The Habits That Make My Mind Quieter

Tiny rituals, big relief from mental noise

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Growing up, the word “routine” got a bad rap around me.

People would use it in sentences like “Routine will kill a marriage.”

Or to the question “How are you?”, they’d reply in a slow voice: “Oh you know, fine… Bored… La routine” (Moroccans often mix in bits of French.)

I was taught La routine was the enemy, a joy killer that would turn an exciting life into a dull one.

But that idea didn’t survive adulthood. I started to see daily routines as comforting cocoons.

Today, I believe healthy habits are non-negotiable for a calm, healthy mind.

They frame my days.
And when I break them, I can feel life getting slightly more difficult.

I start finding it harder to self-regulate. My thoughts get darker.
Even ordinary things start to feel like an uphill climb.

Here are the simple habits that have made me a much calmer human being:

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The morning sequence

I’m not a morning person.
But the first thing I do as soon as I get up is brush my teeth, wash my face with cold water, and make my bed.

I had heard and ignored the bed-making advice for years, until I listened to neuroscientist TJ Power talk about it on a podcast.

He explained that this sequence — including bed-making — makes our dopamine levels rise fast and hard, which sets us up for a completely different kind of day.

I can’t tell you how much that small addition transformed my mornings.
I used to drag myself to the living room like a zombie and crash on the sofa, whining about how hard it was to get up. Then, I’d scroll on social media.

It used to take me significantly longer to become a functioning human being.
Which brings me to my next point.

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Beware of your smartphone

I used to charge my phone by my bed, telling myself it was for the alarm. Last year, I bought a smartwatch. It changed everything.

I now charge my phone in another room, completely out of sight. Just seeing our phones can trigger anticipatory dopamine in the brain, making us more addicted.

That small shift made a big difference. Now, I check my phone about an hour after waking up, and never for social media first thing.

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Delete the addictive apps

I love Instagram. I’ve learned some of the most important things in my life through that app, and discovered incredible experts.
It’s also how I get most of my news, but more on that later.

Still, I used to spend way too much time on it. My thumb would automatically open the app at the slightest sign of boredom or discomfort.

I’d be scrolling before I even knew it. And soon enough, I’d notice my mental energy draining and my mood dipping.

I tried the daily timer limit, but I’d just skip it.

So I deleted the app. Not my account, just the app.

I added intentional friction. Now, I have to consciously think: “Do I really feel like checking Instagram right now?”

And if I do, I have to:

• Open the app store

• Search for the app

• Wait for it to download

• Dismiss a bunch of pop-ups

Then I can enjoy it with intention. And as soon as I’ve checked the accounts I like, I delete it again.

This has reduced my scrolling time by a factor of 10. And I feel much calmer for it.

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Limit news consumption

I know this one can be controversial. Having the ability to limit my exposure to the world’s horrors is a privilege. It means I’m not the one living them, so I can afford to look away.

I’ve thought a lot about this. And I’ve made peace with the fact that humans didn’t evolve to process every horrible event on the planet in real time.

Apart from the media industry — which benefits from fear — I don’t believe it helps anyone to live in a constant state of anxiety about things we can’t control.

So unless there’s something I can do to help, I now inform myself in micro-doses.
And again: I’m much calmer for it.

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Nutrition is non-negotiable

Nutrition is vast and often confusing. It’s hard to tell what’s right, what’s trendy, and what’s actually helpful.

I’m far from being an expert. But there’s one change that made a real difference to my energy levels and mood (which, as we know, are connected): Becoming mindful of my sugar intake.

• Sweet breakfasts are a no-go. For most of my life, I thought chocolaty cereals, Nutella toasts, or industrial muffins were “fine” breakfast options. I knew they weren’t exactly healthy, but I didn’t realize how damaging they were.

  They set me up for a sugar crash a couple of hours later, followed by a vending-machine visit, then another crash before lunch.
  I used to start lunch with dessert. I’d seen someone do that in a movie and thought it was charming. Ugh. Sugar spike in the making.

  The cycle continued all afternoon, and by the time I got home, I’d collapse on the sofa the moment I opened the door.
  

  Now, I treat breakfast as a sacred ritual. I make my unsweetened yogurt bowl with seeds, berries and nuts like my life depends on it.

• I scan almost everything at the supermarket with the Yuka app. And I’m appalled at how much the food industry gets away with.
  Once you start reading labels, packaging can’t fool you anymore.
  You see how many products are packed with harmful additives and how sugar shows up in the most unexpected places.

I now select what goes into my body with care.
It doesn’t mean I don’t allow myself the occasional treats.
But they’ve become just that. Occasional.

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Make space to look inward

Cultivating a habit of looking inward has also done wonders for my mind.

I tend to reach for this tool more when I’m going through something difficult, though I’d benefit just as much from it when things are fine.

Looking inward can mean journaling, sitting quietly with your eyes closed, using an app for breathwork, or going for a long walk without distractions.

It’s the habit I resist the most and the one that gives me the most immediate returns.

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Sleep, not an afterthought

I’m a different person without a minimum of 8 hours of sleep. It’s like my whole personality changes.

I get more irritable, impatient, snappy.

I’m not yet where I want to be with sleep. I wake up too often and make frequent bathroom trips. But a few things have helped immensely:

• I say goodbye to my phone around 8 pm. “Boring Mode” is on, and it goes out of sight to remove temptation.

• Lights go down after dinner. As soon as the kitchen is clean, I dim the lights, and the final phase of the day begins.
  It signals to my brain that bedtime is coming up soon.

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Small Edits to a Calmer Life

If you’re feeling scattered, overstimulated, or stuck in cycles that drain you, I hope this list gave you one or two ideas to experiment with.

They don’t have to be overwhelming. Make them visible or invisible (depending on whether you wish to add or remove), and ridiculously small at first.

Can you swap soda for water?
Use an old-school alarm clock?
Or put fresh fruit where you’ll see it?
Tiny tweaks. Big impact.

What’s one habit that helps you stay calm and clear-headed?
I’d love to hear it in the comments. Let’s learn from each other.

Here’s to the small things that make a big difference. 🌱