Healthy habits: hard to build and even harder to maintain long term, right? Not in our opinion! After all, we all have a few bad habits or two, and many people have been able to break them. Indeed, you just need to go about the process correctly, and that’s the hard part. You know what you need to do to feel well in yourself, and truly protect your health, and now you’ve just got to put a productive plan into action. To give you an idea of how to manage that, we’ve listed some tips below that you might want to keep in mind.
Change One Small Thing at a Time
Baby steps; we all know they’re the best things to take. And even though you’ll want to change a bad habit into a good one within 24 hours, it’s just not going to happen! You need to take it slow, do one thing at a time, and then review your progress at the end of the month, or even the year. Make sure you celebrate each step, and don’t hate yourself for taking a step back. It happens to everyone and is a normal part of the process.
Come Up with an Action Plan
The more you know about what you want to do, the easier it’ll be to actually do those things. So come up with an action plan. What do you want to change? What will be required in order to change? And when do you want to make these changes?
Literally write it all down – you’ll thank yourself for the road map later on! Be sure to detail your goals, and make them specific. You want to have something to work towards, not just a lofty ambition that sounds good but is entirely impractical!
Work with a Professional
Working with a professional to change your habits is one of the best ways to maintain a productive mindset. You can move forward with the assurance that someone who knows what they’re talking about is on your side!
So, whether you want to get a nutritional assessment for your diet, or you want to work with a physio in regards to poor posture or chronic pain, or you simply want to get a PT down the gym, there’s a professional out there who can help.
Use Rational Thinking Strategies
If you can, come up with some rational thinking patterns to help you beat back something like a craving or an impulse. Want to pick up a cigarette? Before you do, think about why you’re feeling this way, what’s triggered it, and how you can remove yourself or the trigger without giving in. Similarly, if you’ve got emotions that make you feel like you’re about to blow, breathe yourself into a calmer space, and then consider what’s led you to this point.
Healthy habits require effort, and a conscious choice each day you build them. But do the work now and you’ll be rewarded later!
