I have found that most of us do not like change. We like everything to stay the same. Unfortunately, for some of us, things need to change in order for us to be healthier. We need to change our eating habits, exercise more and sometimes end addictive behaviors. It seems like an insurmountable task. But if you pace yourself and program behaviors as new habits you can take out the struggle.
With a small amount of initial discipline, you can create a new habit that requires little effort to maintain. Here are some tips for creating new habits and making them stick:
1. Commit to One Month – Three to four weeks is all the time you need to make a habit stick. If you can make it through the initial conditioning phase, it becomes much easier to sustain. A month is a good block of time to commit to a change since it easily fits in your calendar.
2. Do it Daily – Consistency is critical if you want to make a habit stick. If you want to start eating healthy, start with small daily adjustments. Add more fruits and veggies, give up that energy drink and replace it with a healthier option. Be sure to make an adjustment everyday, if you skip days, it will be more difficult for it to become a habit.
3. Start Slowly – Don’t try to completely change your life in one day. It is easy to get over-motivated and take on too much. If you wanted to get more exercise, start off with a daily 20 minute walk , not a full on kick-boxing class!
4. Set Reminders – Around two weeks into your commitment it can be easy to forget. Place reminders to execute your habit each day or you might miss a few days. If you miss time it defeats the purpose of setting a habit to begin with.
6. Get a Buddy – Find someone who will go along with you and keep you motivated if you feel like quitting.
7. Forgive Yourself – Don’t expect all your attempts to change habits to be successful immediately. If you forget or “slip up” just get right back to it the next day.
8. Reduce Temptation – Remove junk food from your house, throw out the cigarettes so you won’t need to struggle with willpower later.
9. Write it Down – Writing makes your ideas more clear and focuses you on your end result.
10. Do it For Yourself – Don’t do it to please someone else. If you don’t do it for yourself, it will not become a habit. You have to believe there is value in it for you!
If you love this info, you’ll LOVE my guide 3 Easy Preventative Measures to Stay Healthy!
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