone has the luxuries you possess. Putting that into perspective can be game-changing.

3. Practice Affirmations

In the same vein as practicing gratitude, practicing affirmations helps you rewire your brain for positivity. This habit helps us rewrite the script to our internal monologue. By repeating positive messages to yourself, you can manifest just about anything. Whether you’re searching for more confidence, more fulfilling relationships, or even a better job, affirmations can help.

To help you get started with this practice, we’ve provided a couple of affirmations below. Choose an affirmation and repeat it to yourself as many times as you feel necessary. You can even make your affirmation the background on your phone and repeat it whenever you see it on your screen.

4. Exercise

For a healthier body and a sharper mind, exercise can work wonders. You could lift weights, do some pilates, or go for a long walk while listening to an audiobook. Regardless of how you exercise, you’re sure to wake your brain up and get your blood pumping.

One of the best forms of exercise is running. Going for a jog can help you build self-confidence and get better sleep. Just be sure to choose the best men’s or women’s athletic shoes for you. The last thing you want to do is injure your feet while you’re out for a run.

Living a life of mindfulness can seem intimidating, but it’s easy when you take things one step at a time. Slowly but surely, implementing mindful and healthy habits will transform your life for the better.