Forming new, healthy, habits can feel IMPOSSIBLE sometimes. We have all been there. Sticking to a plan for a few weeks, and then slowly dwindling back into our old ways. It is a frustrating cycle.
Here are 5 ways to help form, and stick to healthy habits!
There is a lot of science backing that people who write their goals down are more likely to achieve them. Whether it is a short-term or long-term goal, write it down. Put your goals where you can see them, and remind yourself every day what you are working towards!
Everyone has certain habits within their day. Whether it is waking up at a certain time, having a coffee at exactly 2:00 every day, or something as simple as showering before bed. Anything that is a sure-thing part of your day, you can tie a new habit to. For example, write down 3 things you’re grateful for while you drink your coffee, do squats while you brush your teeth, or 5 push-ups in between episodes of your Netflix shows.
Tie them to something you are already going to be doing! It will make it so much easier to follow through on.
Make it as easy as possible on yourself! Oftentimes people make BIG promises to themselves and then don’t set themselves up for success. Make the process simple. Have clothes picked out the night before for work and your workout, meal prep or even block time off in your schedule a few times a week dedicated to a workout. The easier you make it to show up, the more likely you will.
As lame as it sounds… consistency is key. Building new habits takes time, and as much as we wish we could say, “Do it every day for exactly 20 days and then it will be an unbreakable habit.” That just isn’t the case. Everyone takes a different amount of time to build a habit, but if you work on it daily, you will form the habit quicker.
Start small and build on it. Do 5-minute workouts, and then slowly add on. Eventually, you will be going to the gym for 30 min to hour workouts a few times a week, all because you started with those 5-minute workouts every day.
Treat. Yourself. One way to keep the motivation up is to celebrate your smaller wins. Set smaller goals that lead, and add, up to your big goals. Then, acknowledge and celebrate the smaller goals along the way. You will feel great about them, and it is an amazing way to track progress along the road to the big goal.