We all know good habits lead to better well-being and success in life. However, as habits take time and tremendous effort to form and stick, it is more important to pick the right ones that will help transform our lives for the better.

I have tested and adopted many good habits over the years that have changed my life for the better – waking up at 5.30am, meditate, journal, exercise, read, eating more whole foods (I will save these ones for another entry), and learned that the five habits I am about to share, have helped me navigate uncertainties the most.

The world is constantly changing and will continue to change, which means we will be faced with a lot of uncertainties and anxieties, here are 5 game changer habits that will strengthen you, both mentally and physically that will forever change your life for the better :-

(1) MORNING Meditation

When I started my journey of personal growth, I found that meditation is one of the top morning routines of some of the world’s most successful people. Being my curious self, I tested it out and have stuck with morning meditation for years now due to the benefits it has provided me – improved my sleep and focus, reduced stress and anxiety, increased emotional awareness and emotional intelligence.

Meditation is the art of doing nothing – not in a negative way or being lazy, but in a sense of being in a calm emotional state of mind and being fully present in the moment. Just three minutes a day can make a huge difference. Nothing spiritual or complicating :-

• just set a timer (start with 1 minute and gradually increase it to 3 minutes, 5 minutes and 10 minutes later),
• focus on your breathing and just being present and observe your thoughts.
• Here‘s an easy guide to get started.

(2) Morning Exercise

The key here is morning – to help us start each day on an energised note. Research has shown that the endorphins or “happy chemicals” produced in our bodies from exercise can keep our mood elevated long past your workout, which means we will feel more fresh, alert, and energetic throughout the day.

Starting is always the hardest – aim for 10 minutes with just a simple stretch or any form of body movement makes a huge difference. Once you gained the momentum of your first 10minutes, you will be more inclined to increase your duration and hit 30-60 minutes daily. Take a leisure bike ride, go for a hike, go for a morning stroll, do that sit ups, take that boxing or jiu-jitsu class and get a good workout in – mix it up and have fun!

I tried working out both in the morning and evening and found that 10/10 times my habit of daily exercise have stuck with me more, as I would have less room for excuses and before work or other commitment gets in the way later in the day, I would have achieved my daily workout goals.

(3) Morning Cold Shower

You have probably heard of the Wim Hof Method on cold therapy or ice baths which promotes a tonne of health benefits. Well, turns out taking cold shower in your own home especially in the mornings provides us with the same health benefits such improves blood circulation, increase healthy metabolic rate, reduce inflammation, increase endorphines (the ‘feel good’ chemicals our body produce) which in turns reduce anxiety and stress.

When in cold shower or when we do the cold plunge, our epithelial cells (cells covering the skin, the fluid space in the body that protects the organs, and blood vessels) contracts while the in-between spaces between the cells opens up and giving our cell structure a burst of energy. That’s why after a cold shower, we feel energized, alert and revuvenated.

If you are living in the cold country, just 1 minutes of cold shower in the morning can work magic for your health.

(4) UNPLUGGING

Living in this digital and social media edge has improve our lives and spoiled us. The impulsive need to always reach for the phone is the biggest distraction and a major productivity killer, and can affect the mental state of our well being. The truth is that our mobile phone isn’t the main problem, but it is how we use it.

Here are a few tips you can prevent your mobile phone from “controlling” you :-

• Turn off notifications especially emails, social media apps
• Put your phone on silent or airplane mode when working on a task
• Set designated times to check your phone or engage in social media (ie during break time or dedicated time of the day ie 1pm, 4pm, and 8pm)

(5) Speak Less, Listen More

Have you experienced a time when your co-worker or someone speaking endlessly and you are tempted to “jump the gun” and provide your thoughts but then glad you remained silent after (most likely that help saved your embarrassment or saved the need to provide your point of view)?

More than that, listening more can teach us valuable things. It is far better to hear from other people’s perspectives and experience to add to our own current knowledge and develop our world view. Jordan Peterson described this beautifully on how can approach listening through Rule #9 : Assume That The Person You Are Listening To Might Know Something You Don’t

Practice listening more can also build trust and improve relationships and social interactions. When listening, seek to understand, not to respond. Try using this open-ended questions :-

• How did that make you feel?
• What happened next?
• Can you tell me more?
• How can I help you with this

Just remember that new habit takes time to stick, so be patient with yourself but most importantly start now, start small and keep it simple.

Hope these help! Let me know in the comments below if you have tried any of these habits? Or what are some of your new habits you find most helpful for you?