Wanting to know the best habits to adopt in 2022? Start implementing these life-changing habits and start your new year right. 

While we may not have much control over the global pandemic, we do have control over making some kick-ass habits.

As someone who is obsessed with self-improvement and making changes for the better, I’ve collected a variety of habits you can adopt now to make your life better.

Whether you’re looking to improve your productivity, your study habits, your health, or overall quality of life, I’ve got you.

Once you’ve been inspired by this ultimate list of habit ideas, you’ll be able to achieve anything, making certain that your 2022 is the best year yet.

This post is all about the best habits to adopt in 2022. 

Best Daily Habits to Adopt 

Make Your Bed

To make your bed means starting your day with something already accomplished. Studies show your morning mood can affect your whole day, so it’s important we set ourselves up for success at the start of the day with this simple maneuver. US Navel Admiral William H wrote an entire book dedicated to the idea, titled ‘Make Your Bed’.  Click here to see him make an inspirational speech about the importance of making your bed. 

Exercise Every Day

I’m sure you’ve heard this one before, but it was too important to leave out. It’s a fact. Exercise is important for your body and mind and should be done every day. Whether that be a 2-hour gym session, a quick dip in the ocean, or a 20-minute brisk walk, make it a habit, and you’ll feel better for it every time. 

Go Outside 

Don’t underestimate the power of going outside, even if just for 5 minutes. Fresh air, vitamin D, and a change of setting can make more of a difference than you might think. If you want to get the full benefits, take your shoes off. Studies show that making skin contact with the earth can reduce anxiety, depression and improve your sleep. 

Reading 

Continually educate or improve the mental capacity of your mind. Books can serve any purpose that you need. Whether for relaxation, learning or inspiration, reading is an essential habit you cannot surpass. Make it a goal to read 10 pages a day. 

Sleep More 

Sleep is so important! It literally affects every aspect of your life. Start prioritizing your sleep habits by turning off your electronics an hour before bed and getting rid of your snoozing habit in the morning. Click here to learn more about all the ways sleep affects your life. 

Meditation 

Meditation is one of those habits that may not seem like much at the beginning, but soon enough you won’t be able to live without it. It only takes 10 minutes of your morning routine to implement and the benefits are beyond worth it. Check out some of the science-based benefits here.

Drink more Water 

You’ll be surprised how much the simple habit of drinking water can improve your life. Make it the first thing you do in your day (after making your bed 😉 ) and you’ll already be accomplishing goals in terms of your health. See here for the health benefits. 

Practice Gratitude 

Every night when you’re lying in bed, think of 3 things you are grateful for. Not only will this remind you of what’s important in life, but it will set you up for success with a positive mindset in the morning. 

Best Productive Habits To Adopt 

Start Time Blocking 

To ensure you are getting the most of your days, it is crucial you are keeping track of where you are spending your time and for how long. Whether you use the iPhone calendar, an app, or google calendar (my personal favourite), time blocking is definitely a game-changer in terms of productivity levels. 

Take Breaks 

Studies show that workers actually had improved attention after taking short breaks. Set a timer for 5 minutes after every hour of work and let your mind rejuvenate and restore its mental energy so that your focus never wavers. 

Create A Morning Routine 

Morning Routines can be a way of giving yourself control over your day. Instead of rushing out the door after being shocked awake by your vicious alarm o’clock, set up your day calmly, and tick off some things to accomplish before your day even begins. You’ll feel great for it. 

Wake up Early 

Now waking up early is never an easy thing. You have to be dedicated to your bedtime, ensuring you get your 8 hours of rest. However, if you can, mornings are a game-changer in terms of giving you time to work on your goals. It’s a time of zero interruption, giving you a window of pure focus to dedicate to the things you really want to achieve in your life. 

Plan the Night Before 

To be productive, we need to have a plan in place. Whether that’s time blocking your time, making a to-do list, or highlighting your biggest priorities, you need to have a plan made the night before so that you can start making action as soon as you wake up. 

