 It was an Indian lawyer and political ethicist Mahatma Gandhi who said that your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your values, your values become your destiny. Your habits are integral to the overall outcome of your life, thus if you want to lead a prosperous life, you must practice healthy habits. In this video, I will share with you 12 healthy habits that will change your life. If you are new here, consider subscribing to this channel for more awesome videos. 1. Drink water regularly Most times, in a beat to stay hydrated, people take other fluids that are not water, but scientists have advised that if it is not water, don't drink it. Of course, we make exceptions for morning coffee or tea and the occasional glass of wine with dinner. But during the day, it's all water all the time. Taking water at intervals during the day, it's one habit that can not only keep you hydrated, but also energized. If the idea of taking water frequently seems boring to you, add some fresh fruit, cucumber, or mint for a fun twist. Things like juice, soda, and sports drinks are packed with sugar, which, as far as our bodies are concerned, are empty calories. They don't fill us up, yet they always let us down. 2. Waking up early Waking up early is one of the best ways to be more productive. Well, not only does waking up early afford you the chance for a productive day, but it also gives you time to meditate and prepare your mind for the day's job. Many of the world's most successful entrepreneurs are early risers, people like Oppro Infri, Elon Musk, and many other notable individuals in today's world, have reported being up from bed by at most 5.30 am. Although learning to get up earlier is quite tedious, your body system will need some time to adjust. Once you make it a habit, you will never look back. 3. Get at least 7 hours of sleep Don't be deceived into thinking that success requires you to lose sleep always. Indeed, there are days when the need may arise for you to forgo a few hours of sleep, but sleep deprivation should not be a habit, according to the National Institute of Health. Chronic sleep deprivation can negatively affect your memory, focus, speech, and learning. If it goes on for too long, it can even give you brain damage. Increase your risk of chronic illness and premature death. On the contrary, getting plenty of rest will improve your memory. Eliminate brain fog and increase clarity. If you find it challenging to adapt to a good sleep pattern, you can opt for phone apps. There are plenty of cell phone apps out there that can track your sleep schedule and emit certain sounds of hypnotherapy methods to help you get a good night's rest. Never forget that early to bed and early to rise makes the body healthy, strong, and wise. 4. Meditate daily Meditating is scientifically proven to be helpful to your health and well-being in so many ways. Sadly, the National Institute of Health reports that only around 8% of the U.S. adult population practice meditation. According to an article in Psychology Today, meditation decreases stress, deprivation, anxiety, and increases your ability to focus as well as improves memory and much more. When you meditate, your mind is open to truly appreciate the gifts of life that you ordinarily will not see. For example, life, family, and even peace. There is something extraordinary about finding peace and being in the present moment in this chaotic, fast-paced, and rushed world we live in. So, burn some incense or grab some essential oils, sit down and renew your mind. 5. Create a morning routine Maybe you like to go for a run, or perhaps you want to meditate, or write, or pray, or enjoy a glass of coffee while listening to an awesome podcast. Whatever it is that makes you feel supercharged, you should kick start your day with that habit. Establishing a meaningful morning ritual helps you start your day on a positive, proactive, and well-organized note. Having a structured start to your day instead of rushing to makeup for the lost time also helps eliminate stress, mental fatigue, and enhances your productivity. If you want to get the best out of life, plan your morning routine. Be sure to start with laying your bed. 6. Do things one at a time Do you know that according to research, only 2% of people in the world can multitask successfully? Yet a handful of individuals in the world today libel themselves as multitaskers. What most people do is juggle through activities, stress their brains, and end up being merely busy rather than productive. There is no harm in occasional multitasking, but you should be sure that it is helpful to you before you embark on it. Besides, constant juggling between tasks limits your focus and contributes to the mental mess by making it difficult for your brain to filter out irrelevant information. Furthermore, a study conducted by Stanford University revealed that heavy multitasking lowers efficiency and may impair your cognitive control. This is why you should try to single-task as much as possible. Start with what's most essential and make your way down to completing your scheduled activities one task at a time. 7. Make time to exercise Other than improving your physical health, working out regularly pumps up creativity and enhances your cognitive skills such as recollection and retention of information. It's also an effective way to build endurance and get organized. If you're still not convinced, you should note that exercising also elevates mood by boosting the production of endorphins, hormones that act as natural anti-depressants. Developing the habit of exercising regularly is not only good for your mental health, but it also boosts your internal body system. 