Embrace the Rumi quote, “Live life as if it is rigged in your favor,” by recognizing that even setbacks and heartbreaks can ultimately lead to positive outcomes and opportunities when viewed in retrospect.
Create a ritual, such as turning off your phone and charging it outside your bedroom, to declare an end to your day, even if tasks are unfinished. This is essential for a recharging night’s sleep and stopping the consumption of news.
Dedicate 60 seconds before checking your phone to focus on your breath, practice gratitude, and set an intention for the day. This allows you to have agency over your day rather than immediately reacting to external demands.
Recognize that breath is a superpower for arresting the cycle of stress and transforming health and productivity. Experiment with techniques like box breathing (inhale 4, pause 4, exhale 4, pause 4) and find one to return to multiple times daily.
Instead of relying on willpower for big changes, incorporate tiny micro steps or “one better choice a day” into your daily life around food, movement, gratitude, sleep, and family. These are easily integrated and lead to lasting habits.
Express what you are feeling in a compassionate way, both at work and at home, to clear the air and resolve problems. Holding onto emotions is toxic and detrimental to health.
Integrate even 5-10 minutes of solitude into your day, free from devices and external consumption, to allow your thoughts to emerge and reconnect with yourself. The phone is a major enemy of solitude.
Teach yourself and your children “phone hygiene” by having a designated “phone bed” where devices are charged outside the bedroom overnight. Frame it not as a punishment but as a necessary rest for the phone, preventing late-night scrolling and improving sleep.
Practice habit stacking by linking new micro-habits to established actions, such as thinking of three things you’re grateful for while washing your hands or dishes. This helps to easily integrate them into your daily life.
Design a 60-second personalized “reset” guide with calming images (e.g., family, nature), favorite quotes, and relaxing music, combined with a breathing pacer. This helps to quickly shift from stress and can promote intimacy when shared with others.
Leverage storytelling, both personally and within organizations, by sharing how small changes have impacted your life. This connects with people’s hearts, provides cultural permission, and encourages peers to adopt similar behaviors.
Establish a simple, device-free ritual, like sharing a pot of mint tea for five minutes each night, to intentionally catch up with your partner. This fosters intimacy and prevents small issues from accumulating.
If you are in a leadership position, share your own story of making positive changes. This demonstrates vulnerability, grants cultural permission for others to speak about their experiences, and fosters authenticity within the organization.
Encourage team members to express their ideas and concerns, but once a decision is made, everyone should commit to it. This follows the principle of “disagree and commit” to ensure progress without becoming a perpetual debating society.
Recognize that failure is not the opposite of success but a stepping stone towards it. This fosters a willingness to take risks and learn from setbacks without being deterred.
Offer unconditional love to your children, as this is the greatest gift. It empowers them to take risks and pursue their goals knowing that their worth is not tied to their achievements or failures.
Ensure you get between seven and nine hours of sleep nightly, as this is crucial for fully recharging your body and brain, clearing toxins, and completing all necessary sleep cycles. This applies unless you have a rare genetic mutation.
When you miss a new habit or fall off track, practice self-compassion by avoiding judgment. Simply commit to restarting the habit the next day, understanding that perfection is not the goal.
Teach children how to have a good grasp of language and use words effectively, including debating skills. This builds incredible confidence and empowers them to move hearts and minds.
Just as industries use incentives to encourage certain behaviors, leverage similar strategies, including gamification and financial rewards, to motivate individuals towards healthy choices and habit formation.
Challenge the belief that success requires constant “powering through” and being “on all the time.” Understand that this mindset, derived from revering machines, is detrimental to human well-being and productivity; rest and well-being enhance performance.