Make Fewer Decisions 

There’s a reason Steve Jobs wears the same outfit every day and that is because of decision fatigue. Studies show that our minds are limited to a certain amount of good decisions every day. Save these decisions for the things that matter and plan out all the other aspects of your life, where possible. Whether that’s choosing your outfit the night before, meal planning, time blocking your activities, these small structures will give you more mental focus for greater tasks. 

Eliminate distractions 

If you are wanting to increase your productivity in 2022, you need to eliminate your distractions. Turn off your phone, delete computer notifications and ensure you are setting yourself up for success for your work. Read more about how to increase the chance of you sticking to your habits.

Track your time

There is great power in knowing how long you spend doing things. Track the different routines in your day and see where you could be more productive or time-efficient in order to maximize your days. 

Other posts that can help you achieve your goals:

‘How To Create A Routine And Stick To It | 11 Essential Tips’

Best Habits for Success

Arrive Early (be punctual)

Being punctual not only gains respect from those you are meeting, but it oozes organization. It demonstrates to yourself that you’re prepared, on top of things, and in control of your time. 

Remain Inspired

We all know motivation comes and goes, so keeping yourself inspired is key to attaining your goals. Find an inspiring youtube channel, a podcast, a book, or even an epic music playlist. Anything that gets you pumping and psyched for your hard work. Make it either a weekly or daily habit that ensures you remain on your desired path. 

Manifest 

Manifesting has some sure power to it and you don’t even have to be spiritual to get around this idea. Make some aspiring goals and say them to yourself every day and every night. You’ll be surprised what opportunities can arise when all of your mental energy is focused on goal. If you’re intrigued, I recommend reading this book by Jordanna Levin, called ‘Make It Happen’. This book will make you a pro.

Be Organized 

Life is so much harder when you don’t have your sh** together. Get a planner, start time blocking, clean you’re space and you’ll be able to achieve so much more. 

Delegate 

Now admittedly not everyone is as fortunate to be able to ‘delegate’ things to someone else, but don’t forget help is around you. Whether you are in a position to pay someone, or even if you’re simply reaching out to a family member or friend, people can help you. There comes a time where you can’t do it all, so take the leap. 

Network 

Networking is so important, and most people are friendly humans! Having someone in your field to bounce ideas, ask for advice or simply just hear their story for inspiration, so many benefits! Slide into someone’s DMs and just ask for a coffee. Away you go, you social butterfly. 

Stay Humble 

No matter where you are in your business journey, be grateful and as Drake would say #behumble. Being humble means you are appreciative of how far you’ve grown while also acknowledging how much more you still have to go (because we all do). Everyone’s learning in this world, including you, so make it a weekly habit that you remind yourself of your beginnings. 

Habits To Adopt To Improve the Quality of Your Life

Surround yourself with positive people 

Every human needs a cheerleading posse. A squad you can rely on when you need a laugh, cry, or a dance. Social interactions are a human need, so make it a priority that you find your circle of people and book in regular dates so that you are being re-energized by their energy. 

Find balance 

So important, but actually hard to acknowledge at times. I would suggest time blocking your schedule, writing out what you plan to do every day. Then highlight each activity according to a category, whether it’s work, social, exercise, or rest activities. This is a good way to see if you’re happy where most of your time is being dedicated to, as the colour you see most is what your life currently depicts. 

Do more of what you love

If there’s anything to be learned from COVID-19, it’s that life is too short!! Seize every day, and don’t waste a second longer doing anything you don’t want to do. 

Communicate your emotions to others 

Talk it out!! Again, life is too short to be holding onto emotions!! You’ll feel much better for it. Make it a habit that you always speak honestly about how you feel towards others. 

Clean your surroundings

Neat environments make you feel on top of the world. Clean your desk, categorize the clothing in your wardrobe, and clean your kitchen. Put a timer on for 30 minutes every day and see how much you can get done within the time. 

