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?

Duh! The power of the internet: yogawithadriene.com/home-30-days-of-yoga/

@boatyardblues thank you for posting that link! I’ve just signed up 😊

@KatherineParr4 oh no! I'm sorry I got the link wrong - the site is actually called 750words.com. I'll see if I can get my post changed.

@boatyardblues - yogawithadriene.com/yoga-complete-beginners/

This chat has wonderfully inspired me!!

Because of this thread I have now......

1. Joined mumsnet (though I'm 69 and have 4 sons & 7 g'kids)

1. Drink half a pint of water very first and last thing (no water drunk before this, all liquid in beverages & food)

1. The 10 minute daily clean (set on alarm to keep it going)

1. Adriene's yoga (never done any before and am loving her gentle intro and calmness, and also set alarm)

Huge Thank You to everyone who has posted.

I'll take on another 3 challenges when these are a habit.... 😊😊😊

Some of these are so good! If I have a glass of water and an apple first thing in the morning I find that I eat healthier over the day. Oh and the days I do Joe Wicks' pe workout first thing (I never get a chance to otherwise)I'm in a better humour

Thanks nakaji - that was a great gentle intro. Day 1 of my new yoga habit! 💪

This thread's huge and I haven't had time to read it all, so apologies if I'm repeating something already posted.

Daily vitamin D3. I now have horrible side effects if I don't take this year round, whatever the weather. The joint pain is unbelievable for something with so simple a cause as a vitamin deficiency.

Daily green juice, made predominantly with vegetables and a bit of apple or kiwi, make you feel really good. I use a nutri-bullet.

Kegel-8 machine for pelvic floor exercise. It's far more effective (or I'm too lazy) to do it manually. I have a stage 1 prolapse of which I'm constantly aware as it's already very uncomfortable. I swear after 2 weeks' continuous use it's already less noticeable. Apologies for TMI.

Water. Lots of water. With a daily dose of liquid chlorofylll in a glass.

Writing - either professional research or creatively. I'm building up quite a collection of poetry which I may or may not consider publishing one day. At the moment it's just for me.

A 5-minute breather walking in the garden, summer or winter day or night, makes a huge difference to my day.

And habits I've got out of, owing to lockdown:

Wearing cosmetics. I last put make up on in March. It's saved me a fortune and I now find I don't miss it, so will probably never go back to wearing it again!

This thread comes at a good time for me. We very recently moved abroad and everything is up in the air. All my running and healthy eating has stopped due to the heat and needing to get back into routine. I have realised that I only drink coffee, so mine this week are:

• no coffee after noon
• 5 glasses of water a day
• start getting my bedtime back to a reasonable time. Starting by by 11:30 then will see how I feel

I love threads like this :)

Love this thread - thanks OP and to everyone for such interesting stuff

I'm half way through James Clear's Atomic Habits - very good so far. I read HalElrod's Miracle Morning some time ago and (although it's very "American") it's brilliant.

My good habits include

• never go to bed with the house untidy, especially the kitchen
• I've been going for a daily walk of a minimum of 5km since lockdown started
• drinking more water - at least two pints a day (doesn't sound much but I have a very weak bladder and if I'm out somewhere and need to go, then I really need to go so I have to be careful)

My bad habits include

• working all day and then working for 4-5 hours in the evening too
• drinking tea with one sugar in
• vaping (the damn thing is never further than a foot away from me!)
• not doing exercise (aside from my walking)
• being pedantic about the house and garden being spotless

Habits I want to start include

• Yoga with Adrianne
• running again (used to love it)
• stretching (my back is shot to bits since wfh)
• mindfulness
• Bible in year app sounds fab
• Vitamin D

And I got up at 5:30 this morning. By 10am I had hoovered and dusted the whole house, watered my garden, done three washes and hung them out, finished cleaning the oven (started yesterday with the fabulous "Oven Pride") and done three rows of the blanket I'm crocheting whilst sitting in garden - happy days!

Best thread ever, this is, love it

I tried a cold shower this morning but had to build up to it (or down to it in terms of temperature I suppose :o)

I’ve ordered a body brush too as I thought I might give that a go beforehand.

Need to motivate myself as screen time is taking over a bit again and I can feel it making me miserable! I’ve done well reducing it over lockdown but it’s creeping back in

This is such a positive thread, can we nominate it for classics please MNHQ?

