21 Easy Habits To Start For a Life Upgrade

Here are 21 easy habits you can start anytime (and actually keep them) to improve your life without tiring yourself.

There are many habits that can improve your life. But I think the best habits are the ones you can pick up easily and stick to easily, too.

We don’t always have the perfect routine where we wake up early, hit the gym, and work for eight hours straight.

Sometimes you’re stressed about work. Sometimes your family needs you. Sometimes your bank account annoys you, and sometimes your relationships drain you.

And sometimes you are simply tired and trying your best to get through the week without running out of energy.

Basically, real life is so unpredictable and chaotic that perfection isn’t always possible, and it shouldn’t be the goal anyway.

That’s why I’ve stopped obsessing over impossible routines and started focusing more on easy habits that fit into my real life.

So, today, I am taking the time to share 21 easy habits that you can stick to on both your good and bad days.

They will help you become healthier, happier, calmer, and just make your everyday life better.

If you’re ready for a life upgrade without too much work and want to get good at building habits, then read on!

21 Easy Habits Worth Starting

1. Drink water before coffee

I love coffee deeply, but my body definitely loves water more, and so does yours.

Drink a glass of water before having caffeine in the morning.

It will wake you up gently, flush the toxins from your body, and make you functional from within instead of the surface-level energy that coffee gives you.

The best part is that it takes absolutely no extra effort. You are literally just drinking one glass of water.

And once you start your morning with one healthy choice, your brain naturally feels more motivated to continue taking care of yourself throughout the day, too.

2. Wash and put your dishes away immediately

This habit may sound painfully boring, but it actually makes your days simple.

When you leave just a few dishes in the sink, they can pile up fast. But if you wash them immediately, it keeps your space hygienic and calm.

Also, doing this will make you more active, and you’ll find yourself wanting to put other things in your house in their place asap too.

3. Open your curtains first thing in the morning

Keeping yourself locked in a dark space in the morning can make you gloomy. But natural light is the best thing you can supply your mind and body.

So, make it a habit to open your curtains the moment you’re on your feet.

The second sunlight enters your room, you’ll feel more alive and ready to face the day.

And the best part is that it’s absolutely free. Ah, the blessings of nature.

4. Put your phone down while eating

If you’re always scrolling or even just checking your phone for a few seconds while eating, you won’t be able to really taste your meals.

I am not asking you to avoid social media for a full day here. Just put your phone away while eating. Start with just one meal a day for now.

Not only will this make your food more enjoyable, but it will also act as a nice break away from your tiny screen.

5. Do a two-minute room reset before bed

Before going to bed, do a 2-minute reset in your room. You can even set the timer if you need to.

Make your bed crease-free, throw clothes in the laundry basket, put items back in their place, and clear random clutter from the desk.

You sleep better in a clean room than in a messy room, and waking up to a clean environment feels nice too.

6. Use your good things on regular days

I used to save candles, perfumes, skincare, cute pajamas, fancy notebooks, and pretty mugs for special moments.

Now, that mindset would make sense for someone who has loads of trips, parties, or events to go to. But most people like myself don’t.

We have ordinary days where we usually go to similar places and do the same activities. And the best way to add some magic to these ordinary days is to use our good stuff.

So, make it a habit to use the things you love today instead of waiting for some imaginary perfect occasion.

Wear the expensive perfume, use the pretty cup, and light a scented candle on a weekday.

Your regular life deserves softness, too, maybe even more than special days. This is how you romanticize!

7. Stretch for just one minute

Full workouts can be hard to maintain, but stretching your body for one minute? It’s totally doable at least once a day.

Whenever you’ve been sitting, working, studying, or scrolling in bed for too long, get up and stretch for a minute.

Reach your arms up, stretch your back, roll your shoulders, and touch your toes dramatically like you’re in a wellness vlog.

Your body will feel so much better afterward.

8. Walk around while taking phone calls

If someone calls you, just get up and automatically start walking around the house instead of sitting frozen in one spot.

This will help you move your body without even thinking about it. And those tiny steps can really add up, let me tell you.

Plus, walking while talking weirdly releases nervous energy too. It’s hands-down the best way to stay active throughout the day.

9. Read one page before sleeping

People online make reading sound so intense sometimes. But you do not need to finish ten books a month.

Read just one page before bed. It’s enough to create a positive mental space and give you an escape, which is the purpose of reading.

You can pick a self-help, a fantasy, a classic, or a cozy romance — whatever you’re in the mood for at night.

This little reading routine will slowly build your focus and attention span, and you won’t even realize it.

10. Put things back where they belong immediately

If I had to pick the easiest habit to be more organized, it’d be putting things back where they belong once you’re done using them.

Cleaning becomes much easier when you stop creating unnecessary messes throughout the day.

Once you’ve used your hairbrush, put it back in the drawer. Once your phone is charged, put the charger away.

When you come back home from work, put your shoes away immediately. When you find a random receipt in your purse, throw it away.

It sounds simple because it is simple.

