Building & Maintaining Healthy Habits All 2024
Happy New Year! I hope you all had the most restful and rejuvenating holiday season and that you’re feeling energized to take on the new year. I am personally determined to make this my healthiest year yet, and I’d love for you to join me on that mission. Health will look different for all of us - it might mean working out more, it might mean spending more time with your loved ones. I know for me it will be a combination of things including meditation, rest time, trying new forms of movement (yoga & tennis have been my favorites recently), and more. But one thing is true for all of us - becoming your healthiest self is the result of doing small habits over and over again. Unsurprisingly, that can be easier said than done. So to kick off the year, I’m going to share with you all TEN ways to start and continue building healthy habits. Not all strategies will work for all of us and that is totally fine. I encourage you to take a look at the list and choose a couple to start with. If those don’t resonate after a few weeks, you can always come back and try a new one.
Schedule your workout like a meeting: I would bet that you would never miss a work meeting because you didn’t feel like going or felt too tired to talk to your coworkers. One way to make your workouts less negotiable is to put them into your schedule like a mandatory work meeting. Use your existing schedule to find a time that you are generally free every day, and add workouts to that time 3-4 days a week.
Start with 5-10 minutes: I once read a weight loss success story where the individual lost 100 pounds by only showing up to the gym. How is this possible you might ask? The person showed up to the gym every day for a month but that’s all they were allowed to do. They had to JUST show up and immediately leave, no workouts at all. But once they were forced to show up every day, it became a consistent habit. So by the time they started working out, showing up to the gym was second nature. If you’re not ready to block out multiple hours a week for workouts, start with 5 minutes a day. Do push ups before brushing your teeth, or squats before getting in bed at night. Pick 5 minutes in your day to move, and let your body lead you to more movement.
Habit stacking: another way to increase the chances that you’ll keep up with your healthy habits is to stack them with existing habits. Think of things you already do routinely, by choice or by force, and try adding your desired small habits to your existing ones. For example, when I decided I wanted to commit to a meditation habit I knew it would be hard for me to add it to my day. So I started by listening to a gratitude meditation every morning while brushing my teeth. I knew I was going to brush my teeth every morning, no matter what, and by putting those habits together I was able to ensure I took my first step towards *zen*. Eventually I worked up to a separate time & space just for meditation but that first step was critical for developing the habit.
Temptation bundling: I think of temptation bundling as the opposite of habit stacking. Instead of adding something to your existing routine, you hold off on some of your “guilty pleasures” until you complete your daily habits. For example, you might tell yourself that you can binge watch your favorite TV show, but only after you’ve taken your daily walk. Or that you can scroll on TikTok, but after you journal for 5 minutes. To be clear, temptation bundling is NOT meant to be punishment. You don’t need to try this strategy if it feels like you’re harmfully restricting yourself (ex: not allowing yourself to eat unless you work out). Temptation bundling is meant to help you prioritize the habits you want to develop while also treating yourself to enjoyment.
Set & celebrate small milestones: research shows that we are more likely to achieve our goals through encouragement, not punishment. And while it’s great to celebrate big accomplishments, we don’t need to wait for huge milestones to appreciate our hard work, especially when the big goals are long term. Sometimes we need the reminder that we’re doing amazing - just because we’re on the right track. If your goals feel far off, I encourage you to break them up into smaller objectives & treat yourself to something each time one of those objectives is completed.
Find workouts you enjoy: while certain types of movement are more conducive to certain goals, the MOST important thing is that you move in general. There are SO many ways to do that, so don’t be afraid to try different things! Sign up for a run club, take a pilates class, or play tennis with a friend in the park. Allow yourself to find which form of movement brings you the most joy and lean into that. The more you enjoy it, the more likely you are to stick with it.
Use the fresh start effect: many of us are familiar with the fresh start feeling we get at the beginning of the new year. I know I personally like to end December making a vision board and setting goals for 2024. Turns out, you can “trick” your brain into creating a fresh start on lots of occasions. If you’re struggling to kickstart your routine, create a new fresh start for yourself to begin again with a clean slate. You could use: a life milestone like a move or a job change, a sign up for a new gym or fitness studio, or even convince yourself that next Monday can be your fresh start. When our brain feels a moment is a new beginning, we’re more likely to adopt new habits.
Get clear on your why & don’t let yourself forget it: if you’ve participated in one of my challenges then you know I’m big on defining your “why” - the underlying reason driving your decisions to be healthier. That’s because there is science behind the idea that we are more likely to do & enjoy things that feel deeply meaningful to us. If you can come back to your deeper reason for trying to work out, or run, or meditate, you will always have an anchor & a reminder to keep going that you can channel on your toughest days.
Prep your environment: let your environment work in your favor this year! There are so many small things you can do to make the physical space around you more conducive to healthy habits. Set your clothes out the night before a workout, put your phone charger across the room from your desk to focus better, buy less “unhealthy” snacks so you have less chances to eat them. Create an environment that encourages your healthy habits so that they become the easiest option.
Get some help: while many of our habits are individual, none of us can do this alone (that’s why even personal trainers hire trainers). If and when you need some accountability and support, don’t be afraid to get some support. Whether it be an accountability chat with friends or signing up for my New Year, Better You Challenge (hint hint ), there are plenty of resources around you ready to make sure you win!
“Every action you take is a vote for the person you wish to become. ”
