PHYSICAL
Embracing good habits that help your body can be super beneficial to your overall physical and mental health, but you already knew that. The hard part for most people is just starting; however, creating good habits doesn't just happen over night. Sometimes it may take a while before your small lifestyle changes become daily habits but as long as you are dedicated to making a change you can do anything.
Regular exercise is an important part of improving your physical and mental health. There is a long list of benefits that come from exercising including improved mood, combating diseases, boosting energy, and longer lifespan. It is definitely not easy for some, but in the long run your body and mind will thank you.
If you're not an avid exerciser already, then start off small. For optimal results, health professionals recommend 30 minutes of physical activity every day. However, start by incorporating any form of physical activity in small increments and then you can work your way up. You can take a 15-minute run every day or maybe a 30-minute bike ride three times a week. What's great about exercising is that you can personalize it to what physical activities you like to do most.
EMOTIONAL
Maintaining your mental and emotional health is a huge part of obtaining balance in your life. It is important to foster good habits that help you express and accept all your emotions in a healthy way; whether it be feelings of happiness or sadness. Not only does working on yourself help your own state of mind, but it also allows you to process and nurture the relationships with the people around you.
Meditation is a practice that many individuals use to help bring mental clarity and emotional calmness to the mind. If you're ever feeling like your thoughts are all over the place or you are overwhelmed with stress due to external situations, then meditation could be a great way to bring your mind back to balance. Research shows that meditation has been linked to helping people's minds break away from negative thoughts and feelings that can cause stress and anxiety.
Meditation can easily be implemented in your daily life. If you have 10 minutes to spare, try sitting down in a quiet space for a quick chance to clear your mind. There are many types of meditation including mindfulness, spiritual, focused, and movement meditation. If you are nervous about getting started, try a guided meditation which can be found all over the internet, and especially on YouTube. Guided meditations are great because it allows you to clear your mind more quickly by focusing on the instructors’ voice; moreover, by being able to focus on a singular voice you will prevent your mind from wandering instead of being present in the moment.
SOCIAL
Developing our social skills is a major part of our ability to create meaningful relationships with others. The benefits of embracing good habits that foster social awareness include the ability to maintain healthy relationships and increased empathy that help with connecting with others; further, being able to establish a good support system through social skills allows you to care for others and lets others care for you.
A great way to use your social awareness is to contribute to your community by volunteering. Not only does it make you feel good about yourself but the best part is that you can make others feel good too. Research from the Journal of Happiness Studies revealed that people who volunteer more often experienced better mental health than those who don't volunteer at all.
There are many things you can do to help your community that just require a little bit of your time. It may be hard to put aside time to volunteer but it is important to note the immense feeling of gratitude and connectedness to others that you can feel from this task. Some examples of volunteering include doing a beach/park clean-up, serving food at a homeless shelter, caring for animals at the animal shelter, or teaching kids in after-school programs. However, volunteering isn't just limited to these activities. It's up to you to choose how much or how little you give back but regardless you are making a difference to those around you.
FINANCIAL
Getting a feel of the real world is also having to manage your own finances. We know this can get tricky but know that prepared basic concepts for you to get started. Tackle budgeting, expense tracking, and other means of income with this section of building good habits.
Budget Planning is a vital to help yourself make smart financial decisions. It keeps you on track with long-term financial goals and proper money management. Budget planning also keeps you from feeling financially overwhelmed--that feeling of now knowing how to pay for living expenses and all that.
Planning entails having a goal. For the most part, you need to set a clear goal of what you want to achieve. It may be short or long term. This makes it easier to allocate your finances in its proper category--may it be debt payment, day-to-day expenses, allowance for wants, etc. Consider the 50/30/20 framework. 50% of your after-tax income to your needs, 30% for wants, and 20% for savings and debt payment.
INTELLECTUAL
Even when you are out of the academia, we believe that life entails life-long learning. It is beneficial for you to sharpen your intellectual skills to face the world headstrong. We've prepared simple habits and tips for you to have a sharp mind.
Corley (2017) conducted a research stating that 88% of his wealthy respondents say they devote at least 30 minutes to education and self-improvement through reading. Warren Buffet, American business magnate, says that reading has been the most crucial habit he has developed. Books offer perspectives that can be holistically eye-opening. It covers frames of minds that one never knew existed that can later on inspire you in different aspects of life. It also sharpens critical & analytical thinking skills, improves memory, and expands your vocabulary.
Dedicating time in a day to read will surely help you with overall growth. A few tips on how to start a good reading habit is to set a daily page goal, eliminate distractions and somehow make the process enjoyable by looking for a book that relates to you and/or your interests.
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
Being confident and comfortable with interaction and communication will benefit all aspects of your life