Ways to slightly improve your life (or my version of Baz Lurhmann’s Sunscreen Song)

With it being the first of March (and the end of winter woohoo!) I was reminded that now is the time to plant spring bulbs, even if it is in a pot, because in a few weeks time you will start seeing those green shoots coming through and the world will seem a better place.

So I thought I would give you 30 ways to slightly improve your life – my little bits of useful advice, just like Baz Lurhmann did back in the 90s.

But without the music. And the royalties.

 

 

  1. Plant spring bulbs! Even if they’re just in a pot. In a few weeks time you will start seeing those green shoots coming through and the world will seem a better place
  2. Exercise on a Monday night (nothing fun happens on a Monday night).
  3. Take some fruit to work.
  4. Since we are talking work, consider going down to four days a week. That fifth day is disproportionately taxed more, so you’ll lose way less than a fifth of your take-home pay.
  5. Send a voice note instead of a text; they sound like personal mini podcasts and your voice will convey a meaning that gets lost in texts.
  6. Feeling stagnant at work? Try the Pomodoro technique: 25 minutes on, five-minute break, and repeat.
  7. Put your favourite children’s drawings and paintings in frames and hang them on the wall.
  8. Set aside 15 minutes a day to do something you really enjoy – be it reading a book or playing Wordle
  9. Laugh at your own jokes.
  10. Listen to some classical music on the radio for a change – you will feel instantly calmer
  11. Spend more time listening and less time talking. Ask more questions and take in the answers.
  12. Take the stairs.
  13. Switch one meal a week from a meat to a vegetarian option.
  14. Go for a walk without your phone.
  15. Make it a habit to spend five minutes a day doing simple stretches or floor exercises. It is probably the same length of time that you spend cleaning your teeth and the benefits to your body will be great.
  16. If you’re going less than a mile, walk or cycle. About half of car journeys are under two miles, yet these create more pollutionthan longer journeys as the engine isn’t warmed up yet.
  17. Send postcards – you don’t have to be on holiday to send postcards.
  18. Try deleting Twitter/TicToc/Snapchat from your phone (you can always reload it!)
  19. Say hello to your neighbours.
  20. Sign up to you local Saturday Park Run. It’s a great way to start the weekend and it will make you feel great even if you can only walk it.
  21. Call an old friend out of the blue. Or if you aren’t that brave, just text them.
  22. Go to bed earlier. Like most people you could probably do with more sleep.
  23. Don’t save that bottle of champagne for a special occasion – drink it now!
  24. Respect your elders – and your youngers.
  25. Always book an extra day off after a holiday.
  26. Listen to music outside your usual taste. If you are struggling for inspiration then try the Guardian’s 100 Best Albums Ever
  27. Cook something you’ve never attempted before
  28. Don’t look at your phone at dinner.
  29. Do that one thing you’ve been putting off. If you are really struggling getting started then try Mel Robbins’s five second rule.
  30. Give compliments widely and freely. You will be surprised how much of an impact you can make.

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