@MNHQ

A long daily walk. I think I’ve probably given myself at least another ten years.

Another one for a daily walk. I go out every day for my lunch half hour at work weather permitting. Also just started couch to 5k and hoping that will get me back into the routine of running. I feel so much better for getting some exercise.

This is a great thread.

I make kefir and eat it almost daily. Makes a huge difference to my skin and digestive health.

I tried the standing on one leg thing and managed a pitiful 5 seconds so I am going to practice that.

I also want to start walking everyday. I don’t know why I find it so hard to do this. Some weeks I barely leave the house and that is no good for my physical or mental health.

I haven't read the whole thread but wondered if anyone has tried Ballet. I've been doing balletbasedmovement every day since 01 April. Its for the over 50s. My posture has completely changed and my bad back and sciatica have disappeared after years and £££ on osteo etc. I could never get on with yoga so this is like a miracle.

Sorry haven't read all the comments, so this may have been asked and answered already.

For those of you doing yoga, do you have a recommendation for a youtube channel or such, as I find a lot of them spend so much time talking, and it does my head in!!

@SissySpacekAteMyHamster Cat Meffan is really good

I just wanted to toss out Ashley Freeman for excellent yoga. She is Australian and has a wonderful seated yoga program on YouTube for those unable to get up and down from a mat. Using her programs helped me get a yoga routine started. Adrienne also has some nice seated yoga programs.

Just reporting in a few days on:

• 5 glasses of water (done)
• no caffeine coffee after noon (done)

I have also purchased and am nearly finished the obesity code. Not ready for full on fasting so have instead added a further breaking habit to my list this week:

• no evening time snacking after kids’ bedtime (this will be a really difficult one for me to break)

My biggest habit change is cutting down carbs to less than 20g a day. I was forced to do it by my dietitian for health reasons (endometriosis and rheumatoid arthritis) but it has been a revolution. I work in a very cerebral, academic job and my mind is clearer, my stomach flatter and my IBS has disappeared and I do not have that falling asleep at 3pm feeling anymore. It has been the biggest, best change I have ever made.

This is a fabulous thread. Another nomination for it to become a classic!

My habits

• 16:8 fasting - I've only started in the past month, but already it helps me with...
• drinking 3 litres of water a day - at least one bottle before my first coffee, and another before lunch
• meal planning each week
• leaving the kitchen tidy after every meal

Habits I'm working on

• start my exercise before 8am (obviously much easier without a commute/school run to juggle)
• 10,000 steps a day. I like the evening walk idea, so will use that on days I'm struggling to get to 10k steps

Habits I'm going to pick up

• Daily Vitamin D
• No afternoon snack
• cold shower in the morning (I've heard Chris Evans talk about it for the last year)
• Leaving tech downstairs at nigh

My good habits:-

Daily walk (or swim when local pool reopens)

Joining Audible so I can listen to audio books - I try and listen to a 'classic' every other book, which has been a very positive experience.

Only drinking alcohol and eating a pudding at weekends.

Not shaving! Not for everyone, but after years of social conditioning I decided I wanted my body to be as nature intended.

I’ve managed 3 days of yoga on the trot and have started drinking more water. I started with Adrienne‘s beginner’s routine recommended upthread on Saturday and I think that was quite a good way of doing it - I had to learn the routine on Saturday, finessed my technique yesterday and was able to follow the routine more or less by listening this morning, which meant I could pay more attention to my posture and how my body was feeling. I’ve decided I’ll switch the routine at the weekend and follow it for 7 days. That way, it is familiar on weekdays when I’m more time pressured and feeling less motivated.

Another vote for this thread to go into classics. I love it ❤️ and have been making notes while reading it over the last few days.

I have piled the weight on over lockdown.... At the weekend someone commented that my husband (who has lost about 3 stone ) has given it to me. Embarrassingly I now weigh the same as him.

I have included these new habits-

• Intermittent fasting. No eating after 8 pm has reduced the mindless snacking after kids are in bed. I find 9-11am the hardest

-Tidy kitchen/living room before bed.

I have always drunk water so going to make sure it's a full 2 litres.

I want to-
1 leave phone downstairs

2 start yoga.. been meaning to since lockdown but with two under 5 can't find the time in the day

3 start praying daily

4 Go to bed by 10.45 rather than drifting off on the sofa

Thanks for everyone's tips and good luck 👍🏼🙂