20 Ways to Improve Your Life Without Really Trying

Here’s twenty ways to make life better, with little effort.

Keep a bird feeder by a window, ideally the kitchen. It’ll pass the time when you’re washing up. Or, if working from home, pop one outside your 'office' window for a pleasant, calming distraction.

Exercise on a Monday night (nothing fun happens on a Monday night).

Take a photo of the tag you are given when leaving your coat in a cloakroom. Ditto when dropping off dry cleaning.

Feeling sluggish at work? Try the Pomodoro technique: 25 minutes on, five-minute break, and repeat.

Start a Saturday morning with some classical music – it sets the tone for a calm weekend.

Be polite to rude strangers – it’s oddly thrilling.

Go for a walk without your phone.

Stretch in the morning. And maybe in the evening.

Learn the names of 10 trees.

Call an old friend out of the blue.

Thank a teacher who changed your life.

Send a voice note instead of a text.

Think about your posture.

Always book an extra day off after a holiday.

Learn how to breathe deeply: in through the nose, out through the mouth, making the exhale longer than the inhale.

Keep your keys in the same place.

Listen to the albums you loved as a teenager.

Look closely.

If possible, take the stairs.

If you’re going less than a mile, walk or cycle.