Try new things 

There is sooooo many things out there in this great ol’ world. Keep life spicy and try something new. Whether it’s a new takeaway venue, a new barista, a new genre of movie or book or a random arts and craft class, life is full of exciting things!! Try make it a weekly goal and get around it!

Review your life Goals 

How will we ever know that we are on track if we aren’t continually checking in on our life goals? Find a saucy little notebook where you write down all of the things that mean the most to you. Check-in on them monthly, and note to yourself, are my current actions aligned with my life goals?

Journalling

Journalling has a ton of benefits, such as reducing stress, increasing your ability to solve problems, clarifying emotions and more! Plus you get a cute little keepsake of all your past memorable adventures. 

Best Habits To Adopt For Students

Plan In Your Study Time

Make a study date and commit a certain amount of each week to your studies. The more consistent and regular you are in this date, the easier studying will be and the better your studying experience will be. If it’s not in the routine, you’ll be a sure easy victim to the procrastination trap.  

Find A Note-Taking System That Suits You 

Make life easier, and write good notes. Find a system that works for you and stick to it. I personally am a fan of Notion for note-taking, but there are so many options out there! You’ll be thanking yourself when it comes to exam week!

Start Assignments Early

Pleaaaaaaaase. Whatever you do, don’t leave your assignments to the last minute. This NEVER ends well!! Not only do you find yourself without sleep and over-caffeinated, but the end result is never above average. Start your assignments at least a month ahead, and book your study sessions into your calendar. Make this a priority.

Sit at the front of class (or at least second row)

The more you put into the class, the more you will get out of it. Don’t be the person that sits up in the back and hides behind their laptop. We’ve all been there, and frankly, it always ends up with either you daydreaming or playing beating your high score on bubble struggle, neither are productive. Sit in one of the front rows, answer questions and engage in the lecture. You’ll actually retain more knowledge and this simple habit will set you up for all of your assignments and exams.

Ask for Help

Your educators are there to help you!! Don’t be shy, just ask. Email them, show up at their office in their consulting times and take advantage of their knowledgeable brains. At the end of the day, you’re paying to be there and most educators are more than happy to help. 

Get Involved In The Student Community 

The more invested you are in university life, the more you will be committed to your studies (or hopefully?). Whether that means joining a student club or making conversation with someone in your class, these things will make your experience all the more exciting. Class isn’t as unbearable if you have a friend to catch up with, or a student event to go to straight afterward. Make it a weekly habit that you attend some sort of social venture on the school grounds. 

Set Short Term Study Goals 

Along with scheduling in regular study intervals, have some goals as to what you want to achieve each week. Learning Spanish? Make a goal to learn 50 words a week. Have an essay to do? Make it that you at least write 500 words a week. Goals keep us on task. 

Review your learning 

Now that you have some fabulous note-taking system set up ;), utilize it and review your notes a few days later. Studies show that the most effective way of actually retaining knowledge is through ‘spaced practice’. That means leaving some time between when you review content that you have learned. This stops us from forgetting knowledge too quickly and will stop that ‘I know nothing’ feeling when it’s time to revise for exams. 

Join A Study Group 

Find someone to study with. Not only can you take turns getting coffee for each other (cute), but having someone there studying next to you keeps you motivated to actually do the same, and not watch Netflix. 

Best Habits for Building New Skills

Find good resources

We are so lucky to live in a world where we have resources at our fingertips. There are apps, online courses, youtube, google, you name it and it’s out there! Sometimes this means we have to search through a lot to find what is actually useful for us, but I promise it’s worth it. Resources from knowledgeable people will only excel your learning in a new skill. Make it a habit to review your resources weekly 

Create a Plan 

Building a new skill can be really difficult at first! Often it’s challenging at the beginning, and before we know it, we may lose all motivation to continue! Don’t let this be you. Create a steady plan that gives you the security that you will succeed eventually. Spend at least an hour a week building this skill, and you will be a master before you know it!

