AIBU to ask you if a daily habit has transformed your life?

[CarlyWarly1980]

Just that, really..
Do you have a daily habit that has transformed your life for the better? A friend recommended a book along these lines but am I being unreasonable to think a daily habit can't really transform your life?
My friend has said the new habit of drinking water and putting on mascara every day helps her feel confident and think clearer improved her skin and helps her concentration. So I'm asking others on here AIBU to think one habit done daily can't really "change" your life?

For those taking vitamins: I take a multivitamin and assumed this has everything I need in it. Is there value in taking additional Vit C, Vit D, etc., even though the multivitamin contains at least the RDA for these?

I am habit-obsessed but still struggle to make them stick.

I've read Atomic Habits (James Clear) The Power of Habit (Charles Duhigg) and Tiny Habits (BJ Fogg)

I've listened to The Habit Blueprint (Patrik Eblad) and In the Habit by Ash Ranpura and Alice Fraser on Audible.

I recommend all of those - Charles Duhigg perhaps my favourite listen but BJ Fogg the best for advising on how to actually implement the habits. I think his concept of 'shine' is potentially transformative for me if I can just discipline myself to implement it more.

I enjoyed them all and definitely my life has changed as a result but in small ways - I'm not a completely different person. I have too many long-ingrained bad habits I guess - mostly around being disorganised and generally messy and dealing badly with emotions. I've not yet been successful in making meditation stick - my best run was about 6 months of 10 minutes most days.

The habit that stuck best - leaving my phone downstairs. Ironically last night was the first time I didn't do that in I don't know how long I can remember and I stayed up reading this thread! The reason - life thrown into turmoil due to two kids with serious hospital admissions recently so everything out of whack - and that is a point to remember - things will happen that challenge your habits but the important thing to remember is a break is not a failure.

I do daily gratitude too and found that the Six Minute Diary (got it on Amazon) has been a life-changer for me - really helped me tackle depression. I often take a break but never for long and always find my mood better when I'm using it consistently. I'm on my third copy and I suspect it will become a lifelong habit.

I have a clockwork morning routine but sticking to it isn't always easy. Of course getting to bed on time would help - that would be the one habit I'd absolutely love.

Advice to anyone starting new habits based on this thread - do it small. If you try two minutes of yoga before bed every night there's a much higher chance you will be doing 20 minutes a day this time next year than if you try doing 20 minutes a day from day 1.

Thank you @Manolin
I, too, have chickens to let out and a veg patch I weed in the cool of the morning

I developed my rituals slowly, adding in a new one once I had the previous ones well embedded. I find them helpful and comforting, although if I don't get to do all of them, because of circumstances, I'm not upset (although I wouldn't want to miss the stretching, vitamins, journalling or meditations for more than a day, as they keep me feeling mobile )

Is there value in taking additional Vit C, Vit D, etc., even though the multivitamin contains at least the RDA for these?

Depends on if you've a history of deficiencies in these areas and the type of vitamins. Vitamin Bs & Cs, more likely just making expensive urine as they're water-soluble and the body doesn't really store them well, but if you've previously had deficiencies in them it can be useful to take extra or change multivitamins to one with a higher amount.

Vitamin D may be of more benefit as a common deficiency in the UK. The nurse practitioner who helped me (after GPs advice to just take a multivitamin after I'd been severely deficient repeatedly) that I need a separate one with at least 20-25IUs on an on-going basis. Her guidance and daily habits of pills has transformed my health.

Before that, getting into a habit of vitamin shakes from the chemist for a while was really helpful and transformative for me, they helped me regain my appetite way better than multivitamin pills. I'd say that was really the first step, but I'd be nowhere near where I am now without the nurse practitioner's advice.

I unearthed my planner/bujo from under the pile on the floor yesterday and spent time yesterday evening planning for today. I have it open where I sit in the living room and keep looking at it. It is keeping me on track with jobs/admin.
Today I need to find my water bottle - it is around somewhere!
Plus i need to stand on one leg!

@cremuel regarding extra vitamins on top of a multivitamin, for me this was prompted by the current outbreak and the highlighting of the fact that high-strength vitamin D helps apparently (over 1000 IU, so perhaps 3000 IU together with vitamin K2), and that in the event of illness a high-strength vitamin C (but slow release form) might help. Also I need extra iron due to not eating meat.

I also have a query: those on the 16:8 diet routine, I think this could be something I could manage but need a couple of cups of milky tea first thing, after which I can manage to 11-12 without eating. Would I be ruining the fasting 16 hours with milky tea? I guess the answer is yes...

