People are sharing the small self-care acts they do everyday to improve their quality of life

Self-care is key to maintaining a healthy, balanced life. And making small changes to your daily routine can have big payoffs. Whether you're dealing with work stress, a life change, or simply trying to establish better habits, you don't have to do anything too drastic. If you're looking to improve your mental and physical health, here are 23 of the most helpful responses to the question, "What are some ways you have improved your day to day?"

1. "Smile, greet everyone you pass, when you can, pay a genuine compliment to others, it will improve their day and yours." –Tizufuja

2. "I make my bed as a symbol of getting over depression, and I have one glass of orange juice (which I have never done before) as a symbol of getting my life under control." – Mark8472

3. "I’ve shared this before and I will keep sharing because it has helped me so much: my evening routine. Make yours specific to your needs. Mine: make my lunch, get my coffee stuff ready, set out my outfit, make sure my work bag is ready. I’ve also started taking more night time showers. Getting out the door is so much easier if I do these things and sets me up for a calm morning." – lateballoon

4. "An entering the house routine has helped me. I put my keys and headphones in the same spot each day, I take my lunch box out and onto the kitchen counter ready for lunch tomorrow, repack my bag for the next day, and into comfy house clothes. I do all of this before I allow myself to sit on the sofa." – CourageFormal7084

5. "Not go on the phone first thing in the morning, open windows and make bed, have a glass of lemon water followed by tea or coffee, a through to-do list, be kind to others and yourself, replace doom-scrolling with mindful breathing, do some light stretches." – WritingbySaskia

6. "Making my bed first thing in the morning. Drinking enough water. My game changer: Listening to music while I work, or clean, or shower and dancing, singing to it whenever I can ( I put on a whole show until our coffee machine makes my morning coffee)." –RecognitionPersonal5

woman in black tank top drinking water Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

7. "I like to read daily. Some days it's for personal development, some days it's to relax. But I still feel that both improve my life and add sustenance." – peace_love_avocados

8. "Get disciplined about a morning routine that works for you, after a couple weeks of doing intentionally it will go on autopilot and make life so much easier (also booooo 5am, tyranny of the early birds is outrageous). Upgrade little things in your life. Like buy a coffee grinder and grind fresh every morning instead of pre-ground. Use a jade roller after moisturizing your face. Get fresh air every day and minimize artificial light when you can. Get a library card and explore all the options in your network. Always have something on the schedule to look forward to can be small - coffee here, this game to watch or big - vacation, friends visiting for a weekend. Look through your parks and rec guide and sign up for a class you know nothing about, always keep learning and try new things." – thewagon123456

9. "Adding meditation to my daily life has helped improve my outlook significantly. I use a free app - Insight Timer - and I listen to a guided meditation while I'm still lying in bed in the morning, helping to set a positive intention to the day. I also read affirmations I created using the free app 'My Affirmations' at various times throughout the day. At night I fall asleep to a guided meditation by Jason Stephenson. It has helped bring clarity and peace to my mind." – Warrior_Princess687

10. "When taking a shower concentrate only on your shower. It’s a great way to meditate and be in the moment." – Al_to_Zi

11. "Try to not use ur phone and deal with the restlessness by asking yourself What is something I could do that would improve my life a little or significantly." – Junglevelv3t

12. "Deep breaths. I often notice i'm holding my breath. So taking long deep breaths really helps me relax." – Last_Suit7797

a woman sitting on the floor with a laptop Photo by Angelina Sarycheva on Unsplash

13. "I don’t allow my phone in my bedroom. Wash my face with cold water in the morning. Stretch every day. I bought a small rebounder trampoline off Amazon and do 10 min of bouncing everyday. It gets my lymphatic system going. Read my Bible every morning. Prayer and writing a little in a journal before bed. I have an alarm clock that mimics the sunrise and it’s a great way to start the day! Hatch Alarm. Hot bath with magnesium salt & candles when I’m stressed. I got to an infrared sauna a few times a week. Started taking showers at night to make mornings a little easier. Peppermint tea before bed every night." – blueeyedlovebird

14. "Walking in the park, drawings , crocheting and keep in mind intention: I want to make me feel loved. I want to love me by encouraging brilliant… into each item. Life changer, I feel so happy, loved after." – Head-Study4645

15. "Get a Roomba/Eufy robot vacuum and some Tile trackers or AirTags. I'm on the same journey this year, looking for easy wins and low-hanging fruit. I can't rely on being 'mindful' all the time. Life's too short for dirty floors and lost wallets." – gruuvey

16. "Use the Five Minute Journal. I could never commit to full on journaling, but this is simple and quick." – berniesherbatsky

17. "Vitamins, light therapy, meet a friend after work, therapy, is gym something you may consider ? A tasty treat (I like chocolate fiber bars), watch some funny videos, read a good book after work, a funny comedy, a nice bath with candles." – Jealous_Primary7786

18. "Washing my hair every day. I have oily hair and feel bad when I skip a day. It’s easy to do, I feel better and I look better." – Tired23296

19. "I eat fresh fruit with lunch every day. It’s simple and I know that it adds fresh variety to my diet. I live in a cold rural landlocked area so fruit isn’t abundant here. Oh! I also put all of my medications and vitamins into one of those weekly pill containers. It helps me keep track so I don’t forget if I’ve taken something or not. Because I get seasonal depression, (description of where I live above) I make sure that I take lots of vitamin D." – Dobgirl

close-up photo of fruits on bowl Photo by Dane Deaner on Unsplash

20. "Gratitude practice ❤️🙏❤️." – grateful-hateful

21. "Start challenging every judgmental thought you have. Flip 'I don’t like this' to 'I love this' changed my life and so easy. Just takes practice." – brittybritty

22. "Positive affirmation is supposed to help; like saying 3 good things about yourself every day. Cleaning toe and fingernails once a week is a good one. Warm baths, taking walks to see the outside world. Reading books. Learn to cook better, lots of videos on that topic." – Mimsy59

23. "I make sure my dishes are washed and put away every evening, write in my journal, even if it's only a few lines of whatever has happened that day, set my coffee stuff out for the morning, shower in the evenings, and make sure to floss every morning and night. Seems simple but it's making a big difference in my life." – tastyspark