Do you find yourself every so often first deciding to make a big change, but you never manage to stick to it for longer than two, three weeks? It’s nearly March now, and your new year’s resolutions are beginning to look like last year’s resolutions: abandoned. In this case, this post about ways to establish healthy habits is maybe just what you need! Stay with us to figure out how to develop healthy habits that will last!
Building Healthy Habits
One of the facts of life is that people face various challenges, and they overcome some of them easier than others. One of the biggest challenges, in our case, is to stick to the decision to live more healthily! Like, each time, around the winter holidays, we tell ourselves, “Okay, it was a hard period! You have the right to indulge in all the holiday treats and skip on workouts as much as you want during holidays! But come January 1st things will have to change!” So, by the second day of January, we indeed start to eat differently, begin working out, buy the best running shoes for treadmill, and fully commit to it. However, fast forward to several weeks later, and our motivation seems to have evaporated. One bad day at work, and we are back to where we started, having fallen off the wagon.
Last year was different, though. began to think about good habits and resolutions sometime around mid-December. Maybe it was because of COVID – 19, but I felt more determined to succeed. After giving some thought to it, I realized that I may have to plan things differently. First of all, the idea of introducing healthy habits the day after a huge party doesn’t make much sense. The more I thought about it, the more I had the feeling that the key to success when you want to introduce healthy habits for life is to plan adequately and do things with patience and understanding.
I figured that I can’t create healthy habit goals and stick to them on my own. I went to the experts: I asked healthcare and fitness professionals for advice. After receiving tips that helped me introduce some healthy habits into my routine, I’m now sharing them with you.
What Prevents Us From Developing Healthy Habits?
Before we start discussing what it takes to build healthy habits, I would like to ask you what is stopping you! Do you have any idea? Reasons are aplenty, and they vary from person to person. But it is useful if you can think of the things that are problematic in your particular situation.
In my case, as I understood later, the biggest problem was the absence of a specific goal. I was always saying, ‘I will eat healthily,’ or ‘I will start working out.’ But I had no clue what it meant and where to begin. Some other people say something like, “I am going to hit the gym five days a week!” But the truth is they didn’t even peak in the gym since high school. In that situation, their decision is set up to fail.
Ah, another thing is that we get quickly disappointed. We believe that once we start eating fruit and veggies and working out, extra pounds will disappear, and we will get in shape in two shakes of a lamb’s tail! But, this doesn’t happen because we don’t have a magic wand. The disappointment then kicks in, and we stop everything.
“Right,” you may think, “So what am I supposed to do, then?” That is a good question and the reason why you are here. In the part that follows, you will find tips that will help you introduce healthy habits in 2022 and beyond.
5 Tips to Establish Healthy Habits That Stick
1. Understand the Reasoning Behind Your Desire to Change
This is one of the first (and maybe the most critical) steps when you want to change habits, or develop new habits: You have to answer why you want to do it and how healthy habits affect your future. Some people think that it is time to change habits because their partner told them. Others do it because they keep listening about the necessity of living healthier lifestyles. But in reality, they don’t want it, and they don’t see what is wrong with their existing habits. But it doesn’t work like that. You can’t change anything for someone else – you have to want to change habits to live healthy and to be fully aware of the reasons for your wish.
2. Give Yourself Time for Research
Lots of people think that they shouldn’t waste time once they make a decision. Hence they focus on the activity. But, hear me out and try a different approach. I suggest you do some research after you’ve made a decision. What does that mean? Read about different types of exercises, think about healthy habits and their benefits. Make a list of things you want to achieve and think about which habits you need to change (like switching to sustainable snacks). Once you do all this, you will be more motivated to get into action.
3. Start Small
It is perfectly logical to be super enthusiastic about the decision you’ve made. But, keep in mind that the habits that you had for 10, or 20, years won’t disappear overnight just because you now decided that they should. Start with one or two small things. For example, you have been skipping breakfast since middle school. However, now you know that it is the most important meal of the day. tart by introducing healthy habits in your morning routine and eat something nutritious like a bowl of healthy cereals and fruit before going to work.
Or, participate in a short-term goal, such as a dry January challenge. It aids in your health, and strengthens the willpower muscle.
4. Consider Your Long-Term Goals
When you decide to start your day with a healthy habit, think about your long-term plans. Like, where do you imagine yourself six months, or even a year, from now? Short-term things like “Lose 10 pounds in two weeks by doing these exercises” will not get you anywhere. You may indeed lose those pounds, but then you will go back to your old habits, and the weight will quickly return. Long-term plans are essential when you want to establish healthy habits to have success.
5. Try to Get a Friend to Join You
Whether you are working to build healthy habits for mental health or physical or both, things are always better when you have company. Ask your partner if she or he also wants to build healthy habits. Check with your friends and see if there is someone who shares your dream to live a healthier and longer life.
Rinse & Repeat!
Starting a journey towards healthy habits isn’t simple! You’ve lived in a certain way for a long time, so logically nothing can change overnight simply because you decided. It takes a lot of patience and a lot of work. But you still have to remember to have fun along the way! You are doing something good for yourself, and you have to enjoy it and celebrate every little success!
Have you tried changing some habits, recently? Do you have some tips for building better habits?
About the Author
The article was written by Thomas Nemel. He loves to write articles, run early in the morning, and ride his motorbike. His goal is to engage more people in healthy living.
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