We’ve all been there.
Have you ever felt like your health and happiness rested on a set of behaviors that seem impossible to achieve? We’ve all been there.
When we don’t have enough time. When we are tired, stressed, busy… or when we are simply not in the mood for it.
When that happens, we don’t feel motivated to make healthy choices – the ones that keep us fit and happy.
But what if those choices didn’t need to be so difficult? What if there was a way to ensure you would always do them?
Would you do them then?
Here is the key: You can stick with healthy habits when they are ingrained in your daily routine. In this article, I will teach you how to create such habits by making small changes to your life that add up in big ways over time.
It’s easy to get into the trap of thinking “I’ll start tomorrow.”
It's easy to get into the trap of thinking “I'll start tomorrow.” By default, we assume that starting a new habit is difficult.
But it's not so much about difficulty as it is about restarting. We've already started and stopped hundreds of habits. It's in our nature to eat when we're hungry or drink when we're thirsty. Your brain is doing its best to optimize your life, but it doesn't know what you want out of your health and happiness plan yet because you haven't told it.
We all breathe, eat, think, sleep and move every day. So why can't we just put forth some effort to do these things in a way that makes us happy?
You know what they say, it takes 21 days to form a habit.
Everyone has heard the saying "it takes 21 days to form a habit." This is true, but not for the reason many people assume.
For instance, say you've gained weight and you're tired of feeling sluggish, so you set out on a mission to start working out every day. But then you realize how hard it is to keep up that pace-sticking with it for 2-3 days then falling off track. And each time you fall off track, the harder it became to get back on because your motivation took a hit.
When you have trouble forming habits or starting new goals, this is often what's happening: you're trying too hard and setting yourself up for failure (and then losing your motivation).
This means starting with something simple, like drinking more water every day.
The first step to creating the habits you want is to start with something simple, like drinking more water every day.
You'll feel overwhelmed if you try to master everything at once. You don't want that bad feeling to discourage you from sticking with your new habit change. Start with one simple thing until it becomes automatic, then add a new small habit every few weeks or so.
Eventually you'll have built up a whole suite of good habits that will impact your health and happiness in amazing ways!
By taking on one small change at a time, you avoid feeling overwhelmed and feeling like you have to master everything right away.
By taking on one small change at a time, you avoid feeling overwhelmed and feel like you have to master everything right away.
Smaller changes are more achievable, so it's easier to make one small change than many big changes.
Small changes can lead to big changes that are sustainable over time.
Small changes are little flexes and actually can be more motivating than big changes, which feels good and can help you develop or maintain momentum over time.
But what if you don’t stick with it?
It can be heartbreaking when you’re trying to stick with a new habit, but you just don’t. Don't worry—it happens to all of us! The good news is that even if you don’t stick with it at first, you can learn from the experience and become more successful next time.
Think about what went wrong and try a different approach. Sometimes we need a little extra help to make a goal last for the long haul, so ask yourself these questions: Did I set up an environment that helped me reach my goal? Did I have the right tools or equipment on hand? Did I have the information I needed to succeed? Once you've identified what's missing, brainstorm ways to get it. Do whatever you need to do in order to create the conditions that will help your new habits thrive!
Find new sources of support. If your partner thinks healthy eating is “boring” and your friends are “too busy” to exercise with you, they may not be giving you the encouragement or assistance that will help keep you motivated when things get tough. If this is true for you, try tracking your successful efforts in a journal or use digital apps to provide the partner you need. If you are feeling like you need more support, an online health and wellness coach can help get you organized to assess where you are and help you develop habits that stick so you get on track.
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