Tiny Life Improvements

If you have read Atomic Habits, Tiny Habits or The Compound Effect then you know that small habits can compound into great things!

This year one of my quests (goals) is to Take Care of Myself. And I have been doing a lot of thinking and journaling around that to find out what that exactly means to me – and how on earth to do it without it feeling like a huge chore! My plan has emerged as making three small tweaks every month! I want small, effortless changes that are easy to stick to. Each on it’s own may not be much, but if I have made 36 tiny changes by the end of the year that could have a big impact.

Monthly Life Improvement Tweaks

January

In January I am starting with nutrition. The three tweaks I came up with are -

Improve my breakfast. I am a bit strange in this regard as I have a portion of basmati rice cooked in the rice cooker every morning, served with a dab of butter! I know, I know! But I love a warm, easy breakfast and am not a big fan of porridge. My tweak is to add a frozen vegetable into the rice cooker to just up the nutrients a little. My favorite so far has been a cube of frozen spinach! Surprisingly delicious.

You probably don’t have as weird a breakfast as me but maybe there is a small tweak you can make? Less sugar? Adding a vegetable or a piece of fruit? Switching to cooked rice instead of rice krispies (just saying!).
Anxiety Busting Seed Mix! So honestly ChatGPT helped me with this one! We came up with an anxiety busting seed mix for me to add into my meals (I am especially thinking lunch).

Anxiety-Busting Seed Mix Recipe

2 parts Pumpkin Seeds: High in magnesium and zinc, essential for calming the nervous system and supporting mood regulation.
2 parts Flaxseeds (Ground) : Packed with omega-3 fatty acids to support brain health and reduce inflammation.
1 part Chia Seeds : Rich in omega-3s, fiber, and antioxidants for stable energy and reduced stress.
1 part Sesame Seeds : High in calcium and magnesium, which help regulate stress responses.
1 part Sunflower Seeds : High in vitamin E and selenium, which protect against oxidative stress and support mood stability.

Daily Dose: 1–2 tablespoons.

This has proved a pretty yummy and effortless addition.

Ginger Tea. I mostly drink hot water throughout the day instead of tea. I am not totally perfect – I do quaff two cups of coffee first thing in the morning! But then I just switch to water and I like it warm. My third tweak is to add a slice of ginger root. I used to do this years ago and got too lazy! Ginger root has all kinds of good anxiety busting properties so this small change might have some small benefits too. Worth a try and easy enough to do.

I have been excited to work in these tiny life improvement changes so far this year!

I am hoping to add 3 tiny tweaks every month. Come back and I will update you as we go through the year!