10 Habits to Adopt in 2018

Developing bad habits seems to be as easy as a click of your finger.

The human psyche feels like it’s teetered on a thin edge; seemingly very easy to push over into the spiral of unhealthy/bad habits like eating junk food and dirty makeup brushes…

It’s just so easy to pick these negative behaviours up, and yet, it’s usually much harder to develop good, healthy and positive habits. It’s like teaching yourself a new skill; you have to go step by step and put in the practice every day until you start to see improvement – it’s hard to start with but after a while it gets easier because you’re used to it.

You’re basically training your brain.

^ Bracelets from Tideline Treasure (use code ANNA10 for 10% off!), jumper from TOBI*

A year or so ago, I built a habit of getting up every morning to walk the dog, which I thought I’d never do. Since then, I’ve lapsed and I need to build the habit back up. Plus I also have a few more on my list that I want to work on…

1. Get up earlier

Recently I’ve been getting into the naughty habit of lying in, but I’ve realised I’ve forgotten how much I like the feeling of being up at day break. It makes me feel super productive!

2. Walk the dog every day

As I say, this is a habit that has definitely lapsed over Winter. Pepper technically doesn’t need to be walked every day, but she does love it and I want to make her happy – plus more exercise is always good!

3. Drink 8 glasses of water a day

I’d say I successfully achieved this for one whole month last Summer, and I felt great! But it’s SO hard to keep up, especially if you’re rubbish at feeling thirst like me. I just forget… but I really want to try harder. I’ll be using the Lifesum app to track my water intake, as I use it to track macros anyway.

4. Budget tracking

This week I’ve had a bit of a reality check with a large tax bill, and I am determined to be stricter with my finances. 2017 was my year of big blow outs, but I want to get back to budgeting this year… using another app! This one is called Goodbudget… I’ll let you know how it goes.

5. Read instead of watch TV

NO I am NOT going to give up TV. I love a good Netflix binge as much as the next person. I just mean that sometimes I watch TV for the sake of it or because I’m bored, but I really want to swap that habit for reading instead, and achieve one of my goals whilst doing so.

6. Make time for friends once a week

This is something I feel I’ve definitely achieved for the past year! Olivia and I meet up every week for a walk or catch up, and I love this little tradition of ours. We may not have realised it, but this has become a habit for us, which makes it so much easier to dedicate time to. Obviously this is harder the more friends you have and depends on where they live, but I do think it’s important to put in the effort!

7. Cleanse skin every day

Yeah, I’m kind of rubbish at this. Using a makeup remover wipe is NOT enough… my skin needs proper care with a cleansing and moisturising routine. My favourite is the Liz Earle cleanse and polish combination*, but I really need to remember to use it more.

^ Black oversized sweater dress from TOBI*

8. Make lunches at home

Okay, so the occasional treat lunch out at a weekend is okay, but it very quickly becomes too easy to ‘grab a meal deal’ here or a ‘pasty there’ or ‘oh lets just grab some lunch out’ here. It can get expensive and unhealthy, so I just want to get creative and make my own lunches more!

9. Take more photos

I take my camera with me most places, but I still feel I don’t take enough photos. Just every day moments that are ordinary, but I want to practice my skills more and I can only do that by doing MORE!

10. Practice gratitude

This sounds very woo-woo, but with all life’s stresses I honestly think this is such a nice way to end the day and help you feel more positive. Think of 1 or 2 things every night that you’re grateful for; no need to write them down, just keep them in your mind and stay happy!

 

What’s on your habit wishlist?

* Indicates gifted items