You ever feel like your life is one long loop of waking up tired, scrolling for too long, pretending you’re going to drink more water, and then wondering where the day went? Yeah. Same.
I hit a point last year where I was just… done. Not in a dramatic “sell everything and move to Bali” way (although, tempting), but in a quiet, kinda itchy “there has to be some way to feel better without completely reinventing myself” sort of way.
So I started testing things. Tiny habits. Low-effort, high-comfort stuff. Not the usual “wake up at 5am and run 10 miles” advice, because, lol no.
Turns out, small shifts = big vibes. So here are 8 habits that actually made my life better in 2024, and I’m carrying them with me into 2025 like a gremlin clutching a prized rock. Steal them. Tweak them. Ignore the ones that don’t vibe. But give at least one a shot — Future You might high-five you for it.
1. Sitting in silence for 5 minutes every morning. No phone. No agenda. Just… sit.
I used to wake up and immediately scroll — like I’d reach for my phone with one eye still closed. Half-asleep doomscrolling. It was gross. But this year I started just sitting when I woke up. Literally just me, the weird creaks of my old apartment, and maybe a stray thought or two about pancakes. And weirdly? It grounded me. It’s like giving your brain a soft boot-up instead of slamming the keyboard.
Also, the silence is loud sometimes — but in a good, “I’m a human and not a content-consuming robot” kind of way.
2. Blocking off one “no-plan” night every week.
Every Thursday night, my calendar says “do nothing.” Not even like, “read a book” or “catch up on laundry.” Just… blank space. Sometimes I go for a walk and cry-laugh over a voice memo from a friend.
Point is: we’re so obsessed with being productive. This habit reminded me that boredom is kind of sexy. Seriously, try it.
3. Walking without your phone. Not even in your pocket.
Okay this one was HARD. I felt naked. Like, what if I see a dog in a sweater and can’t take a photo? But then I started noticing stuff — the smell of someone’s laundry, a weird bird I swear I’ve never seen before, my own thoughts (wild, I know).
It’s basically meditation disguised as movement. 10/10 recommend. Just… maybe don’t do it at night. I’m not trying to get you kidnapped.
4. Saying “no” faster. Without writing a 3-paragraph explanation.
Why do we always feel the need to justify not wanting to go to that dinner or join that Zoom meeting that could’ve been an email? In 2024, I said no faster. Blunter. Kinder, sure, but direct.
Boom. You don’t owe anyone your exhaustion.
5. Touching grass. Like, literally.
Not just as a meme. Like… take your shoes off and feel some dang earth under your feet. I live in a city where “nature” means a potted plant on someone’s fire escape, so I have to go out of my way to do this — but it weirdly resets my nervous system. There’s science to back this up, probably. But even if there isn’t, it feels good.
Also, dirt smells nice. There. I said it.
6. Doing one thing all the way through. Like, just one.
We’ve all got 47 tabs open — both in our browsers and our brains. I used to half-do everything: start folding laundry, then reply to a text, then open Instagram, then forget I even started folding laundry.
Now? I pick one thing and finish it. That’s it. Just one. It’s stupidly satisfying. Like, “Wow, I completed a task from start to finish? In this economy??”
Also, it helps with the whole “why am I exhausted but nothing’s done” mystery. Because yeah, your brain’s not meant to be in five places at once. Shocking, I know.
7. Romanticizing the hell out of the mundane.
Okay yes, this one’s a little cheesy. But hear me out.
Put on dramatic music while you clean your kitchen. Pretend your walk to the grocery store is a movie montage. Honestly, life is kind of boring a lot of the time — might as well turn it into a vibe.
And no, it’s not about being delusional. It’s about paying attention. Elevating the ordinary. Making the blah feel a little more… alive.
8. Texting people when you think of them. Not later. Now.
Sometimes I’ll be making coffee and suddenly think of someone I haven’t seen in ages — and instead of mentally bookmarking it (which, let’s be real, I never actually come back to), I just… send them a little message.
“Hey, just thought of you. Hope you’re okay.”
It doesn’t need to be profound. But these tiny moments keep connections alive. And people really appreciate it. We all want to be remembered.
Conclusion
That’s it. That’s the list.
None of these will “change your life” overnight. You won’t wake up tomorrow as a serene forest fairy with perfect skin and a passive income stream. But layer by layer, these things add up. They soften the edges. They remind you that you’re a human being with weird habits and real feelings and, like, an actual nervous system that needs gentleness sometimes.
So try one. Or two. Or none — honestly, you know yourself better than I do. Just promise me you’ll be a little kinder to Future You in 2025. They deserve it.
This article was written by Diana Meresc, who brings honest, genuine and thoroughly researched ideas that can bring a difference in your life so that you can live a long healthy life.