8. Take time out of social media It is no news that the digital world has taken over almost every aspect of our lives. Studies have revealed that the average person has five social media accounts and spends at least one hour and 40 minutes every day on checking social media. Research also shows that the more time you spend on a social media site, the more likely you are to develop depression. More so, the blue rays from our mobile phones are harmful to our eyes. Thus, there is a need for you to limit or take time to come back on social media to reduce stress and mental clutter. Switch off your phone and laptop for a few hours every day to improve your mood and reconnect with the world around you. 9. Read books There is one big reason why we advocate for reading printed books. The light from TV and electronic devices affects you at night. That aside, reading books has been documented to provide several benefits. Reading books helps to secure your vocabulary, as well as broaden your knowledge about different aspects. Also, when you read books, you can learn from other people's experience and view things from various perspectives, which is necessary during decision making. An adage says, readers are leaders, great readers are great leaders. 10. Learn to say thank you Have you ever learned a hand of assistance to someone? Then they said thank you. How did you feel? Well, I bet you must have felt great about yourself. After all, being appreciated is said to make humans feel valuable. This is an integral part of being human. If being appreciated made you feel good, then don't you think it would be nice if you also make others feel good too by appreciating them? You can experience much positive change by showing appreciation. Not only will this make the other person feel right about himself, but it also has an impact on you. When you appreciate someone, you are essentially acknowledging that they have done something right. When the person receives it, they feel good knowing they are valued. On your part, you have just made someone feel valuable and probably brought a smile to their face. Imagine making someone smile every day. If you get to value people, you will see more of their right side because your display of gratitude will make them want to show you and others more of their right sides. You will therefore have increased the number of people acting right and being useful to others. This means a better world. 11. Eat healthy The saying, you only live once, has been translated by several people to mean various things. For some people, yellow is a reason, perhaps an excuse for eating more than what one is expected to consume. Though that might be a case of justifying a bad habit, there is a truth in the statement itself. Your body is not made of woods and bricks, it is made of bones, tissues and blood, and you only have one chance to keep it fit. Although your body needs food for sustenance, foods ought to be taken in the right proportion. As such, though you eat, you are better of eating healthy meals. For example, if snacking, get a healthy snack and take it in the right quantity. If thirsty, use water and not processed fruit juice. If you want juice, make fresh juice at home. This way, you will avoid chemical preservatives and get the full nutritional value of the fruit itself. Unless you are on a specific diet as advised by a doctor, eat a balanced diet. The balanced diet means ensuring there are carbs, proteins, vegetables and some fruits in your meals. There are so many benefits of eating healthy, one of which is that your body will be able to fight against germs and diseases when you eat healthy. 12. Avoid debt Many individuals treat debts with levity, but debt is a huge problem. Not only will it rob you of your esteem, it steals your peace of mind and can lead to an early death. Although getting into certain debts are for a greater good, like a student loan or a microfinance loan for business, but what happens when you somehow can't repay the debts? Even if it was used to establish a business, there is no way you will force your customers to pay more than they should. Neither can you force your bank to stop mortgage deductions. Thus, as much as you can, you must avoid getting into debts. Debt may not be wholly avoidable, but you can certainly keep it to a minimum and take them for the right reasons. If you are already stuck in debts, you can commit to living a minimalist life. You can also decide to live below your means, so you have more monthly savings. This can later translate into investing money. Debt causes depression and stress. So, it is relatively safe to say, a debt-free life is a stress-free life. Well, not though. American journalist Charles Duhigg once said, change may not be fast and it is not always easy, but with time and effort, almost any habit can be reshaped. The effects of this healthy habits may not be immediate, but in the nearest future, you will be perplexed at the positive changes you will begin to see in your life.