healthy habits and what we can do to maintain them

When building and maintaining healthy habits, it can be easy to fall back into old patterns. Here are a few ways to not only set up healthy habits but to maintain them while you work toward your goals.

LEARN ABOUT YOUR HABITS

Habits take practice. The more you practice them, the more likely they are to become part of your natural routine. The best way to motivate yourself is to tailor the changes to you and no one else.  Ask yourself the following questions and record your responses:

What is taking up the most time for you right now?

Is it your health and wellness? Work stress? Relationships? Listing these areas of your life will show where you are spending your time and energy. All of these can be contributing factors to your everyday habits.

What is most important to you at this moment in time?

Choosing what you want is motivating because it prioritizes your needs over the obstacles blocking your way.

What is the habit you currently want to change? How does it make you feel?

How you feel about the habit will impact your motivation. Ask yourself how you feel versus how you want to feel and make this something you come back to.

SET UP YOUR GOALS

• Start small! Pick one habit to focus on, and think about an appropriate amount of time to give yourself to change the habit. Some will be day to day, and others weeks or months at a time. There is no wrong answer. It is all about what feels good to you.
• Write your habits down! The positive and the negative! Put them somewhere you can see them. Note how the habits change (or don’t) and reassess.
• Practice! The more dedicated you are to changing the habit, the more your results will show up.

KEEP IT UP

• Track your progress and reward yourself for the results you see.
• Ask for help! Have an accountability partner. Check-in regularly with someone about your habits and the changes you are making. It will make you feel good to have someone championing you.
• Set boundaries! Do not be afraid to ask for what you need to maintain your habit. When setting boundaries for yourself, you’re not only helping yourself understand what you need to do to stay on track, but also others around you.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I MESS UP?

We are human! We aren’t perfect, nor were we designed to be. Changing habits and behaviors is not linear, and it is important to listen to yourself along the way. If you find yourself falling into old patterns of behavior, take the following steps below:

PAUSE AND REFLECT

Take time to pause and reflect on your progress. What changes have you made? And what adjustments to your goals would you like to make?  It’s important to note that change does not come easily and consistency is key to achieving your goals.

REASSESS

Is the habit changing? What made it change or not change? Tracking these changes will help establish patterns of behavior for the day, week, or even month! Taking the time to figure out what is working for you shows clear steps you can take toward changes that are attainable.

BE KIND

Most importantly, practice positive self-talk. Try not to judge yourself or forget the progress you have made. Starting a habit change is progress itself! You can always start again at the next minute, hour, day, or week. Find ways to practice positive self-talk through this process and don’t forget the motivation you established in the beginning when you listed out why you wanted to change your habit.

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