50 Deceptively Simple Tasks That Can Actually Improve Your Life

It's all-too-common to want to improve your life so that you're living the best one possible. But the hard part comes in figuring out how to improve your life. While you may have massive ideas to change things up, the truth is that smaller, more sustainable actions and hacks actually help you improve your life day-to-day, which really adds up over time. These deceptively simple little tricks and habits can help you be more productive, feel happier, work more efficiently, and generally get more out of life. And for more great ways to change your life for the better, check out 50 Important Habits Linked to a Longer Life.

Sleeping in may sound like the ideal way to go about your mornings, but you should actually be getting a leg up on the day by rising before your family does.

"Use that time to sit quietly and focus on what you want your day to look like, jot down what is most important to accomplish, and relax as you sip coffee or tea," says Diana Fletcher, life coach and stress reduction expert. "This time you take to focus in the morning will save you hours in your day. You won't waste time on trivial things because you have already decided what is the priority and what outcomes you want."

Sometimes all it takes is a moment outside to make things better. A 2010 study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology showed that spending just 20 minutes a day surrounded by nature increased people's vitality levels. And Candra Canning, founder of Live Bright Now, says even just a one-minute nature break can help.

"Slow down on your way out the door in the morning, or take a moment to look at the sky while on your lunch break," says Canning. "Science proves that your brain and body chemistry get the same benefit as if you were gazing at the Grand Canyon. Taking in the details can connect you back to yourself which will leave you relaxed and confident."

You should always line up your day the night before, says Gayle Carson, acclaimed life coach and speaker from Albany, New York.

"It allows you to walk through your day, so if you walk into the office and someone asks 'Do you have a minute?' you will know if you do or don't." Bonus: If you make a to-do list at the same time, you'll find that this productivity hack actually helps improve your sleep as well.

And more often, if you can. In 2017, researchers from Harvard proved that human connection is what keeps people happy throughout their lifetimes. This means that time invested in friendships is time well-spent.

"Isolation breeds discontent," says Raffi Bilek, a psychotherapist and director of the Baltimore Therapy Center. "You don't have to be the life of the party; having just one or two close friends keeps you feeling connected and alive." And, if you're looking for a little friendship inspiration, check out these 50 Ways to Make New Friends After 50.

There's no doubt that maintaining your relationship with close friends and family is important. However, a landmark 1973 study published in the American Journal of Sociology showed that "weak ties," or people who are more acquaintance-level connections, are the ones who can actually help you out the most in terms of developing new contacts, improving career prospects, and generally meeting new people. Each week, set a goal to get in touch with one person you haven't talked to in a while, and you'll find your personal and professional networks growing faster than ever before. And for more ways to connect with old friends, check out 60 Funniest One-Liners That Will Leave Your Friends Laughing.

If you always wish you could spend more time with your family, this one's for you. "Family is all about focus," says Arman Sadeghi, business coach and founder of Titanium Success. "For most of us, family is the most important thing. However, most of us simply don't schedule enough time with our family, so that time is what always gets squeezed out. Instead of allowing that to happen, actually schedule the time with family, including scheduling date night with your spouse or an evening with the kids." And if you're looking for a little family fun, check out these 12 Fun Family Games Everyone Will Get a Kick Out of Playing.

Instead of spreading out conference calls throughout the day, book them all in quick succession. "It takes as much time to make one phone call as five," Carson says. "It's a flow." Plus, if you have another call lined up afterwards, you'll have a reason to keep each call to its designated amount of time rather than letting it take up more of your day than necessary. And for more on managing your communication flow, check out The Secret to Better Communication With Your Partner, According to a Relationship Expert.

While it may be hard to get out of bed early and put your pen to the paper as soon as possible, morning is actually the best time to get your creative juices flowing.

"During morning hours, cortisol acts as your energy hormone and your focus and concentration are better than any other time of day," says Debra Atkinson, a productivity, fitness, and wellness coach with Flipping Fifty. So, use biology to your advantage and leave more mundane tasks for later in the day. And if you're not a morning person but would like to be, check out these 20 Better Sleep Essentials That'll Have You Waking Up Well-Rested Every Morning.