Get Creative 

Think out of the box. Not all skills need to be learned the old fashion way. You don’t have to sit filling out grammar books to learn a language. Sign up for a Spanish dance night or a speed-talking event to practice. Keep your new habit fun and engaging. 

Take a Course 

Courses can be a fun way to truly dive into something. Find someone who is knowledgeable and (if you have the funds) sign up for their course! It can make the learning process a lot more fun when you aren’t the one steering the direction of your learning.

Partner Up

The learning process can be so fun when you have someone to share it with! Have a giggle about your mistakes and find someone to keep you accountable in this new venture. 

Find a mentor

Whether it be a tutor, a friend who has already conquered the skill, your neighbour, whoever! It’s great to be able to consult your wins and fails to someone who understands and can shed some advice. 

Spend more time on the tricky parts 

Whatever you are trying to learn, there’s bound to be something difficult in it. Don’t avoid it. Spend more time on this aspect and get acquainted. Repeat and try again. The sooner you can conquer this tricky part, the better you will feel. 

Best Habits To Adopt for Happiness

Detox the things that cause you harm

If you find yourself in a negative cycle, find out what’s causing you harm and make it a habit that you have some days without it. Have a social media-free day or a no-phone day once a week. Distance yourself from family members that make you unhappy, and give yourself permission to ignore them on certain days. 

Complete Acts of Kindness

It feels good to give to others. Make it a ritual that you shout someone a coffee once a month, donate a percentage of your monthly wage to charity or bake some loved ones some yummy treats. Not only are you making someone else’s day, but you are bringing more purpose to your own life. 

Create a self-care routine 

What makes you feel good? It can be as simple as reading your favourite book or watching your favourite show. I recommend a bath and a good skincare routine. Nothing says ‘treating yourself’ like some smooth lotion over your face. Make this a special thing you do every Sunday night to remind yourself who the most important person in your life is. You. 

Compliment people 

Tell a stranger they have nice shoes, or acknowledge your sister’s ‘full of effort’ hairdo. It’s likely you will receive a smile, and automatically you will smile back 🙂

Talk to your Barista

Connect with the people you see every day. Whether that’s your bus driver, your local grocery worker, or your barista, they are a part of your community and ‘small talk’ in the mornings has been shown to improve people’s moods.

Best Financial Habits To Adopt

Track your Spending 

You won’t ever know how much you are saving OR spending until you track your finances. This is crucial. Knowledge is power and you can’t remain oblivious and hope for the best forever!

Create budgets

Create a budget that is reasonable and realistic. Budgets are the first step in creating financial goals to better you’re future. Control your current spending and leave more for your future self. 

Engage in Monthly Reviews 

Now that you’ve got your budget and some goals established, it’s important to review these. Be certain that you’re staying on track by having a financial date with yourself once a month. Make it fun and order some wine or some chocolate!

Invest 

Invest your money in some way or another. Whether this means in a house, in investments, or simply in yourself! You could invest in a course that is going to upskill your career or upgrade your car so that it suits your category of business, there are many ways to invest in your life. Be purposeful where you spend your money and go see an actual financial advisor if you’re ready to invest in something bigger. Weekly habits of investments can go a long way. 

Diversify your Income 

Find new and creative ways to make money. There are so many different ways to earn money so go and explore! Whether that’s selling clothes online, doing uber part-time, or tutoring, there’s plenty of ways to get that extra bit of side hustling cash. Make it a habit that once a month you try something new or different. 

Educate yourself 

Money is important and it should be taken seriously. Do as much research as you can, speak to professionals, and follow guidance from those who know what they are doing. Being educated in the field will help you avoid any future financial losses. Read an article, or listen to a podcast once a week to keep up to date with the current financial scene. 

