10-Minute Habits: 10 Things to Do to Change Your Life for the Better

The key to changing your life for the better is to make better use of time. You don't need to make a huge leap to transform your life for improved living; it's about adopting a mindset that uses time wisely.

Instead of reading pointless BuzzFeed articles or scrolling through Facebook feeds, you can spend time reading personal development books. Making a few simple tweaks to your daily routine can lead to a significant improvement in your life.

In this article, you'll learn TEN 10-minute habits that will help you to change your life for the better. Through these small habits, you can start building better habits and become physically and mentally stronger day by day. Over a year, you can see many positive changes in your life that you may not have imagined before.

1. Take a Deep Breath 

Every day, we take thousands of breaths unconsciously to live. Fresh oxygen passes into the blood, and carbon dioxide is released from the body through the process of exhalation, also known as breathing.

When you practice deep breathing, more oxygen enters the bloodstream and reaches the brain. It is a mindful practice that offers more health benefits than helping the body to live.  

Deep breathing serves as a natural remedy for various physical and mental health issues. It helps our body combat stress and anxiety, reduces blood pressure, improves digestion, detoxifies the body, and enhances the immune system, among other benefits.

You only need to spend 10 minutes a day practicing this breathing technique; it will have a profoundly positive impact on both your body and mind. To get started with deep breathing, sit comfortably and straightly, inhaling and exhaling slowly and gently.

However, there are more deep breathing techniques found in Ayurveda. You can try each one to see which one gives you a better feeling of calm.

Recommended Resource: 6 Breathing Exercises That Can Help You Relax in 10 Minutes or Less

2. Sun salutation 

If you don't have time to exercise for an hour, the sun salutation is a great way to start your day energized. Each round of sun salutation consists of 12 different asanas, which involve various vertebral movements of the spinal column.

Studies have shown that it takes approximately 3 minutes and 40 seconds to complete one round. However, it can be done at both a slow and a fast pace. 

A 10-minute practice at a faster pace can be a good exercise for the cardiovascular system. On the other hand, a slower-paced practice is beneficial for increasing mental ability. 

Learn the steps from this YouTube video: Guide to Suryanamaskara | The Art of Balance | Shilpa Shetty Kundra    

Every day, this 10-minute habit of sun salutation practice will help you improve your physical and mental health. And you'll feel energized throughout the day. Here are some of the benefits included – 

• Lose weight and belly fat, 
• Decreases blood sugar level
• Improves the flexibility of joints and muscles, 
• Helps the digestive system function better 
• Solves Irregular menstrual cycle problem, 
• Helps to cope with stress, anxiety, and insomnia, 
• Detoxifies the body and gives glowing skin

As a beginner, start with four to six rounds of sun salutations and increase by one round each week. Gradually, you can expand it to 12 rounds at a moderate pace. 

3. Meditation 

The best thing that you can do for yourself is to spend 10 minutes in meditation. Thousands of studies have shown that meditation has a positive impact on mental and physical health.

Meditation helps us move past the tensions of the day. It allows us to pause whenever we feel overwhelmed and anxious. And let us experience a sense of calm and clarity.

Many of us find it challenging to manage 10 minutes for meditation. However, we often forget that our mind is the most valuable resource in our lives, and taking good care of it should be our top priority.

Mindfulness practice is an effective way to promote mental well-being, as it cultivates the ability to experience the feeling of presence. 

To experience the joy and benefits of meditation, you can start with a 10-minute guided meditation track. Here is how to get started – 

1. Find a quiet place (where no one will disturb you for 10 minutes), 
2. Sit comfortably,
3. Take a few deep breaths, 
4. Play a guided meditation track and follow its instructions. 

Here are two 10-minute guided meditation tracks- 

1. Headspace | 10-minute meditation for focus and relaxation
2. About Meditation | Go to Sleep! 10-Minute Guided Meditation

4. Read Books

Reading is one of the best habits you can adopt in your life. This habit offers numerous benefits beyond simply gaining knowledge. Researchers have found that people who read regularly possess a more complex brain than those who don't read.

