What are some of the best habits you have formed and how do you form habits?

Aaron O'Leary
23 replies
Habit forming is a bit of a buzzword these days I feel but the value is quite obvious when forming good habits. The main ones I have formed are reading every day and drinking 2l every day, easily done as the benefits are obvious, what are some you have formed?

Replies

Hannah S Kim
I started charging my phone in the living room every night, and it has prevented me from aimlessly scrolling through social media or watching YouTube before going to bed. I would say the best way to start forming habits is to start with one small change you can implement everyday- once you see the benefits from that small change, you will be encouraged to form other habits as well.
Eddie H.
A better awareness of my body and how I react to stress has driven some of my habits. 1. When I'm stressed, I noticed that my breathing becomes shallow, so I take a few big deep breaths throughout the day. 2. I forget to drink water if I'm in the zone so I now use a water bottle with ounce markers so I can keep track of how much I drink. 3. I have a bad habit of perusing Facebook and Twitter when my brain isn't quite in the mood to take on a complex problem so I wrote a script to block those sites in my hosts file during the day.
Fajar Siddiq
I bought a book Atomic Habits by James Clear as a refresher course I've been working from home/public since 2005, I can share some tips. 16 Daily Habits of Indie-Maker - manage stress by doing outdoor sports or activity - remove distraction - read more books - sleep early or have 2 shifts (morning or night shift, depends on you) - best is to wake up at 5 am or 6 am, sleep at 11 pm. - eat healthy food, snack in between. - can try intermittent fasting - spend time alone 2 hours every morning of the day - watch some funny video and laugh as hard as possible lol because is good - clear your emails, notifications for 1hr quickly check 5x a day - smile, talk to neighbours and strangers, try to do a good deed - always start early - avoid video meetings - eat dinner with the family every day - use product hunt goals - listen same beat over and over again
Manuela Bárcenas
@fajarsiddiq yes 🙌 Atomic Habits really changed my mindset on this topic!
Clo
Exercising! For the last 6 months, I've been consistently exercising 4 times per week. 💪 I think the reasons I stick to it are a mix of: 💜 Actually enjoying it ⚡ Knowing how much I benefit from it (physical health, mental health, strength, resilience, energy, etc.) 🥊 Customising my training to my needs ♻ Changing my training whenever I start feeling bored
Neha Gupta
I've formed a habit of taking regular feedback from my team-mates. johariapp.com embraced that growth mindset.
Manuela Bárcenas
I looooove this topic (habits) and it's something I've been working on a lot lately. 1. Two years ago, I created a private instagram account where I post a picture or a graphic every time I work out. This has motivated me to work out 4-5 times a week for two years!! 2. I started journaling every morning in March of this year, and it's one of the best habits I've adopted. It's such a great way to reflect and express gratitute.
Clo
@manuelabarcenas That's so cool! How long do you spend on journaling every morning?
Ashley Hamilton
@manuelabarcenas I love how you've started to journal! Any ideas on how to make journaling a habit for someone who has never been able to make it stick?
Lauren McNeely
@manuelabarcenas Love both of these! I've found that committing to at least some kind of workout every morning does wonders for my stress levels and helps me start the day in a much more positive mood. I've been using a "one line a day" journal for years now, and I love how it forces me to stop for at least a few moments each day to reflect and appreciate the little things. It's also so neat to read back on what I was doing that same day years before - helps you realize the growth you achieve that you don't notice in your busy day-to-day!
Ronan Wall
The habits listed here are so impressive, As much as I wish i did, I don't follow many of them... I find too much structure causes me to feel confined and reduces my creativity / energy. So I just have one habit - I have a to do list with large items (eg create a pitch deck) and smaller items that are doable in a short amount of time underneath them (eg finish the customer survey, find a pitch deck designer on Upwork). I update it in the morning (so I'm focused for that day) and the evening (so i go to bed knowing what I'm doing the next day) and after meetings (if anything changes)
Lauren Place
