We all know January is when everyone tries to begin the year on the right foot. Gyms are full and minds are focused on new year’s resolutions.
However, it’s important to make sure all this encouraging behavior lasts beyond a single month. If you follow a practical structure, it will be a lot easier to stay on track and make your resolutions a consistent habit. Here are some ideas to help you accomplish that:
- 🤏🏼Start with a small, specific action. Over time, the little habit will become an automatic part of your routine. Once that habit is incorporated, you can expand upon it!
- ⚓️ Choose an anchor for your new practice. Determine where you can fit your habit into your current routine and combine it with something you already do. This is important because otherwise it’s too easy not to make your new habit a priority, or to simply forget to do what you have set out to do.
- ♥️ Find pleasure in action. You are more likely to stick to a new habit if you enjoy it. So if you hate the gym, instead of working out, commit to a physical activity that you enjoy, like gardening, hiking, or dance classes.
- ☯️ Try combining temptation. Another way to make a new habit fun is to combine it with an activity you enjoy. For example, watching a TV show you love only while walking on the treadmill or listening to your favorite podcast only when preparing a homemade meal.
- 👎🏼👍🏼Replace a bad habit with a good one. As we all know, a bad habit can also be an unconscious response to stress or boredom. Once you’ve identified a trigger for a habit that you want to change, try replacing it with healthier behavior. If turning on the TV makes you want to go to the freezer for a cup of ice cream, you could work on replacing it with a cup of tea, or if you tend to turn to social media when you’re bored, click on a meditation app instead!
- ♻️ Redesign your environment. Modify your surroundings to make certain tasks more difficult or easier to do. If you tend to snack often, move the chips or cookies to a hard-to-reach place (better yet, don’t have them in your house at all). Then, bring healthy options closer and easy to grab.
- 🎉 Celebrate your victories. New healthy habits form faster and are more likely to stick if you feel good about them. If you intentionally reward the good behavior and cause it to generate positive emotion, your brain will say “That was nice. I want to do it again.”
You can do it! Use the steps above to help create better, lasting habits that will enhance your quality of life. Stay healthy my friends!