Reading habit improves memory and sleep, reduces stress, and develops analytical thinking ability. Regular reading helps delay cognitive decline in old age and keeps the brain well-functioning at that stage.

Words and sentences that you read stay in your head as information, and the knowledge may come in handy whenever you face any challenge that is associated with that information.

The more knowledge you have, the better-equipped you are to overcome any challenge you face in life.

Ten minutes a day equals 5 hours a month. If you read five pages in 10 minutes, you can finish 150 pages in a month, which is the equivalent of a medium-sized book.

Now, what to read? You can read anything that piques your interest and curiosity. It could be half a chapter of a book, an article or editorial, a self-help book, or a mystery novel. Read something that enriches you. Especially, the books that will help you improve in your life or whatever you are trying to excel at.

5. Listen to TED Talks

You may already be familiar with TED Talks, but you might not give them much attention. TED is devoted to spreading ideas that cover almost every possible topic – from cooking to zero waste and atoms to manifestation.

Most TED speakers are industry leaders, and their lectures are typically short (usually 18 minutes or less) yet powerful, opening your mind. You may even find truly inspiring and life-changing lectures here.

Recommended resource: 11 must-see TED Talks

6. Reading one book in Blinkist

Blinkist is incredible, where you can listen to the summaries of nonfiction books. The text version of the summaries is also available there. The advantage of using this app is that you can get the key ideas of a book in 15 minutes.

The book summaries will save you time and money. A summary will help you decide whether to read the whole book or not. Some of the books may not be of interest to you and may not be worth your time.

Therefore, through Blinkist, you can decide on your next book to read. Every day, you can read one book within 10 to 15 minutes, and that is 30 books a month. You can enrich yourself with the key ideas of those 30 books.

The Blinkist library boasts thousands of bestselling nonfiction books, with 40 new book summaries added to the collection each month.

With the free plan, you will receive access to a daily summary of one pre-selected book to read and listen to.

7. Learn a new skill

Learning is one of the best ways to utilize your spare time. People who embrace learning tend to achieve success more easily.

We all know that knowledge is power. Continuous learning is an indispensable tool for growing and sustaining a career. It allows you to be up-to-date and relevant in your industry. It also boosts your confidence and opens the doors to better opportunities.

Currently, knowledge is at our fingertips. There are hundreds of resources available around us, in various forms – text, visual, and auditory. Here are some of the ways to learn something new every day –

• Read books or ebooks or listen to audiobooks
• Read industry-related blogs or magazines
• Listen to podcasts or TED videos
• Become a member of an association that is related to your work,
• Go to the library
• Try MOOCs (Massively Open Online Courses) or online courses

However, don't be overwhelmed with all of the resources. Allow 10 to 20 minutes a day to practice a skill or learn a language. Create a list of the skills you want to learn and develop, and then plan to acquire them one by one.

Ten minutes a day equals 5 hours a month. There are hundreds of courses available online that require 5 hours to complete. For example, the following course requires 4.5 hours to complete.

Ninja Writing: The Four Levels Of Writing Mastery

At the end of the month, you will complete a course like this.

8. Plan your day in advance

The key to a productive day is planning. Planning will help you to use your time effectively.

A good plan will allow you to be aware of the things that are coming up tomorrow. It is recommended to plan for tomorrow. If you have 10 minutes to spare, use them to plan your day. 

Here are the simple steps to get started with planning –

Step 1: Take a pen and a piece of paper. Make a list of the tasks you need to accomplish.

Step 2: Pick the three tasks from the list that you want to do the next day. Prioritize high-value and essential things over the other tasks on the list.

Step 3: Consider your regular and self-care activities. Don't forget to block off time for regular tasks that you can't avoid, such as exercise, replying to emails, or making a phone call to a client.

