Micro Habits: 2 Minutes Can Make Your Life Better
Small change adds up quickly
Staring at a wall changed my life
“Do you have a wall to stare at?” he asked.
“Yes,” I replied.
This conversation snippet happened after I shook the hand of a teacher I’d just met. He had just wrapped up a talk on life, purpose, and all that good stuff.
I told him I was struggling (mightily!) with anxiety, and I asked if he had any tips.
He mentioned meditation, and I wasn’t sure about that – y’know, with my wandering, untamed mind and all.
He suggested I sit each day, stare at a wall, and breathe. If my mind wandered away from that task, I was to gently bring it back.
Of course I protested, but he suggested starting with two-ish minutes a day.
Decades later, that two-minute investment has turned into a lifelong habit of meditation that can stretch from a few minutes to hours. (You can find a version of it here.)
It even helped inspire my novel, An Audible Silence.
All from one little shift…practicing one new habit for a short time.
It changed everything.
Think big, start small
It’s natural to have dreams and aspirations – to want to change the world! Or maybe we want to make big changes in our lives…to strike out in new directions and transform how we live.
But remember: Taking a big bite may make it hard to swallow.
Go too big? You may give up.
That’s where micro habits come in.
Micro habits are tiny little changes that are easy to fit into your day. They help you build the change muscle slowly to incorporate new habits over time.
For example, staring at a wall for two minutes instead of disappearing into a cave to meditate for 23.947 hours a day.
Micro habits have some great benefits over massive leaps. They:
Are easy to start and maintain
Don’t take up a lot of your day
Help build discipline and willpower over time
Give you a confidence boost and sense of accomplishment
Encourage you to grow other areas of your life
Micro habit ideas
If starting small to make big changes sounds good to you, here are some micro habits you can try today:
Take one deep breath: This can be the gateway to a bigger mindfulness or meditation practice (which you can begin here)
Put your phone down and stare into space for one minute: This is a small step to help you get unplugged more during the day
Drink a full glass of water in the morning: This can help you boost your hydration levels and kickstart your day in a natural way
Walk around the block one time: This may be just the motivation you need to start a more comprehensive fitness routine
Donate one shirt: This is not only a good deed, but it may help you move on to the rest of your closet where you can clear some clutter
Replace one negative thought with one positive thought: Once you feel the rush of stopping one negative thought, you may just want to do it again (and again and again)
Read a few sentences: If you have a book you’ve been neglecting, pick it up and read the first few lines; you may just get sucked in and create more reading time in the day
Be nice to one person: Make a point of positively connecting with one person in your day – from the barista to a buddy; see where that wave of kindness takes you
If you find the motivation to do one small thing to change your life – and you celebrate the win each time you do it – then over time, you’ll have a high-impact habit on your side.
Small change adds up
Here’s the MtE tip: Make a micro habit an easy and fun part of your busy day
If you pick up enough pennies and dimes on your daily walk, you’ll eventually have a dollar. And so it is with life change.
The fun of a micro habit is there’s almost no barrier to entry. In fact, you can even make it part of what you already do!
Pick something you want to try and:
Start super small – so small that it almost seems silly NOT to do it
Make it a natural part of your day – for example, when you pull into the grocery store lot, park further away from the entrance so you get more steps in
Journal your progress
Give yourself credit for small gains
Increase slowly over time (twice around the block, an extra five minutes of mindful practice, etc.)
If decades of life-saving meditation can start as two minutes staring at a blank wall, imagine what else is possible.
Share your micro habit ideas in the comments.
To dive deeper into small things that can lead to big benefits (many of which you’re already doing!), check out my book, The Nobody Bible; or schedule a free 15-minute call to see if coaching might be right for you. For even more, follow me on Instagram or TikTok.
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(NOTE: Mastering the Everyday is not medical or mental health advice or diagnosis, and is solely for informational/entertainment purposes. If you need physical or psychiatric care, please reach out to a trained and licensed medical professional.)
Lots of great information and things to ponder.