Best Habits To Adopt For Your Health

Yoga

Yoga can do so much for your health! Whether it’s reducing stress levels, reducing back or muscle pain, getting more flexible, improving your posture, the positive outcomes are endless! Get your yoga flow on!

Apply Sunscreen 

Your skin needs some sunscreen love. Every day. Don’t let the sun continually strip your skin of all its good nutrients. Such a simple thing to implement into your morning routine, and your future face will kiss you for it!

Stretch 

Okay so maybe you’re no yogi, but everyone can take 10 minutes out of the morning or night to stretch their body. Think how many hours you spend looking like a croissant hunched over your phone or computer. Release your body from this tension and stretch it out. Daily or at least 3 times a week. 

Reduce your coffee intake

Yes, I know. Coffee brings you joy but also does sleep. And too much coffee = bad sleep. Have a read for yourself here. 

Allow for treats 

We’re not all perfect and we aren’t robots. Sometimes we have needs and that’s okay. Let yourself have some chocolate, wine, ice cream, whatever you need. Just have it in moderation. 

Engage in different types of exercise

To stay committed to moving your body, it’s important to keep it engaging. Do something different every other week. Sign up for a boxing class, a yoga class, or play some basketball or netball at your local park with a friend. Keeping a structured fitness routine is good for discipline and regularity, but you could still spice it up with something different every now and then. This is helpful in reminding us how fun other physical activities can be. 

Work on your posture 

Standing tall and strong is not only great for boosting your mood but it can encourage your confidence! Be superwoman and stand proud. This is a sure way of increasing your mood and reducing your back pain 😉

Best Social Habits to Adopt 

Meet New People 

Lockdown has already stolen so many nights of meeting new people! Don’t remain anti-social. Get out there! Get on Hinge, join a local sports team, join a Facebook group, anything! Meeting new people is refreshing and good for the soul. You never know what memories you might make. 

Weekly date night 

Whether this is with your cat, a partner, your mum, or a close pal, dedicating some time to doing something special is exactly what your social self needs! 

Reminisce on old memories with a friend 

Look through some old photos and share them with a friend. Maybe a time back in high school, or find a travel pic with a great story. Reminisce and have a laugh. This will not only instantly put you in a great mood, but it reminds you of how good life is and how lucky we are to have (and continue having) these experiences. Do this once a week and feel the good vibes run through your blood. 

Tell your loved ones how much you love them

We’ve all been through some hard crazy times, so now more than ever, tell someone how much they mean to you. Not once, but every day. Make it a habit and share the love! Don’t just tell your boyfriend, ring your aunty, your grandma, tell your dog, your fish, even your barista! Everyone should know the value they hold in someone’s life and there’s plenty of people in your life to get a sprinkle of your gratitude. 

Book in some fun social activities

Spice it up. Book a salsa class, a painting and wine night, a comedy show, a date at the movies, have a picnic, or even go rock climbing! Whatever floats your boat. Just do something you haven’t done before, and share these new memories with some friends. It’s important we make these bonding experiences a habit that we stick with throughout the year, even if it’s just once every quarter. 

Remove those that aren’t good vibes

Life. is. too. short. If they are not making you smile, they are not worth your time. Find your actual tribe who will make you cry with laughter and grin from ear to ear. They are your people, and they are precious.

Get a puppy 

So maybe you’re not a people person, no worries! There’s still plenty of social love to share (and receive) and it can be from someone who can’t talk back. Find a furry companion and still make memories with them! (and a cute animal Instagram, yes please!)

Take moments of appreciation for those who care for you. 

You don’t always have to actively show your love, sometimes it’s enough just to think about it. Reflect on the people in your life and how they serve you and bring you joy. The more gratitude you have for them, the more you will naturally show it and the stronger your relationship will be. This is by far one of the best habits to adopt in your life.

PHEW! There you have it. All of the best habits to adopt in 2022. Now go and make this year the best one yet! 

[Related Post: How To Create A Routine And Stick To It | 11 Essential Tips]