Step 4: Plan everything into the 24-hour time slots of a day. Add those three tasks to your schedule, along with your regular to-dos. Also, be sure to include travel time and waiting time in the schedule.

This method is the simplest way to plan a day, making it ideal for beginners. Advanced planners use tools to plan a day.

There are many to-do list apps available online. The tools are handy because you can access your to-do list from multiple devices and sync the list across the devices. You can even plan on the go without needing a pen and paper.

9. Reflect

Got another 10 minutes?

Relax with a cup of coffee and take some time to reflect on the day. How are you doing in your life? What is the goal of your life, and what is your progress towards the goal?

Throughout the day, you are checking your phone or emails, replying to text messages, and remaining busy with other activities. Not all activities have the same value. By reflecting on a day, you'll identify the time-wasting and high-value tasks that occurred during the day. This will help you plan your schedule, aligning with the goal.

Many people prefer to reflect through writing a journal. If you choose not to use pen and paper, you can do this by sitting with a cup of tea or coffee and taking the time to reflect on your progress and what to do next.

Recommended resource: How to Reflect: 9 Steps (with Pictures)

10. Declutter and organize

Although clutter is often associated with physical objects, it has a profound impact on our brains. It negatively affects our mood and self-esteem, increases stress levels, decreases productivity, and can even lead to poor-quality sleep.

Many aspects of your life can be improved by developing a habit of decluttering and organizing your belongings. Just 10 minutes a day can make a huge difference in your productivity and in your work or living space.

Usually, people prefer to do it on weekends or on holidays. By those days, a lot of things pile up, and it takes hours to declutter and organize.

A 10-minute habit can save those hours on holiday, and you can enjoy the day with family. Here are three (or any one) things you can do in 10 minutes to declutter your living space or workspace.

1. Sort and toss garbage items. Packaging, broken bits, expired coupons, empty bottles, dried-up glue, and any unused stuff, throw them in the bin whenever you see them. And develop a habit to do this instantly.
2. Keep all the stuff in the right place. Sort the non-kitchen items that belong to another room, and move them out of the kitchen. Similarly, move toys from the drawing room to the kids' room, and tools from the kitchen to the garage.
3. Keep the living room tidy by squaring up reading materials and paper piles. Avoid eating in the living room. Plates, glasses, and packages won't pile up in the room if you don't eat in the living room.

Further Reading: How to Improve Organizational Skills to Manage Time Better

Bonus Tip: Speak to Friends or Relatives

These days, there are many communication channels available online – messenger, IMs, Facebook, etc. Technology saves our time and energy, but is it essential to save our relationships? Some relationships demand face-to-face conversations or phone calls. There are some friends or relatives with whom you haven't talked in a while. 

Don't hide yourself behind a computer screen. Spend 10 minutes connecting with those friends, relatives, or your loved ones. You'll feel good by doing this, and it will strengthen your relationship with those people. 

How to manage time to apply 10-minute habits to change your life for the better

Now you have the idea about how to utilize 10-minute chunks effectively and make your life better. It is time to find ways to save time so that you can spend 10 minutes on any of the things listed above. 

• Be judicious about spending time on TV, Netflix, or YouTube. Stop watching programs that won't add value to your life or enrich your mental well-being. 
• Avoid checking Facebook 25 times a day. Do the same with other social media and even with email.
• Don't waste your time viewing funny images online or funny clips on TikTok. Your time is more valuable than these foolish things. 
• Avoid gossiping with friends and colleagues. Be a part of a positive group that helps people grow intellectually. 
• Learn the ways to improve time management skills and save time to do high-value tasks in a day.

Further Reading: Common Time Wasters at Work and How to Avoid Them

To sum up

There are 10 x 10 = 100 minutes, which is approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes to 2 hours. Many people unconsciously spend this time scrolling through their Facebook feed or watching YouTube. If you want to transform your life, you need to be conscious of how you spend your time. If you practice 5 to 6 out of the 10 habits listed above, you can transform your life for the better and make it more meaningful.