You may not realize that the way you choose to talk plays a role in your well-being, but paying attention to this minute detail can actually help improve your life.

"Speaking from your diaphragm automatically causes you to speak with more authority by slightly deepening your voice and increasing your voice stability," says David Bennett, a certified counselor and relationship expert with The Popular Man. "Most people would be surprised how speaking with a little more authority will positively impact their work and social success."

If you're constantly struggling to fit everything you need to do in one day, Eric Bales of Bales Dynamic Coaching suggests that you physically write out how you would like your ideal day to look.

"The list should include all activities you would like for the day to be considered 'successful,'" he says. Once you do this, the clutter will start to fall away. And for some things you should add to your everyday schedule, check out these 27 Genius Ways to Boost Your Self-Esteem Every Day.

Seriously, just do it. "Time away from work actually helps you become more productive when you return," says Maura Thomas, speaker and author of Personal Productivity Secrets. "[Vacation days] recharge your enthusiasm and creativity. If you don't use your vacation time, or if you never unplug from work while you're off, your performance will plummet, and so will your happiness. So the next time you're feeling stressed at work, ask yourself how long it's been since you've been truly away—physically and mentally—from your job. I'm betting that you'll see a connection."

There are actually plenty of benefits that come from visiting museums as often as possible. Since it's a novel activity, it can boost your brain's ability to learn new information. Not only that, but an oft-cited 2008 study published in Curator also showed that positive museum visits have major restorative powers, increasing visitor's well-being and reducing their stress levels.

Always work at the same desk? Try a new one. Tired of your local hangout? Find a new one! It's really that simple. "Our surroundings can cause us to develop depressive thoughts and feelings, thus causing us to believe life can never get better," says Saudia L. Twine, a marriage and family therapist with FreshStart Counseling Group. But the truth is, you have the power to adjust your surroundings. Use it.

When it comes to your every day, Thomas suggests thinking about how much of it is spent being reactive. She says that if you feel like the day flew by but you didn't make any real progress on your plans, you might be consumed by too many distractions.

"If you're always distracted, you'll get used to being always distracted, and you'll find yourself bored in the 'quiet times,'" she says. Sound familiar? Allow yourself to have some distraction-free time each day—no phones, no interruptions from coworkers or family members—to work on the things that are most important to you.

Yes, really. "By doing so, a positive and open approach is projected," says Darlene Corbett, a speaker, licensed therapist, and coach. "Smiling often creates greater success both personally and professionally. I suggest to my clients that they practice this on a daily basis until it becomes part of their repertoire. They report back to me that they actually feel better by smiling more often."

Feeling like you want more from life? While that's a common occurrence for most people, you should actually be switching your mindset and thinking about all the things you already have.

"Write a list of all the things you have now that you once wanted, such as getting a boyfriend or girlfriend, getting married, graduating from college, getting a job, buying a house, having kids, or visiting a certain city," says Jennie Vila, a life and career coach with Growth Mindset. Over time, you'll feel satisfied by reflecting on how far you've come.

It's often engrained in people that they need to "push through" when working on a difficult or mundane task, but according to Keisha Rivers, Chief Outcome Facilitator at the KARS Group, all this actually does is make a person frustrated.

"Our minds naturally need to shift gears at times, so we have to incorporate a natural break into our activities. If you're working on a report or trying to comprehend a lot of reading, build in a 5-minute break every 15 minutes," she says.

Stop thinking about volunteering as just a way to boost your résumé. A pivotal 2003 study published in Social Science & Medicine shows that volunteering can actually be a mental game-changer, and may even reduce anxiety and depression. So, get involved in a cause you care about, and reap the feel-good benefits.

This may sound easier said than done, but the more you believe in the ideal image of yourself, the more likely others are to acknowledge that version of you.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb

"Research of attachment theory has shown us that we each develop a mental grid which guides our beliefs of self and others," Twine explains. "This grid determines how we perceive, evaluate and respond to others. If we see ourselves in a negative light, it affects how we think, feel, act, and function in our personal and professional environment." Hone in on things you like about yourself, and you'll notice that others start to do the same.

