--- description: Start by getting out in nature. title: 10 Daily Habits That Are Guaranteed to Transform Your Life image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2e7ab064e4781794/69887b49ab6d770e5b6a82ef/happiness-success-work-home-balance-achievment-betterment.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [motto](/tag/motto/) ## motto Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # 10 Daily Habits That Are Guaranteed to Transform Your Life by [Eric Barker](/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Nov 24, 2015 6:56 PM CUT  Peechaya Burroughs for TIME by [Eric Barker](/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Nov 24, 2015 6:56 PM CUT **1\. Get out in nature** You probably seriously underestimate how important this is. (Actually, there’s [research that says you do](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/would-you-feel-better-if-you-were-walking-in "undefined")). Being in nature reduces [stress](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-being-near-nature-reduce-stress "undefined"), makes you more [creative](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-a-quick-and-easy-way-to-be-more-creativ "undefined"), improves your [memory](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-can-improve-your-memory-by-20-in-a-matte "undefined") and may even [make you a better person](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-to-quickly-and-easily-become-a-better-per "undefined"). **2.** **Exercise** We all know how important this is, but few people do it consistently. Other than health benefits too numerous to mention, exercise [makes](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-being-sedentary-make-you-stupid "undefined") you [smarter](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-activities-can-actually-make-you-smarter "undefined"), [happier](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-happ "undefined"), improves [sleep](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-can-you-improve-the-quality-of-your-sleep "undefined"), [increases libido](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-increases-womens-ability-to-get-sexually "undefined") and [makes you feel better about your body](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-can-you-feel-better-about-your-body "undefined"). A Harvard study that has tracked a group of men for more than 70 years identified it as [one of the secrets to a good life](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-there-a-formula-for-a-good-life "undefined"). **3\. Spend time with friends and family** Harvard happiness expert [Daniel Gilber](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-the-main-thing-we-can-learn-from-harvar "undefined")t identified this as [one of the biggest sources of happiness in our lives](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-is-happiness "undefined"). Relationships are worth more than you think ([approximately an extra $131,232 a year](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-are-your-relationships-worth-in-dollars "undefined").) Not feeling socially connected can make you [stupider and kill you](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-important-is-it-to-feel-like-you-belong "undefined"). Loneliness can lead to [heart attack, stroke and diabetes](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-there-a-common-feeling-that-might-lead-to "undefined"). The longest lived people on the planet all place a strong emphasis [on social engagement](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-do-the-longest-living-people-have-in-com "undefined") and good relationships are more important to a long life [than even exercise](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/have-we-got-it-all-wrong-about-what-it-takes "undefined"). [Friends](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/5-things-you-didnt-know-about-friendship "undefined") are key to [improving your life](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-the-key-to-radically-changing-your-life "undefined"). [Share good news](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-an-easy-way-to-strengthen-your-relation "undefined") and enthusiatically respond when others share good news with you to improve your relationships. Want to instantly be happier? Do [something](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-the-single-most-reliable-method-for-inc "undefined") [kind](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-can-you-do-today-that-will-increase-your "undefined") for them. **_Eric Barker:_**[_Living a happy life: Here are the things proven to make you happier_](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/05/what-10-things-should-you-do-every-day-to-imp/ "undefined") **4\. Express gratitude** [It](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/was-grandmom-right-about-counting-your-blessi "undefined") [will](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-an-easy-way-to-be-much-happier "undefined") [make](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-to-make-yourself-happier-in-just-a-few-se "undefined") [you](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-are-two-easy-things-you-can-do-to-be-hap "undefined") [happier](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-to-quickly-and-easiy-feel-happier-and-mor "undefined"). It [will](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-a-quick-thing-you-can-do-to-feel-better "undefined") [improve](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-gratitude-predict-relationship-satisfact "undefined") [your](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-an-easy-way-to-make-friends-and-strengt "undefined") [relationships](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-to-give-your-relationship-a-booster-shot "undefined"). It can make you a [better person](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-do-pride-and-gratitude-affect-hypocrisy "undefined"). [It can make life better for everyone around you.](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-paying-it-forward-work "undefined") **5\. Meditate** Meditation can increase [happiness](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-are-quick-little-things-you-can-do-to-in "undefined"), [meaning in life, social support](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-there-an-easy-way-to-increase-happiness-me "undefined") and [attention span](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-there-a-way-to-increase-your-attention-spa "undefined") while reducing [anger, anxiety, depression and fatigue](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-can-you-increase-your-attention-span-in-a "undefined"). Along similar lines, prayer can make you feel better—[even if you’re not religious](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-prayer-make-you-feel-better-even-if-youre "undefined"). **6\. Get enough sleep** You can’t cheat yourself on [sleep](http://topics.time.com/sleep/ "undefined") [and not have it affect you](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-little-sleep-can-you-get-away-with "undefined"). Being tired actually