5 Simple Ways To Upgrade Your Life Without Working Too Hard

We should always be seeking to improve our lives. But a lot of the conventional methods to upgrade your life can be lengthy and complicated. While those are very much worth undertaking, sometimes you want something easy and direct!

So, how can you put in small amounts of effort, but still see a good number of improvements in your life? Here are five simple ways to upgrade your life without working too hard.

5 Ways You Can Upgrade Your Life With Little Effort

1 – Consume New Kinds of Media

Media grows and changes regularly, which means that there are always new forms of it to learn from. Keep up with the times, and you’ll be able to upgrade your life! Here are three types of media to take advantage of:

• Listen To Podcasts

Podcasts provide information and entertainment, and you don’t need to give them your eyes’ full attention to receiving the benefits of the knowledge they provide. You can be active and have your hands and eyes busy and still listen to podcasts.

Listen to podcasts while traveling, doing things around the house, eating, exercising… the possibilities are endless. All sorts of podcasts that cover a vast range of different topics are available online, so you’ll have no trouble finding something you like. (If you don’t like the structure of podcasts, you can listen to audiobooks, too!)

• Watch TED Talks

TED Talks are primarily short, interesting lectures performed at TED (technology, entertainment, design) conferences. These presentations are often informative and even groundbreaking, ranging from huge developments in science to personal stories of inspiring individuals. Choose ones that suit your interests first, then slowly branch out to other fields. 

With 20-minute lengths, they’re short enough to comfortably watch without eating into your time – watch one during meals, while you’re waiting for something or someone while getting ready for work or to leave the house in general, or during daily commutes.

• Read Books

In these modern times, it’s easy to decide against reading a book in favor of checking your phone, scrolling through social media, or watching your favorite TV shows. But don’t forget that books are still great! Make sure you’ve always got a book to read and try to finish at least one per month. 

If you do read, then try upping the number of them that you read per month, or add new genres of books to your to-read list. You can also purchase informational or non-fiction books on subjects that interest you. Remember, you don’t need a physical book; ebooks work just fine!

Psychology proves that reading books can help relieve depression for some.

2 – Admit Your Wrongs and Make The Most Of Them

Many people automatically attempt to protect themselves when they make mistakes. But not only is this unhealthy for you and unhelpful for those around you, but it could also be holding you back! Taking ownership and responsibility, admitting to your mistakes, and apologizing for them is a large sign of a mature and intelligent person.

But how do you make the most of your mistakes, now that you’ve taken ownership of them? According to John C. Maxwell, a speaker, leadership expert, and three-time book author who has sold over 18 million copies of his books, all you need are the 5 Rs!

• Review

Take a long, hard look at past events and consider what led to them. Consider what happened during the time before the review – what were the high and low points, or the failures and successes?

You should actually set aside a regular time, on a schedule, do this sort of reviewing. So, when do you need to consider, and for how long? Good times are for 5 to 15 minutes at the end of the day, 1 to 2 hours once a week, one day once a month, and one week once a year.

• Reflect

Reflection is critical when you review it. Consider all the points you’ve studied and examined them extra carefully. This deep thinking will help your self-improvement.

Ask yourself questions if you’re getting stuck. What worked? What didn’t? And what were the causes of each? How could you approach the situation to replicate the successes or prevent the failures next time? You can opt to keep a journal for reflection, too; science has proven it can have positive effects on mental health!

• Recover

Sometimes, adverse events can need a little recuperation time. They could have hurt you, or the mistakes you’ve made may have drained you or tired you out. In addition, inevitable mistakes may have cost you money or resources that you now need to rest to regain.

Some people view recovery and resting as a drawback or an inconvenience, but that’s an unhealthy mindset. All human beings need rest, and resting can give you closure, provide clarity, and allow you to gather what you need to start again.

• Rearrange

In your reviews, reflections, and rests, you’ll likely realize that there are parts of your life that aren’t working out for you. Maybe your priorities need to be moved around. Perhaps your goals are too easy or difficult. Maybe there are new things on your to-do list. Rearrange as necessary, always aiming to challenge yourself and improve!

