Create a strict morning routine! Take a vacation! Make 10 new friends! Just relax about the election!
When we feel down, in a slump, or overwhelmed by the 24/7 news cycle, we often assume we must reorder our entire lives and make drastic changes to solve the unsolvable. However, when much is out of our control, science tells us that small daily adjustments can immediately boost our mood and energy. When practiced over time, these micro habits can become the backbone of healthy routines.
Rooted in the science of connection, loneliness, sleep, and happiness, micro habits to feel better are more in reach than you may think—while not a substitute for professional mental health interventions.
Here are eight ways to make yourself feel better right now:
1. Make your shower cold
While this might not sound appealing at the outset, a cold shower has many benefits, from improving mood and alertness to reducing inflammation. Starting your day with a cold shower may help you feel calmer and more energized.
Cold therapy, plunges, and ice baths have also grown in popularity because of their potential health benefits. When submerged, the chills can give you an adrenaline rush, help wake you up, and slowly release dopamine, the hormone responsible for boosting mood.
2. Hype yourself up
It never hurts to hype yourself up. Research found positive affirmations can activate the brain’s reward system and reduce stress.
It’s a tip from Olympic gymnast Suni Lee, currently competing in the 2024 games. Before every competition, Lee repeats this 10-word mantra: “Nothing more, nothing less because your normal is good enough.”
“I like to write down my keywords, trying to remember my why, things that I need to remember when I’m out there competing and simple things like just telling myself affirmations and to breathe because that’s something that I struggle with when I’m competing,” Lee previously told Fortune.
3. Take a new route to work
When we commute to work, we’re often on autopilot, making it easy to doom-scroll on the train or zone out into worry about the days and weeks ahead. The same stop signs, corner stores, and traffic patterns don’t faze us.
However, the brain gets stimulated by novelty. Taking a new route can engage your senses and help you enjoy the present moment. You may see a group of children walking to school on the street you live adjacent to but have never traveled down before—and take a moment to appreciate their energy, optimism, and humor. When doing something new, our brains become engaged and alert, distracting us from the overwhelm that can consume us on autopilot.
4. Dedicate 10 minutes at work to connect with a coworker
About half of Americans feel lonely. A recent study found that an overwhelming 80% of women feel lonely because of their jobs, and one in five older adults don't have anyone to call in a time of need. The broader loneliness epidemic is affecting people across demographics, and solutions are imperative to address the 20-year decline in social connection outlined by the U.S. Surgeon General. When people crave connection, even 10 minutes makes a difference and can help people feel seen, adding a boost of joy to your day.
Ann Shoket, CEO of TheLi.st, released a survey earlier this year that found that just 10 minutes of connecting at work daily can significantly reverse the national decline in social connectivity.
Spend 10 minutes chatting with a coworker, inquiring about their recent promotion, vacation, or hobby. “It’s not showing up at the networking parties and swirling warm Chardonnay. It’s not big, fancy, expensive conferences,” Shoket told Fortune. “These tiny daily habits of staying in touch by text, spending time one-on-one, and literally walking around the office are a really valuable way to nurture your connections.”
5. Read an autobiography
When we are in the throes of worry and dread, learning from others about their failures and successes can help us put current stressors into perspective.
Jay Shetty, host of the podcast On Purpose and a leader in meditation and mindfulness, still recalls the lessons from the autobiographies of Martin Luther King Jr., Dwyane “The Rock” Johnson, and David Beckham that he read when he was a teen.
“I just look at all those stories and think about all of the sacrifices that were made or the setbacks that were there,” Shetty previously told Fortune. So consider putting your phone down and picking up a book when needing some quick inspiration during the day.
6. Do something random for 30 seconds
Similar to how taking a new route to work can stimulate the brain and make you feel engaged in the world around you, doing something random can have the same effects. Shetty has vowed to do an act of randomness each morning, such as flipping to a random page in a book, listening to a shuffled song from your library, or choosing someone in your contacts to text.
“I’ve messaged some random people that I’ve not been in touch with for a while, which has been really beautiful to reconnect. I’ve read pages of books that I may not have read if I tried to read the whole thing,” Shetty previously told Fortune. “I love embracing randomness.”
Moreover, random acts of kindness have a much more beneficial effect on the giver than we may think. In a 2022 study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, people underestimated the positive aftermath of their random acts of kindness.
7. Message a relative that you’ve been thinking about them
You can intentionally prioritize connections outside of work, too. Have you been thinking about your grandparents, cousin, or aunt? Let them know.
In simple terms, storytelling brings us together and heals the soul. “One of the protective factors in community health and well-being is social cohesion and connectedness,” Cío Hernández, Ph.D., a licensed marriage and family therapist, previously told Fortune. “Safety and connection is vital for us as a species.”
One way to start seeking out stories and memories for your relatives is to contact them when you think of them, check in, or ask to catch up over the phone or for a cup of coffee.
8. Get to bed 15 minutes earlier tonight
I’m sure you knew this one was coming—but it’s true. Sleep is one of the most determinant factors in our overall well-being. When we get enough good quality and quantity of sleep, we are more likely to feel energetic, engaged, and able to regulate our emotions.
Adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep at night to feel well-rested, so moving up your bedtime by just 15 minutes and eventually 30 may be beneficial and help you get there. It’s essential because the quality of sleep depends on aligning your bedtime and wake time with the body’s natural clock, and the deepest sleep may happen between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.
Sleep experts have previously told Fortune that the best sleep habits stick when done in small increments over time. Dr. Raj Dasgupta, an internal medicine doctor and sleep scientist, has also touted a 30-to-60-minute wind-down routine before bed to calm the nervous system and set yourself up for success.
Whether you choose one or all of these adjustments, prioritize what makes you feel better and integrate it into your day more routinely.