On the vitamin D point, I suffered with sciatica for over a year with the symptoms changing a bit over time. Finally the pain in my leg became too intrusive so I saw a nurse practitioner at my GP. She referred me for physio and concurrently prescribed high strength vit D. The leg pain went almost overnight with the vitamins

@neutralintelligence

I also have a query: those on the 16:8 diet routine, I think this could be something I could manage but need a couple of cups of milky tea first thing, after which I can manage to 11-12 without eating. Would I be ruining the fasting 16 hours with milky tea? I guess the answer is yes...

I recently started 16:8 and read up on this. I think properly speaking it should be nothing but water during the 16, but I read an article that said as long as you keep consumption under 50 calories it shouldn’t really affect the fast state, so I have one or two cups of milky tea in the mornings - I don’t know if I could manage without!

Thanks for the vitamin advice. I’ll maybe look into extra Vit D as well a my multivitamin, especially in the winter.

Gorygloria I've had similar with Vit D - I noticed changes the next day. I've read since that there are receptors of Vit D all over the body including most of the endocrine system and that it helps to produce hormones which may affect how other hormones and other body signals in the body are received.

Agree on the vitamin D. I was really ill for about six months by the end of the working day I was flat out on the sofa, I thought my arthritis was progressing and that I had a serious illness. After a short while on a very high dose I felt like a new woman. I now take a high dose over the counter version every day as well as my multi vitamin

cremeul: thanks for info about the 50 calories. I am v greedy but think I could do the 16:8 diet, but have no chance of ever managing 5:2. Fingers crossed.

I feel like vitamins make a difference to me too. I had low levels of iron and vitamin D, I have ferroglobin instead of prescribed iron though as easier on the digestion! And it has B12 I think. I take that alongside vitamin C as it supposedly helps absorption, and I heard that vitamin D is better absorbed in the afternoon or evening so I take that later in the day now.

Inspired by this thread, I've done 20 min yoga with Adrienne video while the baby naps. Ow - only a beginners one but I could really feel it! Will aim to do this at least 2-3 times per week to build up my frankly pathetic muscles. Also going to do the leg one!

Our habit - we both tidy up dinner stuff immediately and then while one does bedtime the other whizzes round tidying downstairs, toys, etc. Nice and tidy to relax in on a night and to come down to in the morning.

Thank you @Manolin. I, too, have chickens to let out and a veg patch I weed in the cool of the morning

Oh, I understand. I wee in the flower beds on a cool morning. I find if I wee in the vegetable patch the broccoli tastes funny.

I love this thread! And I need to do better at sticking to some healthy habits.

I am productive in many ways and do take positive action every day but I am terrible at being disciplined about sticking to things. :)

I get up when I want (except on Wednesdays, when I get rudely awoken by the dustmen). I feed the pigeons; I sometimes feed the sparrows too - it gives me a sense of enormous wellbeing. Then I’m happy for the rest of the day.

@FourEyesGood

I get up when I want (except on Wednesdays, when I get rudely awoken by the dustmen). I feed the pigeons; I sometimes feed the sparrows too - it gives me a sense of enormous wellbeing. Then I’m happy for the rest of the day.

love it.

What high strength vitamin d is there over the counter?

This is what I use polly as it’s the dose my dr recommended

On amazon up to 4000 IU at least. But apparently it's best to take with K2 to prevent calcium being deposited in place where it shouldn't (blood vessels etc)

Does anyone have any good habits for a restful nights sleep??

I am struggling. I fall asleep easily for roughly an hour where I'm then awake for 3/4hrs where I drift in and out of a very light sleep

@Ace1185 I find emptying my emotional and mind bank at the end of the day very useful. I start most days thinking what I would like to achieve that day, I’m detail how I am going to do it and how it will feel when I’ve done it. At the end of the day I review my day, did I achieve what I wanted - if not will I try again tomorrow, how will I alter the outcome. I then draw a line under it. I don’t think about what lies ahead tomorrow, that is for tomorrow morning. If I wake in the night and start thinking, I remind myself that now is not the time to think about what has happened the day before as I drew a line under it before bed, nor is it time to start thinking about what tomorrow brings, that is for contemplation when I wake.

If you wake - don’t try and force yourself back to sleep, try getting up, have a warm decaffinated drink and go back to bed to start your nights sleep. If it’s happening every night you have possibly got yourself into that rythmn. Maybe try staying up 24 hours (so long as it is safe and restart your clock).

Waking is probably become a self fulfilling prophecy so maybe try meditating on sleeping through, imagine sleeping right through in a warm comfy bed, make yourself feel how refreshed you will feel every morning. Make sure your room is quiet and fully dark. Avoid screens for a few hours before bed.

Amazing thank you!