These 10 things you should do every day to improve your life are very simple. Doing these simple things every day leads to forming habits that will make life better and happier for you and those around you.

1.  Learn something new

Learning something new is now easier than ever with technology and a wealth of information just a few clicks away. This could also come from reading book  or something as simple as trying a new recipe.To stay mentally strong, you’ve got to exercise your brain!  I can’t think of a better exercise than to take on new information and apply it to improve your life.  

 2. Drink more water

Many of us know this is something we should do but we get distracted during the day and don’t make it a priority. Drinking more water is something simple we should do every day that has all kinds of benefits for our health. Staying healthy is vital to improving our lives. 

I’m very guilty of getting sidetracked and not making the time to drink more water. During my pregnancy, I made it a priority to drink lots of water and I felt great! To help achieve the goal of drinking more water, there are apps and wearable technology that constantly provide visual reminders. 

3.  Stay positive

Staying positive can make a difference in your mental health, productivity, and stress levels.  It is a great way to improve your life! It just takes one email, call, text or news article that effects our mood and sends our day in a different direction than we started.  In those moments, we have to keep focused on the big picture and harness the power of positivity.  This article 11 simple ways to keep your day positive is full of ideas for surrounding yourself with positive.

4.  Make your bed in the morning

Making your bed every day to improve your life sounds kind of unusual but I believe it’s a visual way of telling ourselves “it’s a new day, let’s do this!” It’s like checking off the first task of the day and setting yourself up for success.  To be honest, this is a later in life habit for me that I learned to appreciate from my husband.  Before him, making the bed was not a priority for me. Now it’s part of our daily routine and I see the value in it. It has the same effect as a sink that’s free of dirty dishes… it just kind of gives you that perspective of being tidy and productive. 

5. Meditate

To meditate means different things to different people.  For some, it may be prayer, others it may be a quiet time to reflect, or a combination of both. No matter how you spend the time, it is always a time to slow down and get away from life’s multi-tasking moments. Meditation creates time to take some deep breaths, think, and improve your life in the process.

6. Just start

Do you get down and out thinking about things you want to do?  Take decluttering, for example. We let ourselves believe that the job is too big so we avoid it.  What we really want is the job to be done instantly. However, if we would just start, however small, we will see improvement over time. This is true not only of decluttering, but of anything we want to do.  Just start.

7. Smile

One of the simplest things we can do is smile more.  It instantly makes the people around us feel more at ease. A smile is contagious.  It sends a message that everything is okay. Without a smile, people usually assume something is wrong or we’re upset. 

8.  Get outdoors

Try to find an opportunity every day to get outdoors.  Try to step outside a few minutes during your lunch or break if you work in an office.  If you have a long commute, crack the windows or open the sunroof. Fresh air has a way of improving our moods.  Stopping to take in nature gives your mind a welcome break and your body a boost.  Enjoying the sounds and sights outdoors can be a simple thing you do every day to improve your life. 

The image below was taken from our car while we were stuck in traffic on the way back from a trip to Pigeon Forge, TN.  It took an extra hour to get home, but neither of us cared because the sights and sounds were stunning!

9. Practice gratitude

I wrote an article called “the one word that positively impacts every area of your life.” It’s all about gratitude and how it can positively improve every area of your life. Being grateful means taking in every season life has to offer and using it to learn, grow and improve.

This is your life, your story… you hold the pen.

10. Love yourself and love others

Self-love simply means taking care of yourself, mentally, physically, and emotionally.  It’s so important, yet we often (especially moms) neglect our own needs.  We also let self-doubt and guilt creep in. To improve your life, you have to take care of yourself and not give self-doubt a place in your thoughts.

Have you ever been sitting at work, piled under a “to do” list, and a text from your significant other comes across your phone?  You think “I don’t have time, but better check to make sure everything’s ok” to find three simple words.