Mine are the same for the most part (reading and upping water ) I also —— Quit added sugar (still use Stevia or small amounts of real sugar in curries or things that need a little carmelisation) — 8k+ steps a day (usually accomplished by 2-3 longer walks in a day or a long run + one short walk in the evening) I think many publication claim there's an exact #of days for a habit to stick but I've found with these easier short-term effect habits I can just no-bars self discipline it for two weeks and then it holds!
Christian Heine
@lauren_place Sugar is a big one. I also quit (most of) my sugar and I also feel the effects. I don't like sweetener, so the early times was tough. But over time (2-3 weeks for me), everything tasted sweeter by itself.
Christian Heine
I tried a lot over the last two years. The most powerful habits were these. Body: 1. Drink a lot of water: Always have a jug of water in sight & make it tasty (I like to add sliced grapefruit). It might seem like not much, but if I don't drink enough, I am less productive. 2. Exercise regularly: Every second day & always during the lunch break. The trigger is lunchtime, and I simply replace the usual food with a protein shake after training. To ensure I get enough recovery, I go for a bit lower weight and slow progression. Always clears my mind and even sparks creativity. Mind: 1. Journaling: I always start the day with journaling and basically have my journal open all the time (it's why I started my current company). It's basically my todo-list, so it has an inbuilt trigger. Being able to review what I did - especially when looking several days or weeks back - and knowing all the things I need to do are captured has been a game-changer for my anxious brain. 2. Mindfulness: This is a work in progress. I tried dedicated meditation, but I found that simply stopping what you are doing for a moment and asking the simple question "What is true right now?" already helps a lot. Basically, I am trying to use the change of emotional state as a trigger. Works often, but not always. I am trying to add more regular sleep as well, but I have not yet found a good enough trigger. Any suggestions?
Wesley Tian
Every morning: Walk for 10 minutes (0.5 miles) + drink 1 glass of water. Every day: Work out for 30 minutes + cold shower (30 seconds in a temp that is uncomfortable).
Gordian Overschmidt
The best habit and how to form it? Only one! The habit of self-determination. Habits are decisions we don't waste any more thought on; they only require us to follow decisions we made some time ago even though the basics have changed. There are undeniably good ones like hygiene like brushing teeth, and washing hands, learned morals and respect for others, and much, much more. Art or artists also live from rehearsed processes/habits like using colors, brushes, or spatulas. My habit is to actively choose to decide: to create something new and bring transformation; I have to make recent decisions every time, to make the "right choice" every time, then it most probably will become good habits.
Don Le
Reading the Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg and and Atomic Habits by James Clear really got me started down the road of habit formation. So much so that I built a product that combines concepts from habit formation with Cognitive Behavior Therapy to create an on-demand mental health toolkit! Ladder My best habits are definitely journaling daily, meditation, taking cold showers (try 30 seconds at the end of your regular showers first), and fasting.
Marin Rowe
Wow, so many great suggestions here that I'd love to implement. I'll echo the comments that talk about making time to exercise and get outside. This is something I've made a habit of during quarantine and it has done so much for my mental health! One habit I've embraced and do every day is to make my bed. That may seem trite but if any of you have read "Make Your Bed" by Admiral William McRaven, he talks about the importance of making your bed when you get up in the morning. In doing so, he argues that you start your day with a sense of accomplishment- if nothing else, you've accomplished one thing and that was to make your bed. Always helps me get my day started off on the right footing. More info on the book here if anyone is interested: https://www.goodreads.com/book/s...
Olivia Barkley
I wish I followed many of these practices, but I don't. Too much rigidity limits my creativity and enthusiasm. So I have one habit - I have a to-do list with major items (e.g. construct a pitch deck) and smaller, quicker stuff beneath it (eg finish the customer survey, find a pitch deck designer on Upwork). I update it in the morning, evening (so I know what to do the next day), and after meetings (if anything changes)