A lot of our life outcomes are the result of daily habits, rather than any big and dramatic changes we have made. For example, our career was probably built up from a series of small, consistent steps, rather than one big leap in the dark.
Our level of physical fitness is largely a result of our daily eating and exercise habits - which becomes more important as we get older, of course
This is good news, because it proves that simple habits can and do make a difference to our lives. Here are some habits that are easy to practice every day, and can help to improve your mental and emotional health and wellbeing, while becoming more resilient.
Practicing active constructive responding
You have probably heard about active listening, which is the art of paying attention to the speaker’s words and non-verbal communication, and encouraging them with your own body language and verbal cues. It involves making a good effort to comprehend, remember, and respond appropriately to what they say.
Active constructive responding (ACR) specifically involves responding well to someone who has related some good news. This might seem like a no-brainer, but it is easy to handle it badly, especially if we are feeling tired, distracted, can spot a problem, or even feel threatened or jealous of their achievements.
Responding to good news in a lukewarm, dismissive, or critical way can make a person feel undermined and damage their feelings of trust and closeness to you. Using ACR techniques involves listening, understanding and being interested and enthusiastic. It could even be a cause for an impromptu celebration.
Learning how to look forward to something
If you are not a natural born optimist, it can be more difficult to look to the future with hope and positivity. However, this is a mindset that can be learnt, with a little practice. Start small, by writing down two or three things you are looking forward to over the next week. This could simply be meeting a friend for coffee, or spending an hour in the garden.
Spend a few minutes each evening anticipating the enjoyment of these events, without dwelling on any potential problems. Learn to savour the warm and strong rays of hope and positivity! Once you have mastered the small stuff, think bigger. Visualise your best self, where everything has gone well in your life.
Play to your strengths
We tend to feel at our most happy and fulfilled when we are doing something we are good at. We all have different strengths, which we could and should make the most of, and use to help us make a contribution to the world. Write down your five best strengths, and look for ways you make these a priority. | 
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