It doesn't matter if it's to check your email, social media, or even the news. Entrepreneur Dave Cantin says "the moment you open your phone in the morning is the moment you dive head first into the rat race" for the day.

"If that's the first thing you do in the morning, you'll struggle to find time to gather yourself and self-reflect," he says. "Stop this snowball effect by creating a calming, inwardly-focused morning routine where you determine your goals for the day, state a few things that you're thankful for, and take four or five deep breaths and smile."

In a world where you feel overwhelmed with daily activities, you may think it's easier to just multitask. However, in order to improve your life, you should actually "monotask."

"Wherever you are, be there," says Lisa Sansom, a positive psychology coach and consultant with LVS Consulting. "Don't be on the phone in meetings; be in the meeting. If you're checking email, then focus on checking email. If you're at a social event, be at the social event. Your brain is configured to devote conscious attention to one thing at a time—so do that."

A cluttered desk can seriously derail productivity and make you feel like things are out of control when you're trying to focus. But as Frank Buck, author of Get Organized!: Time Management for School Leaders, explains, most of this clutter actually comes from papers you'll need in the future, so you can't just toss them. His solution? The Tickler File.

"The Tickler File is an age-old business tool," he says. "It makes paper disappear and then resurface exactly when you need it. Grab 31 hanging folders and label them 1 through 31. Each file represents a day of the month. Take papers one at a time and ask, 'When do I need to see this item again?' Drop the paper in the file for the appropriate day."

Check your folders once a day so you're dealing with documents only when necessary. Going totally digital? This concept works for email inboxes, too. Simply create a Tickler File folder and 31 subfolders inside.

Psychotherapist Erin Tierno knows that the fear of imperfection is paralyzing for many people, and the thought of failing to meet their personal standards can disrupt their "capacity for productivity."

Her recommendation? Imagine producing the worst version of whatever you need to produce, and work through the implications of that. This thought experiment might sound weird, but it liberates people from their fear of judgement and practices continuing on in the face of fear. "More often than not, people recognize through this exercise that they will actually be OK even if the worst really does happen and, more likely, what they'll produce won't even come close to their imagined worst outcome," she says.

For improving your life through the hardships and hurdles, Canning recommends choosing a challenge you're currently facing and identifying one good thing about it.

"Using your energy and brain power to ponder and search for the silver lining in seemingly negative things can give you an overall positive attitude and help improve brain health," she says. "There have been numerous reports on how positive emotions broaden your sense of possibility and open your mind, allowing you to build new skills that can provide value in other areas of your life."

Most people are always looking ahead and wondering, "what's next?" But, turns out, constant pursuit is actually a major recipe for disappointment.

"Be happy with the person that you are and the life that you have today before trying to chase all of your dreams," Sadeghi says. "Many people spend a lifetime in a perpetual chase for happiness, always thinking that the next accomplishment or milestone is the one that will finally bring it to them. It might be more money, getting married, having kids, getting divorced, sending the kids to college, retiring, or one of millions of other things. However, the secret to life is that if you do not learn how to be happy with the person that you are today and the life that you have today, you will never find happiness."

Being a good listener is one of the keys to developing meaningful, fulfilling relationships. If you want people to trust you and feel comfortable sharing their concerns, issues, and triumphs with you, the best thing you can do is learn to listen well. According to Forbes' Dianne Schilling, the principles are simple: Listen intently, take in what the other person is saying, never interrupt, and then paraphrase what you've absorbed and repeat it back to them.

"Research suggests that a certain degree of stress helps us to be more productive, happier, and efficient," says Scott Amyx, author of Strive: How Doing the Things Most Uncomfortable Leads to Success.

Referencing Richard A. Dienstbier's 1989 landmark study in Psychological Review, Amyx says the "theory of mental toughness suggests that experiencing some manageable stressors, with recovery in between, can make us more mentally and physically tough and less reactive to future stress." Basically, experiencing stress regularly and overcoming it helps you to view stress as a survivable thing—one that you can develop coping skills to deal with.

