#01 - 7 of My Favourite Daily Habits

“Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement.” - James Clear

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” - Will Durant

These are just two of my favourite quotes about habits and the value of getting the small things right. The actions we take daily are what will either move us towards our goals or away from them.

The habits I want in my life are the ones that bring about the most benefits for me across all areas of life. I am looking for things that start virtuous cycles that spiral me upwards in the direction I want to go in.

Here are 7 of the best that I have found.

1. Sunlight / Spending time in nature

If you want to feel better, spend more time outside. It is that simple. Human beings evolved to be outside, not to be stuck inside at a desk and on a sofa all day. 

Viewing the sun within a couple of hours of sunrise is superb for setting your sleep-wake rhythms. Doing this will make sleep at night much easier to come by. This is also great for alertness, mood and energy throughout the day.

Also, seeing the sunset can be another great way to reinforce your sleep-wake cycles. Plus, they look nice.

Sun on the skin can be great for hormonal health. Around 20 minutes of sunbathing 2-3x per week is fine. For those of us in cold climates, do what you can (and maybe think about moving somewhere warmer….) However, don’t be stupid, overdo this and get burnt. A tan is great. Sunburn is not.

Time in nature is just downright pleasant. I have found it reduces stress and brings about feelings of calm and peace. Not to mention, walks in nature are rejuvenating and are great for creativity and overcoming mental blocks. Try it. 

Bonus points for spending time barefoot on grass. Another thing that just feels nice.

2. Meditation

When I first read Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss, one of the things that struck me was that 80% or more of the top performers had some kind of mindfulness practice. This made me take note and think about meditation.

Mindfulness meditation can be great for several things. It has been shown to increase focus (something that seems badly lacking nowadays). Also, it fosters feelings of calm and inner peace - always nice to have.

Going a step deeper, I have also found it increases self-awareness and makes you conscious of your free will. I believe self-awareness is one of the best traits to cultivate as it acts as a foundation piece for personal growth. When you learn to observe your mind and the sensations it brings about, you become aware of your free will.

You are a sovereign being and you do have control of your mind. You just need to wake up and realise it. Meditation is a great tool for this.

Dive as deep as you want to go. Mindfulness. Vipassana. Transcendental. Interoceptive vs Exteroceptive. Find something that works for you.

3. Exercise

In my opinion, the number one thing to do for a better life. Bar none.

Taking the time to train the body has an insane amount of positive carryover to other areas of life. It teaches you discipline, delayed gratification and the fact that you need to put work in so that you can get something out.

It gives you energy and makes you feel good. Your physique gets better which improves your confidence and self-esteem. All while building the good life traits mentioned above.

Not to mention, exercise is huge for mental health and will help you sleep better at night. Also, I have found that a good workout can help get you back on track after a night of bad sleep.

Do joint work, mobility and stretching so that you can move well and free of pain. This is the foundational element.

Get strong and build muscle with resistance training. Move barbells, kettlebells, dumbbells, machines or your body weight.

Build endurance by walking, jogging, rucking, cycling, rowing, swimming, sprinting or doing circuits.

Overall, the best investment in yourself that you will ever make.

4. Breathwork

I believe we should get good at what we do most often (provided it is good for us).

In terms of frequency, breathing is at the top of the list. Something like 25,000 times a day - worth taking the time to get good at this.

Before doing any specific breathwork practices, get good at breathing. I know that sounds a bit crazy, but most of us are breathing wrong.

1. Through your nose as often as possible - especially during sleep. No snoring allowed.

2. Your stomach should expand on the inhale and sink back on the exhale. Your shoulders shouldn’t rise unless it is a huge breath (don’t be like how I used to be and give yourself chest pain by not breathing into your stomach).

Get these things right and you’ll be well on your way.

Then, you can look at specific forms of breathing.

• Physiological sighs to calm down

• Box breathing to relax your system after exercise

• Coherence breathing to become present

• 4-7-8 to help with sleep

• The Wim Hof Method for energy and stress resilience

(Again, don’t be stupid, please. Don’t do anything you can’t for medical reasons - and do your research).

5. Reading

To me, books represent the best deal in history.

Someone has slogged away for long periods, such as decades, to find and distil information before putting it into a book.

We get to consume that information in a matter of hours for a low price.

Why wouldn’t you read?

The single best way to expand your mind and knowledge base. 

Need to learn about a topic or how to do something? Dive into the books.

The best tool for following curiosity. There is a reason why people like Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Bill Gates and Elon Musk were or are avid readers.

The value of books is immense. Read.

6. Non-Sleep Deep Rest

Non-Sleep Deep Rest or NSDR will likely be the least well-known habit on this list. The name was coined by neuroscientist Andrew Huberman but the practice itself has its roots in Hinduism.

Yoga Nidra - a form of NSDR - was created by Yogis in India during the 1940s and 1950s. 

It involves lying down and listening to a meditation-like script. It is designed to put you in a restorative state between wakefulness and sleep.

Doing this helps to train the nervous system to relax intentionally, which is a great skill to have considering how draining chronic stress can be.

This practice can calm the mind and even improve our ability to fall asleep at night. It can also act as a great way to solidify habits or learning after action or studying. This is because the brain can rewire itself whilst in this deep rest.

10-30 minutes on a frequent basis can work wonders.

7. Writing

In order to get what you want out of life, you need to act well. To act well, you need to think well.

The best tool for improving your quality of thinking is to write.

Writing is the act of thought expression. It allows you to see what goes on in your head in a tangible way.

This allows you to more accurately critique your knowledge, thought patterns and arguments. Doing so will improve your perspective on these things and the overall quality of your ideas.

Speaking from experience, it is very easy to be stuck in our heads and get in our own way. Gaining mental clarity is the answer and there is no better way to do this than to write.

Start small. At the end of the day, write down some thoughts. What went well? What didn’t? Why? Where can improvements be made? 

Writing can be a springboard for Personal Evolution. Give it a go.

That’s it for today.

Have a good one!

Adam