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?

Also for the person who asked about intermittent fasting and having a milky tea in the morning .. strictly it should be nothing other than black coffee but I've been doing it for years and have a tea if I feel like it . I read somewhere that under 50 cals is fine but I try not to if I can help it. Also when you do eat again it's important not to have sugar in any form as your it first meal .. you body will just grab hold of it - and that includes fruit .. best to start eating again with eggs if you can or something balanced and proper .. also helps if you don't eat low fat .. as a little fat will help tell your body that you're full ( google leptin)

I love this thread so much.... might be my all time favourite.

The habit I have successfully taken on is not leaving a room empty handed. I also do a clean down each night so surfaces are cleared and I hoover. Helps me keep on top of housework.

Today, inspired by you lovely people, I have done my clean down and 20 mins of yoga. I’ll aim to do it in the morning before work but after cleaning in the evening is also acceptable.

I already drink lots of water, and probably do the fasting thing most days without thinking but will make more of an effort going forward. Am also going to look into vitamins.

I feel healthier and more energetic already!

Yoga in the early evening. Before I eat. It seems to calm my head. Just 20 minutes of Down Dog. But the noise grows a lot quieter fir bedtime later

The habit I have successfully taken on is not leaving a room empty handed.

Before lockdown I would never go up or downstairs without taking something with me that needed to end up where I was heading - eg emptied waste paper basket goes back upstairs, cups from office back downstairs etc.

But during and since lockdown I've forced myself to make numerous seemingly unnecessary trips, that I could have done once but repeated them, just to get the exercise. Today I :-

-went upstairs to fetch my iPad off my desk
-came back down and realised I'd left a dirty coffee cup on the desk, so went back up to pick it up.

• went back up again with a glass of water for the afternoon stint, then came down for some lunch.

I figure if I can do reps of 3 times up and down stairs, 4 times a day, whilst doing something reasonably productive each time, then I could lose the few pounds I gained from lockdown!

@desertcoffeeyoga thanks for the help!
I tried this 16:8 yesterday, was starving by 12pm and ate a banana as first food item so it is good to know not to repeat that mistake.
Have now been starving since 8.30...
Never drunk so much water.

I love this thread and have been reading for several days! Thanks @CarlyWarly1980 and everyone else making it such a fab read.

For the person who asked for research, I found this on intermittent fasting: www.health.harvard.edu/blog/intermittent-fasting-surprising-update-2018062914156 and it has some nice links as references too.

I'm joining the 3 habits club -

1. Fasting
2. Stretching (I want to build up to regular yoga as I used to do but have small insomniac kids so taking it gently!)
3. Some silence in my day (ideally the morning but abovementioned insomniacs means it may have to be whenever I can fit it in!)

I've also added some new habits on lockdown -

The daily reading hour
Meditation after the kids go to bed as that's when I feel frazzled!!!
Walk every day

I'm using the iOS Habit app to remind me and track my progress. It's simple, pretty and free.

Salutes to those who gave up coke and chocolate on lockdown, I stopped my habit too. It's hard esp. after having a baby as it's a sleep-deprivation fuel thing. The 16:8 thing helped me kick the habit, funny to see so many of us recommending it. (Though I'm more of a 15:9 to be fair and I also have to have a coffee at 5:30am when the baby wakes). But I've still lost the weight I wanted to and it's improved my digestion for sure.

Adrienne is great. Thank you for the link. I've never done yoga and this is just right.
Good luck

@Nicklebox thank you! 😀

Going up to bed with large herbal tea and my nook - means I know every day I have a bit of "me time" at the end of it, and the tea helps me get hydrated and I drift off well!

*book!!

Daily prayer really helps me to objectively evaluate my day. It is calming and comforting.

@Ironmanrocks for me it is a combination of meditation and worship. Meditation in that I read a Psalm that helps me to reflect upon my day. Worship in that I recognise God in my life and in the world and I can pray, prayers of thanks and prayers for personal growth.

I'm trying the clipper sleep tea someone recommended. Taste is not my favourite but I definitely feel ready for bed

@ballsdeep "Completely agree with you! I love listening to my audio book and cleaning at the same time. It's like a bit of me time 😅"

I wouldn't say it's like me time but it does stop me resenting every single second of having to do housework

I’ve been thinking about this cold showering thing mentioned up thread. Maybe after body brushing? My skin is awful and I have that horrible bumpiness on my upper arms (although not as bad as in my teens).

I’ve done 19 fasts now boeuf although a few were about 14h. It’s amazed me how quickly I’ve got used to it and the really huge thing is, it’s helping me break my comfort eating - I’m already finding I’m not instantly reaching for sugar when stressed and I’m much more aware of whether it’s actual hunger I’m feeling rather than the need to push down bad emotions with food.

Brilliant thread - I've been doing the 10 min daily tidy for the past few days and it makes such a difference.

@neutralintelligence that's great ! I can honestly say intermittent fasting has helped me more than anything else .. I was a chubby child and have been overweight my entire life but got rid of it with intermittent fasting - I think it would be even more popular but it doesn't make anyone any money so there's no one marketing it ! The other great thing I love is that nobody needs to know that you're trying to lose weight .. i have finally worked out how the beautiful people were tucking into to a double cheeseburger at lunch but not putting on a pound !

@Boeufsurletoit
I have just tried to look at 700 words. It took me to a porn site! Word of warning..

Yes, yoga. I started doing the 30 days with Adrienne on YouTube at the start of lockdown and have done yoga every day since. I feel stronger and like my posture is better. It also starts your day off well.

How do you sign up for Adrienne’s 30 day plan? I don’t have Facebook, so is there an alternative way?

It's all on YouTube.

I looked on YouTube - there are so many Adrienne videos, I just wondered if there’s somewhere it says “on day 1 do this one, on day 2 do this one.” Perhaps there’s a 30 day collection further down the list. It was knowing where to get started I want help with.