11. Keep a ‘brain dump’ notes app

Half the time, my brain feels like twenty people are talking to me at once.

So now whenever random thoughts, reminders, worries, ideas, or tasks start nagging me, I immediately dump them into my notes app instead of mentally carrying everything at once.

And yes, this helps a lot!

Your brain relaxes when it knows things are written down somewhere safe.

So, if your brain is also a chatterbox, then definitely try this. It will make you mentally less cluttered without having to keep a journaling routine.

12. Add gua sha or an ice roller to your skincare

Every year, we see many new skincare trends, but only a few of them are worth trying. Gua sha or ice roller falls in the ‘worth trying’ category.

Every morning, once you’ve cleansed your face, use a gua sha or ice roller for five minutes while sitting in bed or standing on the balcony.

It will help wake your face up, make you super relaxed, and honestly, add a soft self-care moment into your day.

13. Soak 5 almonds at night

Soaked almonds are a fresh addition to my diet, courtesy of my mom. It makes me feel like such a wellness girlie.

Almonds are packed with healthy fats, vitamins, protein, and nutrients that are great for your skin, brain, energy levels, and overall health.

And soaking them overnight makes them softer, easier to digest, and easier for your body to absorb properly, too.

Before going to bed, just soak 4-6 almonds in water and leave them overnight.

Then peel and eat them the next morning while having tea, coffee, or getting ready for the day.

14. Sit outside for a few minutes every day

Sitting outside for even three to five minutes can be so good for your mood.

Fresh air can clear your mind when it is too cluttered. Sunlight can help when you’ve been indoors too long. And seeing trees and hearing birds can help you forget your little problems.

You don’t even need to do anything here. Just exist outside for a bit, and find peace and joy in the company of nature.

15. Check your notifications later

One habit I’m trying to build these days is waiting a little before opening every message, email, or notification.

Reacting to everything on your phone immediately keeps your brain in stress mode all day long.

Not every notification deserves instant access to your nervous system. You are allowed to respond later sometimes.

It will help you create a tiny boundary with technology and give less power to your devices.

16. Compliment people more often

This habit upgrades both your and other people’s lives, and it takes nothing but just a few words.

Tell your friend she looks pretty. Tell your colleague their outfit is cute. And tell people when they do something well.

It will make the people around you feel good, and also help you notice more beauty and goodness around you.

More like this: 50 Beautiful Acts Of Kindness To Spread Joy Around You

17. Make a reverse to-do list

This habit is pure gold for people who usually get overwhelmed with to-do lists (I have plenty of those moments myself).

Instead of only writing down things you need to do, a reverse to-do list is where you write down things you’ve already completed throughout the day.

You can write things like:

Answered emails
Made breakfast
Went on a walk
Cleaned room
Finished work tasks
Drank water
Survived an emotionally exhausting day

Sometimes we get so focused on unfinished tasks that we completely ignore everything we actually managed to do.

And that can make life feel way more unproductive and discouraging than it really is.

But this tiny habit will help you see proof that you are always making progress.

It’s really motivating watching your ‘done’ list grow throughout the day instead of only staring at a stressful list of unfinished things.

18. Stand up during scrolling breaks

If you’re scrolling on your phone during breaks, then try doing it standing sometimes.

Walk around while watching TikToks, stretch while checking Instagram stories, and pace around your room while replying to texts.

It sounds silly, I know, but it really helps break the feeling of being frozen that happens way too easily nowadays.

Tiny movement is still movement!

19. Keep lip balm and hand cream nearby

Dry lips and dry hands can make you feel tired and crusty, both physically and emotionally.

The straightforward solution to this is to keep a lip balm and hand cream near your desk and bed, and in your bag.

Tiny self-care habits like this are amazing for making you feel soft without requiring huge effort.

20. Put your water bottle near you at all times

I easily drink ten times more water when my bottle is actually within reach instead of sitting across the room like a decorative piece.

And having your water bottle near you at all times is a whole habit in itself. If you don’t already follow this, start doing it now.

Keep your water bottle near you while working, studying, watching shows, or relaxing in bed.

You’ll end up drinking water without even thinking about it, and it will help with your energy, gut, skin, and emotions.

It’s such a lazy-girl-friendly habit, but those are honestly my favorite kind, and might turn out to be your favorite too.

21. Write down one affirmation every day

I know affirmations can sometimes sound a little cheesy, but there is no other easy habit that’s as positive.

You do not need a big journal for this. Just write one affirmation somewhere easy.

It can be in your notes app, on a sticky note, in an empty notebook, or in your daily planner.

I have a Google Sheet bookmarked on my Chrome, and I write an affirmation in it every morning.

The list keeps growing every day, and it makes me feel so good to glance at my past affirmations.

Here are some you can try:

I am capable of handling my life.
I deserve good things too.
It’s okay to not have everything figured out today.
I am becoming a better version of myself slowly.

Words like these break the negative thoughts that we tend to carry with us. This is a soft life upgrade for sure, but much needed for us all.