If you want to improve your life, you are in the right place.
There are a few changes I’ve been making lately that have really helped make my life easier and better.
Not only do these changes make my life a little better or more manageable the day of, but overtime and for the long term, these small changes have been really beneficial for my physical and mental health. I think you’ll see why.
This post is all about 11 small changes you can make today to drastically improve your life.
1. Get an electric toothbrush
I used to have an electric toothbrush, but when it eventually died, I switched back to a manual one. Of course, brushing your teeth with something is better than not brushing them at all, but there is a difference between the quality of clean you can get from an electric toothbrush versus a manual one.
According to Healthline.com, “electric toothbrushes decrease more plaque and gingivitis than manual toothbrushes. After three months of use, plaque was reduced by 21 percent and gingivitis by 11 percent”.
I went to the dentist a few weeks ago, and he asked me what kind of toothbrush I use. When I told him that I used a manual one, I could see a glimpse of disappointment cross his face. Immediately, he recommended I use an electric toothbrush instead.
Almost as soon as I got home that day, I started looking for electric toothbrushes and I found one that I really like (link below). Not only does it have great reviews, extra brush heads, and multiple settings like “soft” mode for those of us who are more sensitive, but it is very affordable. Here it is:
Getting an electric toothbrush instead of a manual one to take care of your dental health is really a no-brainer.
2. Make sure everything in your home has a place
Lately, I’ve been doing a pretty good job of keeping my apartment clean on a consistent basis. This is coming from someone who lived like a bomb went off in my apartment for most of my adult life haha.
I’ve always been the kind of person who will clean when friends are visiting and make my apartment look flawless, but 99% of the time it’s a mess.
But I’ve been growing tired of living that way, and I realized something that has really helped make cleaning and keeping things tidy much easier. And that is, the idea that everything has its own place.
This means that everything in my home (with the exception of a few things, maybe) has a drawer, a closet, a hanger, a storage compartment, a cabinet – SOMEWHERE it belongs. This way, when I go to tidy up my apartment, I put everything back in its proper place which makes tidying up much easier.
For example, I recently bought a jewelry organizer so that I can store all of my jewelry in one place. Previously, my jewelry would be in 5 different places all over my apartment – an old backpack, some in a chest of drawers, some on my nightstand, some on my dresser – you get the picture.
But by buying a jewelry organizer, I now have all of my jewelry in one, organized place and it’s fantastic.
Not only does this help keep my space even cleaner and more tidy, but now when I want to wear my jewelry, I can find it all in one place. This makes it so easy to pick out what jewelry I want to wear.
Here’s the jewelry organizer I recently purchased and love:
3. Don’t put off necessary appointments
This is something that I think most of us do at times (myself included) but it’s just really not worth it.
If you are able to afford an appointment with a doctor, dentist, therapist, etc. (because I know that’s a whole other thing that causes worry for many of us) then you should totally consider doing so.
From a physical health perspective, when you put things off that are bothering you, they can get worse over time. The same is true from a mental health perspective.
P.S. If you are thinking about getting a therapist, you can read this post I wrote about the benefits of therapy I’ve experienced and how you can find a therapist for yourself.
Take care of yourself and make appointments as soon as you need to.
4. Invest in a good water bottle
Staying hydrated is so important for so many reasons. According to MedicalNewsToday, water helps to lubricate your joints, prevent wrinkles, cushion organs, regulate your body temperature, flush body waste, and SO much more.
One thing that’ll make it much easier to hydrate is having a water bottle that you actually like to drink out of.
Yeti water bottles, for example, are great because they’re easy to drink out of, last a very long time, and will keep your water cold.
There are so many great water bottles out there. Find one that helps you enjoy drinking water so you can consume more of it.
5. Always have a book nearby
Something I’ve really started to grow to appreciate lately is having a good book nearby. Lately, I aim to have 2 different books on deck; one that is Fiction (something I read to escape reality for a bit) and one that is Nonfiction (usually something personal-development-esque).
