Forming Healthy Habits
It’s funny how bad habits are easy to pick up and hard to ditch, but forming healthy habits seems to be a challenge!
Habits dictate a huge amount of our lives. Our habits will determine if we’re happy or sad, healthy or unhealthy, tired or well rested. Making good choices is easier said than done, but the knock on effect from bad choices and unhealthy habits is not likely to benefit you in the long run.
Did you know habits are triggered by reward seeking mechanisms in the brain? True story! How often have you promised yourself that chocolate on the weekend if you stick to your diet all week, or committed to that cup of coffee in the late afternoon if you just get through your deadlines. Habits form a major part of our lifestyle, so it is important we form good ones!
Think about the stuff we do on auto-pilot. We brush our teeth twice a day or put on our seatbelt as soon as we get in a car. The trick to forming a habit is to repeat the action until it becomes as natural as breathing.
Before we look into the how of it all, let’s consider some mistakes that are commonly made when trying to break a habit or form a new one.
Why it doesn’t work
You are not controlling your environment.
You are trying to change too many things at one time.
You’re not 100% committed.
You are focusing too much on the outcome.
You don’t realise that small steps will eventually pay off.
How to make it work
Control your environment by eliminating triggers. If you shop too much, avoid the malls. If you’re trying to quit smoking, avoid areas where others are smoking.
Create a support system. Surround yourself with people who support your choice and will hold you accountable.
Slot it into your schedule. If you do something routinely, at the same time each day it will eventually become second nature.
Use technology. Put a reminder on your phone to drink that bottle of water, or take your 15-minute walk.
Be patient with yourself. Forming a new habit is tricky. Understand that small steps are the most important steps. Don’t focus too hard on the outcome, but work hard to remain committed to the cause!
James Clear author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, Atomic Habits advises that habit breaking and forming is all about the small stuff. Start with a small habit, take small steps to fixing it in place. The small will make it stick!
With a support system of holistic experts at Body20, you know that we’re in your corner when it comes to developing the habit of living a healthier lifestyle and activating your potential. Contact your nearest studio to book a demo.