According to Bennett, most people take up all the room in their daily calendar by scheduling the things they don't like, such as getting up for work each day or attending boring meetings. But you should also make room for the positive.

"Schedule good things, too: time with friends, dates, and 'me time,'" he says. "This will give them the same priority in your life as more stressful events."

While you may feel resistant, especially with the fear of your privacy being compromised, using technological advancements to your advantage is actually better for you than not.

"One of my favorite aspects of the smartphone revolution is the interconnected nature of devices," says life coach Luke Hughes. "Using phone notes that are synced to WiFi or phone data, you can write down all your ideas under subheadings for different projects. Then, at a later date, you can return to these ideas on your laptop or permanent workstation when you have the time and motivation to research them further. This cross-pollination between devices is ideal for busy working professionals who work on several projects at once."

Are you stuck in a rut, whether it's a relationship, a big project, or something else? Then try checking out for a little bit.

"For many, being in control of every relationship and situation feels essential to coping with what life throws at us on a daily basis. Unfortunately, trying to be too in control can actually help things become out of control," Cantin explains. "Avoid being overwhelmed with stress by working to step away from conversations, anger and, toxic people when you're only engaging for the sake of engaging, and not because you're actually making progress. Then, use the time you saved to focus on your friends and family, hobbies, and self-care."

Prioritizing thoughtfulness in your everyday life doesn't have to be some big ordeal, but it is something that will help improve your life over time.

"Offering simple but meaningful gestures on a regular basis—like saying 'thank you' or 'you are welcome,' holding the door, or stopping your car for a pedestrian or another car—can make another human being feel good and improve your mood markedly," says Corbett. Give it a try and you might just find yourself having better days more often.

As it turns out, reading has major benefits, particularly when it comes to fiction. A 2013 study published in PLOS One shows that reading can make you more empathetic, and another study published that same year in the Creativity Research Journal shows it can also make you more creative—both qualities are certain to improve your life overall.

Keep getting distracted by incoming emails, meeting requests, and calendar alerts? Set aside some time to turn your WiFi connection off, put your phone on airplane mode, and get down to business. You'll be surprised at what you can get done in just a couple hours of offline time.

All it takes is a short period of time each day where you write down a few things that you're grateful for. They can be trivial, like what you had for dinner, or major, like your health. In 2018, researchers from the Greater Good Science at UC Berkeley found that students who kept a gratitude journal were more successful in making strides toward achieving their goals compared to those who didn't keep one.

Going through a tough time? Turn up the tunes at home, while you work, or in the car. A 2013 study published in The Journal of Positive Psychology shows that people are more successful at thinking happy thoughts when they do so listening to upbeat music.

One simple way to worry less about money? Make sure you're not overspending, which is sometimes easier said than done.

"In today's accelerated—and online—world, it is a disciplined practice to monitor our spending, and we can quickly find ourselves spending much more than we earn," says wealth expert Leanne Jacobs. "Take regular inventory of all your automated monthly spends and memberships that might be eating up all your cash flow and leaving you in a deficit at the end of the month."

According to Mike Shereck, an executive coach and business consultant, there is no practice as beneficial to improving life quality as expressing yourself authentically. But what does it take to be yourself? Shereck says that "you may want to begin by telling the truth about where you are inauthentic. Where are you justifying yourself, or spending time looking good, or being right about something?" When you stop pretending to be someone you're not, you'll feel more happy and comfortable than ever before.

As Rivers points out, we're often pressured to do more in our everyday lives—whether that means participating in more activities, attending more events, or connecting with more people on a daily basis.

"Sometimes, it's best for you to just say no to some things in order to recharge and rest," she recommends. "A rule of thumb is if you are not absolutely thrilled or excited about doing something, then don't. If there is no compelling reason and you end up spending all of the time you're there thinking about what you could be doing at home, or imagining what you could be doing instead, then just skip it and do something you actually enjoy instead."

If you're an "ideas" person, you've probably come up with some pretty great ones on-the-go or while you're working on something unrelated. Pausing to jot down what you've come up with is totally worthwhile.