makes it [harder to be happy](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-being-tired-make-it-hard-to-be-happy "undefined"). Lack of sleep = [more likely to get sick](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/nytimescom-lack-of-sleep-increases-the-risk-o "undefined"). “Sleeping on it” does [improve decision making](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-sleep-on-it-good-advice "undefined"). Lack of sleep can make you [more likely to behave unethically](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-lack-of-sleep-make-us-unethical "undefined"). There [is such a thing as beauty sleep](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-there-really-such-thing-as-beauty-sleep "undefined"). Naps are great too. Naps [increase alertness and performance](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-a-fun-way-to-increase-alertness-and-per "undefined") on the job,[enhance learning ability](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-there-an-easy-way-to-boost-your-learning-a "undefined") and [purge negative emotions while enhancing positive ones.](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-an-easy-way-to-purge-negative-emotions "undefined") Here’s how to [improve your naps](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-the-secret-to-amazing-naps "undefined"). **_Eric Barker:_**[_Which professions have the most psychopaths? The fewest?_](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/11/professions-most-fewest-psychopaths/ "undefined") **7\. Challenge yourself** [Learning another language](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-to-keep-your-mind-strong-as-you-age "undefined") can keep your mind sharp. [Music lessons](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/should-everyone-be-required-to-learn-a-musica "undefined") increase intelligence.[ Challenging your beliefs](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-to-keep-an-aging-brain-sharp "undefined") strengthens your mind. Increasing willpower just takes [a little effort each day](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-an-easy-way-to-increase-self-control "undefined") and it’s [more responsible for your success than IQ](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-better-than-iq-at-determining-who-will "undefined"). Not getting an education or taking advantage of opportunities are two of the things people look back on their lives and [regret the most](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-are-we-most-likely-to-regret "undefined"). **8\. Laugh** People who use humor to cope with [stress](http://topics.time.com/stress/ "undefined") [have better immune systems, reduced risk of heart attack and stroke, experience less pain during dental work and live longer.](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-laughter-save-your-life "undefined") Laughter should be like a [daily vitamin](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-comedy-better-than-vitamins "undefined"). Just reminiscing about funny moments can [improve your relationship](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/another-quick-and-easy-way-to-increase-relati "undefined"). Humor has [many](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/an-easy-way-to-reduce-stress-and-pain "undefined") [benefits](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/why-does-humor-improve-our-mood "undefined"). **9\. Touch someone** Touching can [reduce stress](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/do-you-underestimate-the-power-of-touching "undefined"), improve [team performance](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-touching-improve-team-performance "undefined"), and help you [be persuasive](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-a-touch-on-the-arm-all-it-takes-to-make-yo "undefined"). Hugs make you [happier](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/do-hugs-really-make-us-happier "undefined"). Sex may help prevent [heart attacks](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-sex-prevent-heart-attacks "undefined") and [cancer](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-the-most-wonderful-way-a-man-might-be-a "undefined"), improve your [immune system](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-having-sex-more-effective-than-a-flu-shot "undefined") and [extend your life](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/do-orgasms-make-you-live-longer "undefined"). **_Eric Barker:_**[_What is the single most important life lesson older people feel young people need to know?_](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/04/most-important-life-lesson/ "undefined") **10\. Be optimistic** Optimism can make you [healthier](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-optimism-associated-with-better-health "undefined"), [happier](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-are-two-easy-things-you-can-do-to-be-hap "undefined") and [extend your life](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/do-happy-people-live-longer "undefined"). The Army teaches it in order to [increase mental toughness](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-3-techniques-does-the-army-use-to-instil "undefined") in soldiers. Being [_over_confident](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-confident-should-you-be-at-work-today "undefined") improves [performance](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-very-confident-not-confident-enough "undefined"). **_Join 45K+ readers._** _Get a free weekly update via email_ [_here_](http://eepurl.com/o6uAD "undefined")_._ **_This piece originally appeared on_** [**_Barking Up the Wrong Tree_**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/ "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4119441/improve-life-every-day/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4119441/improve-life-every-day/"},"headline":"10 Daily Habits That Are Guaranteed to Transform Your Life","datePublished":"2015-11-24T18:56:14.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T09:01:42.669Z","description":"Start by getting out in nature.","url":"https://time.com/4119441/improve-life-every-day/","keywords":["motto","Psychology","health"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2e7ab064e4781794/69887b49ab6d770e5b6a82ef/happiness-success-work-home-balance-achievment-betterment.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eric Barker","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/eric-barker/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2e7ab064e4781794/69887b49ab6d770e5b6a82ef/happiness-success-work-home-balance-achievment-betterment.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Happiness-success-work-home-balance-achievment-betterment-motto-stock","caption":"Happiness success work home balance achievment betterment motto stock","creditText":"Peechaya Burroughs for TIME","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/motto/","name":"motto"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4119441/improve-life-every-day/","name":"10 Daily Habits That Are Guaranteed to Transform Your Life"}}]}] ```