8 Daily Habits that will Change Your Life

Habits are like skills. They are acquired by practice and consistency. It might be difficult to create a new routine for yourself, but it is very essential to stick to important habits that you perform daily if you wish to change your life. Do not let bad habits hold you back, yet try starting today to make a new life routine that is healthier and happier for you.

Bringing in new habits and changing your life requires a decision from you, so work upon that immediately! There is always room for self-improvement and making a few little adjustments can go a long way, but most importantly we need to consider all sides of our life when making a change. 

You might be struggling and you need a reminder to keep you fresh, so here are 8 Daily Habits that can absolutely change your life:

1. Stay Hydrated 

Drinking water should be a priority in your daily habits: it is the reason to keep you hydrated and hence you will have more energy, better skin, and improved digestion. 

You may think that this is a minor thing to consider in your day, yet in fact it is the reason behind a good life! 

Push yourself to drink a glass of water first thing every morning, and fuel your body with 8 glasses throughout the day. Also, carry a water bottle with you and refill it every time it’s empty. You can use an application that sets reminders for this purpose.

Drink water and appreciate the blessing that Allah gave you, by starting with his name “Bismillah” and thanking him once done “Alhamdulillah”!

2. Make Sport or Meditation 

After all the pressure that you pass through over the day, you need to expel the negative energy. Sport is very important to discharge this energy and gain all the positive vibes you need to continue your day. You can choose any form of sport that you like or even any form of meditation that can have the same effect. If this is not possible, at least have a 30 minutes walk on the beach or in nature.

3. Have a Good Night Sleep

Your health overall will be affected by the hours of sleep you get. It is important to sleep and wake up early because this will affect your mood and productivity. 

Although it might be easier said than done, but sleep schedule is a habit like any other that requires practicing. Try getting to bed earlier every day and avoid drinking any drinks with caffeine in the afternoon.  

Make sure to break the sleep with a couple of  Rakaat of Qiyam and the Fajr prayer.  

Also, if you feel tired throughout the day, take a nap for 20 mins and not more. You will get the energy back!

4. Read

When life gets hectic, it may appear that you don't have enough time to read. yet setting 15 minutes a day to read a chapter or some pages will surely improve the quality of your life, release your stress, and bring you new information. It's also found to help with concentration and mental stimulation. 

Make yourself a daily dose of the Quran and do not miss on important Surahs to read daily, like Surah Al Mulk before sleeping and Al Wakia’a after Maghrib Prayer.

You can also choose enjoyable books in different genres like inspiring books, books to educate yourself, or even novels.

*Important note: Do not miss the beautiful feeling of holding a book and replace it with reading from your Phone!

5. Make a Social Media Detox 

We all need to take a break from the virtual world: Pause on all your social media accounts and stop the internet surfing that you are used to for at least an hour a day. Not only that, but also STOP picking up your phone and checking it every few minutes.

Instead of scrolling through your Facebook, Tiktok and Instagram accounts when you are looking for a refreshing moment between your tasks, you can replace it with some body movements! Few stretches or a 5 minutes walk will boost your energy and help you concentrate better for the rest of the day. 

 I believe this is a difficult habit to adapt to, with all our addiction to digital devices, yet it is a must if you wish to improve the quality of your life.

6. Write About Your Day

You may underestimate the power of writing down all your negative feelings and emotions on a piece of paper and throwing it. Yet it actually works. 

This will only take you a few minutes but will discharge your negative vibes and make you cherish the beautiful moments, and this will show in the way you treat yourself and deal with others. 

7. Make Yourself a daily dose of Sadaqah

A small amount is always better than making it a big one very often. Sadaqah is not limited to paying money, but you can also make other acts of charity and volunteering. Even your smile is considered Sadaqah. A helping hand for your neighbor is a charity, a piece of food for a bird is a charity and a cup of water for a dog is a charity as well. 

You will not worry about yourself when you help others, because you will get everything in return!

8. Give Yourself Deadlines

Especially if you are a procrastinator and you do not usually finish your work until the last minute, you might need to give yourself deadlines and push yourself to stick to them. Deadlines could be a motivation for you to complete the work, or even to end your break. So give yourself realistic deadlines for everything you do, even things like spending free time with your friends, cleaning the house or making a visit for someone.

Bonus Habit:

* Prepare your clothes for the next day on the night before* 

Especially if you are a hijabi, preparing your clothes for the next day on the night before will save you time in the morning, when you can barely open your eyes and choose which outfit to wear for the day, mainly when you have college, work or special events. 

If you want to stick to a habit, you must follow these steps:

1- Do not have high expectations: Focus on 1 habit at a time and give yourself some time to adapt to it (at least a few days), until you become able to add other ones to your system. 

2- Start small and expand slowly: Do not think that you can reach a goal without taking each step of the stairs.

3- Try to be consistent and do not skip:  Skipping will make you get you to become lazy on that habit! So, make sure to not skip more than 2 times. 

4- Try to find a Habit Partner: Tell people you love about your new habit and how you enjoy doing it. They might join you and hence you encourage each other on doing it.

Make your habits a worship … In everything you do in life, whether traditional events or normal things like sleeping, drinking or eating, make it in the intention to get stronger for the sake of worshipping Allah. When you sleep, make an intention to get some rest in order to gain energy for the next day. Yes, even when you are sleeping, you will be rewarded!

When you drink, say ‘Bismillah’ and end with ‘Alhamdulillah’ and in this way, you get Ajer. 

By following these little habits on a daily basis, you will begin to create a new routine that can change your life. It might not make a difference immediately, yet you will see the change with time.  

🌱 We ask Allah to have all our actions for his sake and may he reward us for them. 🌱