Building Healthy Habits isn’t difficult. The real challenge is learning how to avoid going back to what you already know. Why? Because it’s more comfortable and familiar. It doesn’t matter if you have a set goal in mind or not, there are 5 tools (habits) you can start right now that will help you live a healthier lifestyle. The habits are designed to work together, reinforcing each other and moving you closer to your desired results.
Constructing a perfect habit of success is not as easy as it sounds. Most would like to start with a blank slate and construct a new habit from scratch. The reality, however, is that we have years of bad habits to dismantle before we can even begin building the foundation for creating healthy habits.
Tips for Building Healthy Habits
1. KNOW WHAT YOU WANT
The first step to building healthy habits is figuring out what habits you actually want to keep. Before you can build habits that lead to success, you must first set some goals. Goals are the idea or target and they are usually much larger in scope than habits. This practice allows you to set out a concrete plan for yourself and gives you something clear to focus on.
2. MAKE A PLAN
Make a list of the things you need to do in order to reach your goal. The list can be as long or as short as you like, but make sure it includes smaller achievable steps. If you’re looking to lose weight, take steps like eating more fruits and veggies, drinking more water, and exercising every day or two. You’ll also want to set some goals for reaching your final destination.
3. BE CONSISTENT
Research suggests that our brains are wired to learn new behaviors through repetition, which is why habits form after a series of similar events. So it’s important to make sure that you’re repeating healthy choices, rather than just doing something once and then giving up on it because it wasn’t as easy as you thought it would be.
4. FIGHT THROUGH SETBACKS
Setbacks are a normal part of life. What matters most is how we deal with them. The key to overcoming setbacks is to keep yourself motivated throughout the journey.
5. ALLOW FOR DOWNTIME
Sometimes it can be hard to take time for yourself or do mellow things like restorative yoga and reading a book on the couch. Our bodies were made for exercise and movement. We know it’s easy to get bogged down by the longer days of winter and start to fall out of our routine, but don’t let these colder months get you down. Don’t lose hope – it is possible to stay active even when the weather isn’t cooperating. Just allot a block of time every week that’s meant for relaxation.