"I keep a notebook of various projects," says Stephanie Crane, a licensed master social worker and life coach. "Each page is a different project, and I just jot down the various pieces to that project. Then, one at a time, I tackle those items until the list is done, and I can rip the page out of my notebook. It feels awesome to rip out that sheet of paper, crumple it up, and throw it out!"

In a society where work is highly valued, it's often hard to find time to stop. However, taking time on the weekends to completely distance yourself from your work is beneficial to living a greater life.

"Unwinding with friends, family, and hobbies reduces stress and energizes your brain," Thomas says. "But you lose those benefits if you spend evenings and weekends wrapping up 'just one more thing' for work, or constantly emailing."

You've probably heard this one before, but it doesn't make it any less true. One 2013 study published in Psychological Science shows that people who meditate for at least 15 minutes each day are more likely to make better, less biased choices. Plus, brain scans confirm that meditation helps improve focus.

For the most part, there's nothing that can't wait 10 minutes—even during the work day. You should take 10 minutes out of every day to put down your phone and simply go for a walk.

"Challenge yourself to notice anything that surprises you, that you didn't notice before," Canning says. "Allow yourself to be amazed by simple things. New evidence reveals that this exercise gives you new perspectives, which scientists call the 'overview effect,' which can give you new insights, new possibilities, and your own 'a-ha!' moments for a better frame of mind to approach problem-solving."

Measuring success becomes a lot easier when you know what your metrics are. "Always maintain a list of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that allow you to see exactly how business is doing on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis, even if you had no contact with anyone at your company," Sadeghi recommends.

These KPIs should cover different areas of your business or job, from small daily indicators to the most important financial indicators. Once you have clear goalposts in mind, you'll be able to enjoy your wins more easily.

Many people keep their closets packed to the brim with clothes. But more often than not, they don't wear even half the things they keep.

"Don't keep clothes in your closet that you don't wear," says Katherine Wertheim, a certified fundraising executive. "It's depressing. Put them in a closet in another bedroom, store them under the bed, or something else." Plus, waking up each morning and being able to choose your outfit from a closet full of clothes you love is guaranteed to set you up for a good day.

Want to be more present? Delete the social media apps you use most frequently from your phone. That way, you'll only check them when you really want to instead of opening the apps reflexively whenever you're bored—giving you more time to relax and engage with other people in real life.

Yes, it's true—you should treat yourself. A 2011 study published in the International Journal of Business and Social Science proved that investing in some new threads can actually improve your mood and help you feel more confident.

People often wait to worry about their finances until the end of the year, when the holidays arrive and the new year is about to begin. But you should actually be tracking your finances at the start of every year.

"Instead of waiting until the end of the year to total up your annual earnings, set the amount you will earn for the year on January 1," Jacobs says. "There is something powerful about committing to a set amount of money you intend to create for the year ahead. It's a different way of thinking, and one that will set you apart financially."

When it comes to getting something important done, people often find themselves distracted and unable to focus on the task at hand. Thomas suggests "brain clearing" where you grab a piece of paper and a pen and try stream of consciousness writing.

"This helps to eliminate mental clutter and uncover those intellectual gems you know are in there somewhere. Don't censor yourself, and don't try to organize as you write. Just write whatever comes to you, and chances are, before too long, your brain will find its way back to that important thing you're trying to get done," she says.

Unfortunately, it's true—no one's a mind reader. The only surefire way you'll get people to treat you how you want to be treated is if you tell them exactly what you want.

"Boundaries are limits that define acceptable behavior, and you get to decide what is acceptable to you," explains Heather Vickery, a transformational life and business coach. "Figure out where you need boundaries, communicate them, and then discover guilt-free freedom."

People often overcommit themselves, especially when it comes to adding new tasks or experiences to their plate.

"We are like hamsters on a wheel, always go-go-going, and it's completely overwhelming and stressing us out," says Kevin Strauss, a workplace wellness specialist. "More than likely, you're doing so much in order to feel valued. However, with fewer 'must do's,' you'll be less stressed and able to do a much better job on the few priorities that truly matter."