• Recharge

This step is simple: don’t dwell on the past. You’ve made mistakes. Time to learn from them, find humor in the errors, and find humility in the reflections. Think about your future and look upon it with renewed eyes and positive thinking!

Here are tips on how to stop living in the past.

3 – Have Routines

Every single famously successful person follows regular routines, and that’s for a reason. Methods allow your mind and body to naturally get used to a specific flow of events, which reduces stress and improves positive thinking throughout the day. 

How should you set a routine? Here are some steps to perform:

• Step 1: Determine a set of tasks that you do every single day. When you wake up, what do you have to do? What next? And then what? How about before bed? 
• Step 2: Arrange the list of daily tasks in a workable order that you can easily follow every single day. Start with the end of the day and work your way backward.
• Step 3: Break down the list of daily tasks into smaller ones, so that every single detail of your day is planned into a routine.

At first, this can feel quite overwhelming. But there are many ways a routine benefits you! In the mornings, it cuts down the time you need to get ready, reducing the hecticness and the risk that you forget something.

Then, at night, bedtime or night routines can help you prepare for the next day, wind you down for easier sleep, and even have positive effects on your overall health. The consistent bedtimes that you will get out of a firm night routine will also help your body regulate itself. And that is certainly a positive way you can upgrade your life.

4 – Change Some Eating Habits

We all know that the act of altering eating habits can be a little difficult – but you don’t need huge changes to upgrade your life.

• Make Your Own Meals

When you cook yourself your own lunches and dinners, you’re able to control what goes into them. Meals in restaurants that claim to be healthy, or even have calorie counts displayed, still don’t give you all the information you need.

Making your own meals means that you can choose ingredients that suit your exact desires or requirements. You know how much salt and sugar you use, if the ingredients are organic, how fresh everything is, and more. Plus, you can carefully portion your carbs, proteins, vegetables, and more. 

There is also a time benefit of making meals by yourself. You can prepare meals well in advance for the week, then simply grab and go. It saves money, effort, and stress.

• Don’t Eat At Your Desk

When you have a lot of work to do, it can be tempting to just eat at your desk as you continue your work. Don’t. You need breaks, and the short time it takes to eat can be all you need to give your head a much-needed “reset” so you can come back with a fresher mind.

On top of that, distracted eating is often the cause of overeating. When you’re so engrossed in finishing as much as you can, it can be tough to notice when you’re full. So take that break!

• Improve Your Habits

Yes, improving eating habits can be difficult. But if you start small and work your way up, you’ll figure it out sooner or later! Start refusing offered sweets and junk food, and stock up on healthy snacks to replace unhealthy ones without having to deal with severe cravings.

Eating well can seem like a drag, but remember that diet can be solely responsible for your lifespan and disease risk, and you need to eat relatively well with balanced nutrition for a positive health outlook.

4 – Focus On You

In such a bustling, tiring world, your busy life can take your focus off of you. But if you don’t think of yourself sometimes, you won’t be in touch with who you are. Believe it or not, it is possible to become a stranger to yourself, and you don’t want that to happen. Here’s how to focus on you:

• Take Time To Get To Know Yourself

What are your strengths? Your weaknesses? Your personality traits? What rewards do you love? The things that make you unique?

• Figure Out Your Beliefs And Values

What are the things that you truly believe in? If you don’t know, you’re likely going to wind up accidentally adopting the values of y others. You’ll conform to social norms and follow the crowd. There’s nothing wrong with doing so when you genuinely share those beliefs – but you shouldn’t do so by default. Take some time to know what you really feel.

• Make Your Own Identity

When you’re new to your career or field, it’s understandable ty o take inspiration from many others. But as time goes on, you need to be able to create and establish an identity that is truly, uniquely yours. Having your own identity will keep you on the right track, even when the going gets tough.

Final Thoughts On Some Ways To Upgrade Your Life Without Working Too Hard

Sometimes, simple actions are all you need to take to upgrade your life. But remember that even with these easy methods, you have to be consistent and persistent! Commit to these small life changes, and you’ll enjoy the benefits.