Reading is a great way to relax, get your mind off things, or learn something new. If you haven’t read a book in a while, find one that sounds interesting to you and dive in! You might be surprised how much you like it.
Here are two books I’ve read/have been reading lately that I absolutely love and highly recommend if you’re looking for something new:
Fiction – Industry Friends by Casey Dexter
6. Find an exercise you actually enjoy
We all know the many benefits of exercise, but it’s not always easy to show up. Something that can be really helpful, though, is finding a form of exercise you actually enjoy doing. Whether it’s an instructor-led class at your gym, yoga through Youtube, or something like OrangeTheory, finding something that you like to do will help make showing up a little easier.
Personally, I’ve been really enjoying weight lifting. When I weight lift, I use the Alive app by Whitney Simmons. I wrote a whole review on it which you can read here, but simply, the Alive app is a well-designed app that has multi-month workout plans that walk you through each exercise. I’ve learned so much through this app, and have gained a lot of confidence in terms of weight lifting at my gym, too.
I also really like OrangeTheory because it’s got a mix of cardio and weight lifting. I wrote a review about OrangeTheory, too, which you can read here.
Finding an exercise that you enjoy makes it much easier and much more fun to workout on a consistent basis.
7. Take care of your belongings
How often do you take care of your belongings? This can be anything from a piece of furniture, to a piece of clothing, to your car.
For example, when’s the last time you got a car wash? Or vacuumed out your car? Or gave your favorite pair of shoes a quick cleaning?
The more your take care of your things, the longer they will last. Plus, it just feels really good to do this!
8. Buy yourself some flowers
If you’re anything like me, a fresh vase of flowers or a new candle can add just the right amount of joy to your day.
When’s the last time you bought yourself something like this? I hope it wasn’t too long ago. And if it was, now’s the time to bring a little bit of this joy back into your life. And maybe you can even make it something that’s a little more permanent, like, buying yourself flowers whenever you go to the grocery store.
Small things that make you happy are always worth it.
9. Delegate a task
I’m really good at making to-do lists that are way too long and then stressing out over them 🙂 Can you relate?
The next time you feel this way, try looking at the things you have to do, and asking yourself, “Can I ask someone else to help me with this?” or, “Can I ask someone else to do this instead?”.
I think sometimes, especially as women, we think we need to do it all and the thought of “maybe I can ask someone else to do this for me” rarely crosses our minds. But we really need to ask for more help and stop trying to do every single little thing ourselves.
Delegate a task or two the next time you write out your to-do list to help relieve a little stress.
10. Make healthy food swaps
Is there something you drink or eat every day that you might be able to swap out for something healthier? I don’t know about you, but I drink and eat a lot of the same things over and over again without even really think about swapping them for healthy alternatives because I’m just on auto-pilot!
But lately, I’ve been making healthy swaps such as changing my coffee creamer for something with a little less sugar, or maybe swapping out the type of ketchup I use!
These small swaps might seem trivial, but over time they can be really beneficial for your health.
If it’s a swap that you really wouldn’t mind making, then why not!?
11. Listen to an inspiring podcast
If you’re looking for a boost of motivation, inspiration, or even just to learn something new about a topic you’re interested in, podcasts can be a great, free way to do that.
A few podcasts I’ve been loving lately include:
- The Ed Mylett Show – Ed Mylett is an all-around awesome guy who interviews some pretty amazing people.
- The Rich Roll Podcast – This is a newer-to-me podcast, but Rich Roll is a very determined person who also interviews inspiring people.
- The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast – Lauryn Evarts Bosstick and her husband Michael are witty, smart, and ask great questions. Rarely do I listen to their podcast and not learn something new.
Sources:
Healthline: https://www.healthline.com/health/dental-and-oral-health/electric-toothbrush-vs-manual#electric-pros
Medical News Today: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/290814#benefits
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- 28 Personal Development Goals For Women
- 15 Super Wise & Helpful Tips For Traveling Alone
- The Antidote To Comparison & How To Benefit From It
- 12 Life-Changing Tips For Navigating Your 20s
