If you ever find yourself stuck in a rut of laziness, low energy, and lack of direction, these five keystone habits will help you smash through it:
1) Regular workout: More than for physical fitness, exercise is a great medicine for mental well-being. Study after study has shown its efficacy with anxiety and depression.
I have never done a workout that hasn’t uplifted my mood and optimism levels. If I were a doctor, I would prescribe an hour of intense exercise daily to every patient (actually, to every human being).
2) Waking up early: This can be a bit controversial since we all have different routines and it may suggest that sleep is to be curtailed. No, waking up early works only if you sleep early and make sure you get the 7-8 hrs of sleep your body needs.
If you want to have a good morning routine, it will easily take 2-3 hrs, for which you need to wake up early enough. Also, waking up early is a great motivator.
I strongly recommend this habit but it does not always have to be 5 am – you should experiment and figure out what works best for you.
3) Meditation: This is an obvious one. Whether to better handle your emotions or calm your mental turbulence, meditation is the thing. It is a critical part of my morning routine and I am so thankful that I learned meditation – you should too (if you are not doing it already).
4) Daily learning: There is SO MUCH amazing content available that it would be criminal to not take advantage of it. Do this and it will motivate you to take your life to the next level.
5) Smartphone detox: The online world is designed to grab your attention at any cost. Constant phone usage creates anxiety, wastes your life, and makes you feel helpless. It is a modern-day curse.
You don’t have to give up on your phone – instead, build boundaries around it. Use your phone mindfully, not compulsively.
Build any of these five habits and they will have a cascading effect, motivating you to bring other positive changes in your life. That is why they are keystone habits.
When it comes to building habits, knowledge without action is useless. So pick one and get started.
– Rajan